- Lyricist
- Panchu Arunachalam
- Singer
- Ilayaraja
- Music director
- Ilayaraja
- Movie name
- Kali Kaalam
- Movie release year
- 1992
- Lyrics added on
- 1 Feb 2019
Lyrics & meaning
Beyond the translation
Overall song meaning
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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