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Kalloori Vaasal album cover
Lyrics & meaning

Neelagiri Sel

From Kalloori Vaasal · 1996

Lyricist
Vaali
Singers
Mano, Swarnalatha
Music director
Deva
Movie name
Kalloori Vaasal
Movie release year
1996
Lyrics added on
5 Mar 2021

Lyrics & meaning

♫ Tanglish lyrics
↻ English translation
Haei neelagiri sel haa neelagiri sel
Pendu nimiththiriyae paaththaa
Neelagiri sel sundi izhukkuriyae nekkaa
Aiyyar kadai idly aadai kattum patli
Naan unakku chutney naalu naalaa pattini
Neelagiri sel aah neelagiri sel
Pendu eduththudumae paaththaa
Neelagiri sel sundi izhuththudumae neakkaa
Neelagiri sel…aa…aah…..
Yaeh aah yaeh aah oo
Yaeh aah kur kurrrrr
Kattainna naattu kattai….yaei yaeyaei
Female :Aang
Male :Kattainna naattu kattai
Vasamulla shanthana katta…..yaei yaeyaei yaeyaei
Kattainna naattu kattai
Vasamulla shanthana katta….
Veerappan paaththupputtaa
Kadaththiduvaan kaatta vittae….yaei yaeyaei
Kannuthaan vaaththu mutta
Kaalu rendum vaazha patta
Pennae nee ok sonna
Pottukkiraen pazhani motta
Konjam gap vittaa mutturiyae
Intha tappa thottu thatturiyae
Gana paatta ellam katturiyae
Nenjil poster pola otturiyae
Male :Podu
Neelagiri sel aah neelagiri sel
Pendu eduththudumae paaththaa
Neelagiri sel sundi izhuththudumae neakkaa
Neelagiri sel…aaah…..
Punna maraam adiyilae….yae….yae…
Punna maram adiyilae pushpalathaa madiyilae…ae…ae…
Punna maram adiyilae pushpalathaa madiyilae…
Paakkatha cinimaavellaam
Pakka venum nodiyilae
Savaala yaeththukkuvaen side vaanga oththukkadi
Hawaala velaiyellam aiyaavukku aththuppadi
Female :Antha reelu nallaa katturiyae
Revalver neetturiyae…hoi
Soap-pu nallaa poduriyae
Rap-pu ellaam paaduriyae
Neelagiri sel
Pendu eduththudumae paaththaa
Neelagiri sel sundi izhuththudumae neakkaa
Aiyyar kadai idli aadai kattum patli
Theduthaiyya chutney thedi vanthu oottu nee
Hae neelagiri sel haah…
Neelagiri sel
Pendu nimiththiriyae paaththaa
Neelagiri sel sundi izhuththudumae neakkaa
Neelagiri sel……hha……
Hey, Nilgiri cell! Ha, Nilgiri cell!
Just one look from you bends me into shape!
Nilgiri cell, you slyly pull me in!
Soft idli from an Iyer's shop, a wrapped little bundle,
I am the chutney for you, starving for four days!
Nilgiri cell, ah, Nilgiri cell!
Just one look will knock anyone off their feet!
Nilgiri cell, it slyly pulls you right in!
Nilgiri cell... ah... aah...
Ye ah ye ah oo
Ye ah kurr kurrrr
What a figure, an absolute stunner... yeah yeah!
Female: Ah!
Male: What a figure, an absolute stunner!
A fragrant piece of sandalwood... yeah yeah yeah!
What a figure, an absolute stunner!
A fragrant piece of sandalwood...
If Veerappan ever laid eyes on you,
He would kidnap you right out of the forest... yeah yeah!
Your eyes are round like duck eggs,
Your two legs are smooth as banana stalks,
Girl, if you just say yes,
I will shave my head at Palani temple!
If I give you a little room, you bump right into me,
You keep tapping on this tin can of mine,
You compose all these gaana songs,
And stick to my heart like a poster!
Male: Hit it!
Nilgiri cell, ah, Nilgiri cell!
Just one look will knock anyone off their feet!
Nilgiri cell, it slyly pulls you right in!
Nilgiri cell... aah...
Beneath the punnai tree... yeah... yeah...
Beneath the punnai tree, in Pushpalatha's lap... yeah... yeah...
Beneath the punnai tree, in Pushpalatha's lap...
All the movies I haven't seen,
I want to watch in a single second!
I will take on the challenge, just agree to slip away with me!
This man knows all the underworld tricks inside out!
Female: You spin tall tales so smoothly,
And point your revolver at me... hoy!
You butter me up so nicely,
And sing all these fast rap songs!
Nilgiri cell!
Just one look will knock anyone off their feet!
Nilgiri cell, it slyly pulls you right in!
Soft idli from an Iyer's shop, a wrapped little bundle,
It is looking for chutney—come find me and feed me!
Hey, Nilgiri cell! Ha...
Nilgiri cell!
Just one look from you bends me into shape!
Nilgiri cell, it slyly pulls you right in!
Nilgiri cell... ha...
Male
Female
Male
Male
Female
Female
Male
Male
Female
Male

Beyond the translation

Overall song meaning

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.

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