- Lyricist
- Ku. Ma. Balasubramaniam
- Singers
- T. M. Soundararajan, T. V. Rathinam
- Music director
- G. Ramanathan
- Movie name
- Veerapandiya Kattabomman
- Movie release year
- 1959
- Lyrics added on
- 1 May 2024
Lyrics & meaning
Beyond the translation
Overall song meaning
This folk duet from the historic film Veerapandiya Kattabomman acts as a playful back-and-forth between travelers on a forest journey. On the surface, the couple warns each other against highway thieves, protecting gold and food. However, beneath the lighthearted travel theme lies a sharp social and political satire. The lyrics subtly highlight treachery, warning about deceitful individuals who appear virtuous, brothers who betray each other, and traitors willing to sell out their own country and honor for monetary gain, mirroring the historical betrayals surrounding Kattabomman.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Monai (Initial Rhyme / Alliteration)
“Maattu vandi pootikittu / Maappillaiya kootikittu”
Repetition of initial consonant/vowel sounds in words within the same line or adjacent lines, such as Maattu and Maappillaiya.
Etukai (Second-letter Harmony)
“Maattu vandi pootikittu / Kaattu vazhi poravalae”
Harmony of the second letter across lines, seen in Maattu and Kaattu.
Allegory / Political Subtext
“Naattai kooda kaasukaaga vippanga”
The lines warning about thieves selling the country metaphorically critique historical traitors like Ettappan who betrayed local rulers to foreign invaders.
Did you know?
Trivia
Although styled as a rustic folk song, Ku. Ma. Balasubramaniam's lyrics slyly embed historical allegories about Ettappan and other local traitors who sold out Veerapandiya Kattabomman to British forces.
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