- Lyricist
- Kannadasan
- Singer
- S. P. Balasubrahmanyam
- Music director
- K. Vijaya Baskar
- Movie name
- Kalyanamam Kalyanam
- Movie release year
- 1974
- Lyrics added on
- 26 Sept 2023
Lyrics & meaning
Beyond the translation
Overall song meaning
Kaalam Ponnaanathu from the 1974 Tamil film Kalyanamam Kalyanam is a lighthearted yet commentary-filled track rendered by S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, with music by K. Vijaya Baskar and lyrics by Kannadasan. The song explores traditional marital roles and social dynamics, using playful humor to critique a man who surrenders his leadership within a marriage and becomes overly submissive. Through allegorical references to royalty, domestic birds, and traditional attire, Kannadasan weaves humor with moral advice on duty, time, and mutual respect in domestic life. The song highlights how crucial clarity and leadership are for maintaining happiness in a family structure.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Metaphor (Uvamaani)
“Kaalam ponnaanathu kadamai kannaanathu”
Comparing time to gold ('Kaalam ponnaanathu') and duty to the sight of one's eyes ('kadamai kannaanathu') to emphasize their intrinsic value.
Simile (Uvamai)
“Aa…..haa…. aanmagal enbavan rajavaipolae / Pennukku bayanthavan koojavaipolae”
Compares a strong man to a king ('rajavaipolae') and a meek man to a lifeless jug ('koojaavaipolae').
Monai (Initial Alliteration)
“Kaalam ponnaanathu kadamai kannaanathu”
Repetition of the 'Ka' sound at the beginning of words in the same line.
Eyaibu (End Rhyme)
“Avan payar eppothum kanavanadi / Avanthaan rajanga thalaivanadi”
Repetition of the ending suffix '-adi' across consecutive lines to create a rhythmic folk dialogue tone.
Did you know?
Trivia
Composed by K. Vijaya Baskar, a prolific composer who worked extensively in Kannada cinema as well as Tamil cinema during the 1970s. Lyricist Kannadasan uses satirical metaphors typical of 1970s Tamil social comedies to playfully debate gender roles.
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