- Lyricist
- Madhan Karky
- Singers
- Poorvi Koutish, Sarthak Kalyani
- Music director
- A. R. Rahman
- Movie name
- 99 Songs
- Movie release year
- 2021
- Lyrics added on
- 17 Feb 2021
Lyrics & meaning
Beyond the translation
Overall song meaning
Jwaalamukhi expresses the intense emotional turmoil of passion, pain, and yearning. The protagonist compares the eruption of overwhelming love to a volcano ('Jwaalamukhi') raging in her heart, eyes, and soul. She questions destiny for turning her life into a game while acknowledging that without her beloved, her world feels completely frozen and devoid of vitality. The song captures a powerful paradox where fire and ice collide, as she calls upon her lover's fiery passion to melt her frozen tears and restore life to her soul. Written by Madhan Karky and composed by A. R. Rahman, the lyrics vividly blend thermal imagery with raw human grief.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Metaphor
“Jwalaamukhi nenjilae”
Love and overwhelming passion are explicitly equated to a raging volcano ('Jwalaamukhi').
Anaphora / Repetition
“Jwalaamukhi nenjilae / Jwalaamukhi kannilae / Jwalaamukhi ennilae..ae”
The repetition of 'Jwalaamukhi' at the beginning of consecutive lines builds dramatic tension and highlights the eruption of inner turmoil.
Oxymoron / Thermal Imagery Juxtaposition
“En vizhi neerum urainthu udainthu veezha / Un neruppaalae vaa urukki uyirkodu”
The contrasting imagery of freezing tears ('urainthu udainthu') and melting fire ('neruppaalae vaa urukki') illustrates emotional numbness vs. reviving passion.
Did you know?
Trivia
'99 Songs' (2021) marked A.R. Rahman's debut as a feature film writer and producer. The song 'Jwaalamukhi' was released as a lead single across multiple languages (Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu), featuring vocals by Poorvi Koutish who delivered the soaring, rock-infused vocal belts.
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