- Lyricist
- Kannadasan
- Singer
- Shyam
- Music director
- Shyam
- Movie name
- Unarchigal
- Movie release year
- 1976
- Lyrics added on
- 19 Jul 2024
Lyrics & meaning
Beyond the translation
Overall song meaning
This tragic song reflects on the life of a woman driven into prostitution and the hypocrisy of human desire. It paints a painful contrast between physical gratification and emotional fulfillment, highlighting how men use her body for the night while leaving her heart completely empty and longing for genuine love. Kannadasan questions the Almighty, asking why the Creator designed such complex and destructive desires within human beings.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Metaphor
“Kasukku kadai virippaal / Adhil kadhalai adagu vaippaal”
Pawning love in a shop set up for money metaphors the tragic commercialization of intimate emotions.
Antithesis
“Iravukku palar irunthaar / Aval idhayaththil evarumillai”
Contrasts the crowd of men present physically at night with the complete emptiness of her heart.
Etukai (Monai/Rhyme)
“Uravukku orvarillai aval / Urimaikku thunaivan illai”
Tamil poetic rhyme device where second letters/sounds align across lines (ra in Uravukku, Urimaikku, Iravukku).
Rhetorical Question
“Unnaasaiyaa….pennaasaiyaa…. Mannaasaiyaa…..manithan aasaigal…..”
The lyricist directly addresses the divine, questioning the ultimate origin and nature of human desires.
Did you know?
Trivia
Unarchigal (1976) was a pioneering film starring Kamal Haasan that dealt with bold and controversial subjects for its era, including sex education and human relationships.
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