- Lyricist
- Thanjai Vaanan
- Singer
- T. M. Soundararajan
- Music director
- T. K. Ramamoorthy
- Movie name
- Madras To Pondichery
- Movie release year
- 1966
- Lyrics added on
- 8 Mar 2025
Lyrics & meaning
Beyond the translation
Overall song meaning
This classic song from 'Madras To Pondichery' is a playful yet moralistic address to a modern young woman. The singer praises the woman's beauty—comparing her youth to a soft flower and her waist to a delicate creeper—while cautioning her about the hidden dangers of the world. He advises her that modest behavior and dignity are a woman's true adornments, and that unbridled impulse or a single misstep can lead to ruin from which there is no return. The song seamlessly combines contemporary 1960s English colloquialism ('Stop listen proceed') with traditional Tamil poetic ideals to deliver a song about modern youth, boundaries, and worldly wisdom.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Simile (Upamai)
“Malarai pondra paruvamae”
Compares youth directly to a blooming flower using the comparative word 'pondra'.
Contrast / Antithesis
“Kavalil penmai alangaaram / Aaval meerinaal alangolam”
Contrasts controlled grace (alangaaram) with unchecked desire leading to ruin (alangolam).
Metaphor (Uruvagam)
“Kurunagai kodiyidai”
Metaphorically compares a slender waist to a creeping vine ('kodi').
Second-Letter Rhyme (Edhukai)
“Malarai pondra paruvamae / Manadhai mayakkum uruvamae”
The second consonant 'la' repeats in consecutive lines ('Malarai' / 'Manadhai').
Did you know?
Trivia
'Madras To Pondichery' (1966) was a major road comedy film starring Jaishankar and Kalpana. The film was later remade in Hindi as the smash hit 'Bombay to Goa' (1972) starring Amitabh Bachchan and Aruna Irani.
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