- Lyricist
- Kannadasan
- Singer
- T. M. Soundararajan
- Music director
- M. S. Vishwanathan
- Movie name
- Anubavi Raja Anubavi
- Movie release year
- 1967
- Lyrics added on
- 24 Jul 2020
Lyrics & meaning
Beyond the translation
Overall song meaning
This iconic satirical track from the 1967 film 'Anubavi Raja Anubavi' captures a rural villager's humorous yet sharp observations upon visiting the bustling metropolis of Madras. Through clever imagery, the lyricist Kannadasan contrasts the authenticity and simplicity of village life with the superficiality, cramped living conditions, and rapid Westernization of urban society. The song highlights social commentary ranging from high-rise overcrowding and loss of traditional etiquette to the vanity of modern luxuries. It features a famous rhetorical question reminding urban elites that without the hard work of rural farmers plowing the land, city prosperity and luxury cars would mean nothing.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Satire and Social Commentary
“Enga yerottam ninnu pona / Unga carottam ennavaagum”
Kannadasan uses sharp humor to critique urban social changes, pointing out how city dwellers value superficial luxuries while losing essential values like modesty and community.
Simile (Upamai)
“Seetukattu kanakkaga Inga veeta katti irukkaga”
Comparing city housing structures to a house of cards ('Seetukattu'), emphasizing their cramped, fragile, and dense nature.
Ethukai (Second Letter Rhyming)
“Enga yerottam ninnu pona / Unga carottam ennavaagum”
Classic Tamil poetic meter technique where the second consonant of consecutive lines matches (e.g., 'yerottam' and 'carottam').
Irony
“Kaathu vaanga beachu pakkam / Kaathu nikkum kootame”
Highlighting the absurd paradox of crowds going to the beach just to 'buy air' (breathe fresh air) because city houses lack ventilation.
Did you know?
Trivia
Composed by M.S. Viswanathan with lyrics by Kannadasan, this classic song was sung by T.M. Soundararajan and picturized on legendary comedian Nagesh. The song became a cultural landmark in Tamil cinema for defining the identity and rapid urbanization of 1960s Madras (now Chennai).
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