- Lyricist
- A. Maruthakasi
- Singer
- Kasthoori
- Music director
- S. V. Venkatraman
- Movie name
- Kannin Manigal
- Movie release year
- 1956
- Lyrics added on
- 4 Aug 2025
Lyrics & meaning
Beyond the translation
Overall song meaning
This song is a vibrant, folk-style solo track sung from the perspective of a traveling nomadic woman (a Kurathi) originating from Courtallam. She introduces herself proudly as a well-traveled fortune teller and tattoo artist who journeys across various towns offering her traditional services. She highlights her proficiency in reading palm lines with accuracy, drawing neat and attractive tattoos, and providing charm potions and cosmetics designed to enchant others. Expressing complete confidence in her craft, she invites onlookers to inspect her remedies before purchasing and asserts that anyone who benefits from her skills will remember her forever.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Monaai (Initial Rhyme / Alliteration)
“Kuththaalaththulae kudiyirukkira”
Repetition of the initial 'Ku' sound in 'Kuththaalaththulae' and 'kudiyirukkira' creates a rhythmic beat characteristic of Tamil folk poetry.
Upamai (Simile)
“Nalla achchu polae azhagaaga”
The line uses 'polae' (like/as) to compare the precise and beautiful outcome of her tattoos to a neat stamp print.
Ettukai / Madakku (Repetition for Emphasis)
“Kumari naanunga kumari naanunga”
The phrase 'kumari naanunga' is repeated back-to-back to emphasize her identity and maintain the lively cadence of a folk song.
Did you know?
Trivia
Kannin Manigal (1956) featured music composed by S. V. Venkatraman with lyrics written by A. Maruthakasi. The song highlights the classic 'Kurathi' archetype popular in mid-20th-century Tamil cinema, showcasing traditional occupations like fortune-telling, herbal remedies, and tattooing through energetic folk arrangements.
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