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Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Gandhi Thatha

From Aandavan Kattalai · 2016

Lyricist
Darwin Guna
Singer
Darwin Guna
Music directors
Not listed
Movie name
Aandavan Kattalai
Movie release year
2016
Lyrics added on
10 Jun 2017

Lyrics & meaning

♫ Tanglish lyrics
↻ English translation
Oor suthi vanthaa
Naattu rasa
En veera soora kadhaiya
Yaaru kettaa
Anju paththu kaasu
Serka pathaa
Ada nakkala sirikkum
Gandhi thatha
Thalaiya koduthu ninnen
Prachanaiya sonnen
Maanam roosam aththanaiyum
Lorry yethi konnen
Atta onnu vanga
James bond-u nanga
Sattai uruvi vittu
Ippo kodangi thaanga
Oor suthi vanthaa
Naattu rasa
En veera soora kadhaiya
Yaaru kettaa
Anju paththu kaasu
Serka pathaa
Ada nakkala sirikkum
Gandhi thatha
Thalaiya koduthu ninnen
Prachanaiya sonnen
Maanam roosam aththanaiyum
Lorry yethi konnen
Atta onnu vanga
James bond-u nanga
Sattai uruvi vittu
Ippo kodangi thaanga
When I roam around town,
I act like the king of the land!
My tales of bravery and daring,
who ever cared to ask for them?
Whenever I try to save
a few coins and cash,
look, he mocks me with a smirk,
Grandpa Gandhi on the currency note!
I walked right into trouble,
and poured out all my problems,
All my dignity and pride,
I ran a truck over and crushed them!
Just to get our hands on a passport,
we played the role of James Bond,
stripped of our shirts and shirtsleeves,
now we're reduced to wandering fortune-tellers!
When I roam around town,
I act like the king of the land!
My tales of bravery and daring,
who ever cared to ask for them?
Whenever I try to save
a few coins and cash,
look, he mocks me with a smirk,
Grandpa Gandhi on the currency note!
I walked right into trouble,
and poured out all my problems,
All my dignity and pride,
I ran a truck over and crushed them!
Just to get our hands on a passport,
we played the role of James Bond,
stripped of our shirts and shirtsleeves,
now we're reduced to wandering fortune-tellers!
Male
Male
Male
Male

Beyond the translation

Overall song meaning

This song from 'Aandavan Kattalai' serves as a satirical commentary on the protagonist's desperate plight to escape poverty by obtaining a passport/visa to go abroad. It depicts the tragicomic reality of a young man who considers himself a local hero in his hometown, yet struggles to save even a tiny amount of money, feeling mockingly judged by the face of Mahatma Gandhi on the Indian currency note.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Personification

Ada nakkala sirikkum Gandhi thatha

The image of Mahatma Gandhi printed on Indian currency notes is personified as a grandfather sarcastically laughing at the protagonist's poor attempts to save money.

Hyperbole

Maanam roosam aththanaiyum Lorry yethi konnen

Exaggerates the act of sacrificing one's dignity and pride by describing it as running over self-respect with a lorry.

Ethugai (Second-letter Rhyme)

Atta onnu vanga / Sattai uruvi vittu

The second consonant sound 'tt' ('ட்') in 'Atta' and 'Sattai' creates a traditional Tamil rhythmic rhyme.

Metaphor / Irony

Atta onnu vanga James bond-u nanga

Compares common men indulging in shady, stealthy acts to get passport paperwork ('atta') to secret agents like James Bond, emphasizing the irony of their desperation.

Did you know?

Trivia

'Aandavan Kattalai' (2016) is a critically acclaimed Tamil satirical drama directed by M. Manikandan, starring Vijay Sethupathi and Ritika Singh. The soundtrack was composed by K (Krishna Kumar). The song captures the core film premise: rural Tamil youth resorting to fraudulent brokers and degrading circumstances just to obtain a passport cover ('atta') and escape financial troubles.

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