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Lyrics & meaning

Kalam Kalikalam

From Kali Kaalam · 1992

Lyricist
Panchu Arunachalam
Singer
Ilayaraja
Music director
Ilayaraja
Details
Kali Kaalam1992

Lyrics & meaning

♫ Tanglish lyrics↻ English translation
Male
………………………….....
Male
Kaalam kali kaalamThis era is Kali Yuga (the dark age)
Idhu thaanammaaThis is indeed how it is, oh mother
Vaazhvae dhinam maarumLife changes every single day
Pagal veshamaaIs it all just a daytime disguise?
Ill vaazhvae poraattamDomestic life is a endless struggle
Kadai veedhi vyaabaaramLike a transaction in a marketplace
Idhil uravu yen ammaa paavamaeIn this, what is the value of relationships? How pitiful!
Male
Kaalam kali kaalamThis era is Kali Yuga
Idhu thaanammaaThis is indeed how it is, oh mother
Vaazhvae dhinam maarumLife changes every single day
Pagal veshamaaIs it all just a daytime disguise?
Male
Bandham adhil paasamBonds and the affection within them
Adhu indha naalil yedhuWhere are they to be found in these times?
O… ooo… oooo..O... ooo... oooo..
Thaevai varum neramWhen the time of need arrives
Petra pillai maarum podhuWhen one's own child turns away
Male
Kaasu thaanadaa ulagai aaludhuIt is money that rules this world, my friend
Dharmam ingu thaan irulil thoongudhuRighteousness sleeps here in the dark
Samsaaramae baaram thaanFamily life is merely a heavy burden
Sondhangalae vesham thaanKinship is nothing but a facade
Un thaevaiyae dharmamaaIs your selfish need considered righteousness?
Nee ketpadhae nyaayamaaIs whatever you demand considered justice?
O manidhanae manidhanaeOh human, oh human
Veen kanavu yenWhy harbor futile dreams?
Male
Kaalam kali kaalamThis era is Kali Yuga
Idhu thaanammaaThis is indeed how it is, oh mother
Vaazhvae dhinam maarumLife changes every single day
Pagal veshamaaIs it all just a daytime disguise?
Male
Thaayin manam pithuA mother's heart is dotingly affectionate
Adhil pillai manadhu kalluYet her child's heart remains as hard as stone
O… ooo… oooo…O... ooo... oooo...
Thandhai maraindha podhumEven when a father passes away
Adhil vandha selvam inbamThe inherited wealth brings them joy
Male
Anbu enbadhu thunbam aanadhuLove has turned into sheer sorrow
Aasai enbadhu arangil yerudhuGreed ascends the main stage
Un vaarisae vairiyaaHas your heir become your enemy?
Un udhiramae edhiriyaaHas your own blood become your foe?
Un kungumam azhindhu thaanIs it only after erasing your auspicious vermilion
Un pillaigal vaazhumaaThat your children will prosper?
O manidhanae manidhanaeOh human, oh human
Veen kanavu yaenWhy harbor futile dreams?
Male
Kaalam kali kaalamThis era is Kali Yuga
Idhu thaanammaaThis is indeed how it is, oh mother
Vaazhvae dhinam maarumLife changes every single day
Pagal veshamaaIs it all just a daytime disguise?
Ill vaazhvae poraattamDomestic life is an endless struggle
Kadai veedhi viyaabaaramLike a transaction in a marketplace
Idhil uravu enammaa paavamaeIn this, what is the value of relationships? How pitiful!
Male
Kaalam kali kaalamThis era is Kali Yuga
Idhu thaanammaaThis is indeed how it is, oh mother
Vaazhvae dhinam maarumLife changes every single day
Pagal veshamaamaaIs it all just a daytime masquerade?

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

Kaalam Kali Kaalam is a deeply philosophical and poignant track that laments the decay of social morals and familial affection in the contemporary era (Kali Yuga). The song critiques how human relationships have degraded into cold, transactional market exchanges where money reigns supreme and ethical living sleeps forgotten in the shadows. Panchu Arunachalam's lyrics evoke sadness over how children turn away from their parents, valuing property and inherited wealth over genuine grief and filial love. The song questions human greed through striking rhetorical questions, contrasting a mother's boundless doting heart with a child's stone-cold apathy, reminding the listener of the futility of chasing material desires at the expense of human warmth.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Metaphor

“Kadai veedhi vyaabaaram”

Compares domestic life and human relationships to a transaction in a street market (Kadai veedhi vyaabaaram).

Antithesis / Contrast

“Thaayin manam pithu / Adhil pillai manadhu kallu”

Contrasts the doting, tender nature of a mother's heart (pithu) with the unfeeling, hard nature of a child's heart (kallu).

Ethirai (Second Letter Rhyme)

“Samsaaramae baaram thaan / Sondhangalae vesham thaan”

The second consonant sound 'm' matches across adjacent lines (Samsaaramae / Sondhangalae).

Rhetorical Question

“Un thaevaiyae dharmamaa / Nee ketpadhae nyaayamaa”

Challenges the listener with existential questions regarding the true nature of selfish demands versus moral justice.

Did you know?

Trivia

The film 'Kali Kaalam' (1992) was written and directed by Panchu Arunachalam himself. Panchu Arunachalam was a legendary screenwriter, producer, and lyricist in Tamil cinema credited with reinventing mass cinema in the late 1970s and 1980s, playing a crucial role in shaping the stardom of actors like Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan.

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