- Lyricist
- Kannadasan
- Singers
- P. B. Sreenivas, A. L. Raghavan, G. K. Venkatesh
- Music director
- Vishwanathan-Ramamoorthy
- Movie name
- Padithal Mattum Podhuma
- Movie release year
- 1962
- Lyrics added on
- 1 Oct 2017
Lyrics & meaning
Beyond the translation
Overall song meaning
This song presents a philosophical satire on human existence and societal hypocrisies using the metaphor of a clown ('Komaali'). Kannadasan traces the cosmic evolution of foolishness, illustrating how Time created the world, the world gave rise to the heart, the heart gave birth to love, and love brought couples together—all through foolish or playful caprices. It reflects on how society mislabels true wisdom, contentment, and detachment as folly while accepting pretense and ignorance as social norms.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Anaphora / Repetition
“Komaali komaali komaali”
The word 'Komaali' is rhythmically repeated at the beginning and end of stanzas to emphasize the core satirical motif.
Chain Metaphor (Anadiplosis)
“Kaalm seidha komaali thanathil... Ulagam poranthathu... Ulagam seidha komaali thanathil... Ullam piranthathu”
Each line builds on the last word/concept of the previous line (Time -> World -> Heart -> Love -> Couple), creating a cause-and-effect chain of existential irony.
Irony / Paradox
“Kaasukkum panathukkum aasai illamal vaazhbavan komaali”
The lyrics contrast societal perception with genuine reality, showing how a wise man among fools or a person detached from money is unfairly branded a clown.
Did you know?
Trivia
The film 'Padithal Mattum Podhuma' (1962), starring Sivaji Ganesan and M. R. Radha, features music composed by the iconic duo Viswanathan–Ramamoorthy. This song stands out as a unique philosophical cabaret-style track sung by A. L. Raghavan and T. M. Soundararajan, featuring Western-style yodeling.
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