Skip to content
Isaimozhi
Lyrics & meaning

Neelagiri Sel

From Kalloori Vaasal · 1996

Lyricist
Vaali
Singers
Mano, Swarnalatha
Music director
Deva
Details
Kalloori Vaasal1996

Lyrics & meaning

Tanglish lyrics English translation
Male
Haei neelagiri sel haa neelagiri selHey Nilgiri girl, ah Nilgiri girl
Pendu nimiththiriyae paaththaaJust one look and you bend and twist minds
Neelagiri sel sundi izhukkuriyae nekkaaNilgiri girl, you slyly pull and entice
Aiyyar kadai idly aadai kattum patliSoft as an idli from an Iyer shop, slender as a wrapped parcel
Naan unakku chutney naalu naalaa pattiniI am the chutney for you, starving for four days
Female
Neelagiri sel aah neelagiri selNilgiri girl, ah Nilgiri girl
Pendu eduththudumae paaththaaJust one look and it takes a heavy toll
Neelagiri sel sundi izhuththudumae neakkaaNilgiri girl, pulling me softly and slyly
Neelagiri sel…aa…aah…..Nilgiri girl... aa... aah...
Male
Yaeh aah yaeh aah ooYeah ah yeah ah oo
Yaeh aah kur kurrrrrYeah ah kur kurrrrr
Kattainna naattu kattai….yaei yaeyaeiIf it is a frame, it is a sturdy local frame... hey hey
Female :AangFemale: Aang
Male :Kattainna naattu kattaiMale: If it is a frame, it is a sturdy local frame
Vasamulla shanthana katta…..yaei yaeyaei yaeyaeiA fragrant sandalwood log... hey hey hey
Kattainna naattu kattaiIf it is a frame, it is a sturdy local frame
Vasamulla shanthana katta….A fragrant sandalwood log...
Veerappan paaththupputtaaIf forest brigand Veerappan sees you
Kadaththiduvaan kaatta vittae….yaei yaeyaeiHe will smuggle you straight out of the forest... hey hey
Male
Kannuthaan vaaththu muttaYour eyes are shaped like duck eggs
Kaalu rendum vaazha pattaBoth your legs are smooth like banana stems
Pennae nee ok sonnaGirl, if you say okay
Pottukkiraen pazhani mottaI will tonsure my head as an offering at Palani temple
Female
Konjam gap vittaa mutturiyaeIf I leave a small gap, you butt right in
Intha tappa thottu thatturiyaeYou touch and beat on this dabba drum
Gana paatta ellam katturiyaeYou cook up all these local Gana tunes
Nenjil poster pola otturiyaeYou stick to my heart like a pasted poster
Male :PoduMale: Play the beat!
Female
Neelagiri sel aah neelagiri selNilgiri girl, ah Nilgiri girl
Pendu eduththudumae paaththaaJust one look and it takes a heavy toll
Neelagiri sel sundi izhuththudumae neakkaaNilgiri girl, pulling me softly and slyly
Neelagiri sel…aaah…..Nilgiri girl... aaah...
Male
Punna maraam adiyilae….yae….yae…Underneath the Punna tree... yeah... yeah...
Punna maram adiyilae pushpalathaa madiyilae…ae…ae…Underneath the Punna tree, resting on Pushpalatha's lap... ae... ae...
Punna maram adiyilae pushpalathaa madiyilae…Underneath the Punna tree, resting on Pushpalatha's lap...
Paakkatha cinimaavellaamAll the movies that haven't been watched
Pakka venum nodiyilaeMust be watched in a single moment
Male
Savaala yaeththukkuvaen side vaanga oththukkadiI will take up the challenge, agree to make way for me, girl
Hawaala velaiyellam aiyaavukku aththuppadiAll underground hawala tricks are second nature to this master
Female :Antha reelu nallaa katturiyaeFemale: You spin a reel of tales so well
Revalver neetturiyae…hoiYou brandish your revolver... hoi
Soap-pu nallaa poduriyaeYou butter me up with slick soap talk
Rap-pu ellaam paaduriyaeYou sing all these rapid rap songs
Female
Neelagiri selNilgiri girl
Pendu eduththudumae paaththaaJust one look and it takes a heavy toll
Neelagiri sel sundi izhuththudumae neakkaaNilgiri girl, pulling me softly and slyly
Aiyyar kadai idli aadai kattum patliSoft as an idli from an Iyer shop, slender as a wrapped parcel
Theduthaiyya chutney thedi vanthu oottu neeSearching for chutney, come find me and feed me yourself
Male
Hae neelagiri sel haah…Hey Nilgiri girl haah...
Neelagiri selNilgiri girl
Pendu nimiththiriyae paaththaaJust one look and you bend and twist minds
Neelagiri sel sundi izhuththudumae neakkaaNilgiri girl, pulling me softly and slyly
Neelagiri sel……hha……Nilgiri girl...... hha......

Beyond the translation

Song interpretation

This playful track from the 1996 movie 'Kalloori Vaasal' is a energetic duet filled with Madras bashai slang and lively humor. The male protagonist teases and praises the heroine's beauty using colorful street metaphors, comparing her to fragrant sandalwood so valuable that even the famous forest bandit Veerappan would kidnap her. He promises extreme devotion like tonsuring his head at Palani temple if she accepts his love. The heroine banteringly responds, accusing him of flattery, spinning tall tales ('reelu katturiye'), and singing fast rap lines to charm her. Packed with rhythmic Gana flavor and colloquialisms, the song captures a spirited romantic duel between two young lovers exchanging humorous insults and flirtatious expressions.

Writing craft

Poetic devices

Metaphor (Uvamai)

Vasamulla shanthana katta…..yaei yaeyaei yaeyaei

Compares the heroine's figure to a fragrant sandalwood log ('vasamulla shanthana katta') and her legs to smooth banana trunks ('kaalu rendum vaazha patta').

Rhyme / Monai (Initial Rhyme)

Kannuthaan vaaththu mutta / Kaalu rendum vaazha patta

Matching starting sounds in consecutive lines ('Kannuthaan' and 'Kaalu').

Emonai / Rhyming Endings (Iyaibu)

Gana paatta ellam katturiye / Nenjil poster pola otturiye

Consistent end rhyming with 'mutturiye', 'thatturiye', 'katturiye', 'otturiye' across four consecutive lines.

Pop Culture Metaphor

Veerappan paaththupputtaa / Kadaththiduvaan kaatta vittae

Refers to the notorious real-life sandalwood smuggler Veerappan to hyperbolically praise her value and beauty.

Did you know?

Trivia

'Kalloori Vaasal' (1996) starred Ajith Kumar, Prashanth, and Pooja Bhatt, featuring music composed by Deva. Lyricist Vaali infused authentic Madras slang (Gana dialect) into the song to evoke the youth culture of Chennai colleges in the mid-1990s.

Keep listening

More from Kalloori Vaasal