- Lyricist
- Mohan Rajan
- Singers
- Sid Sriram, Niranjana Ramanan
- Music director
- Dhibu Ninan Thomas
- Movie name
- Kanaa
- Movie release year
- 2018
- Lyrics added on
- 12 Jul 2018
Lyrics & meaning
Beyond the translation
Overall song meaning
The title theme track from 'Kanaa' is a powerful motivational anthem that explores the transformative nature of true ambition and self-realization. Drawing upon former President Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam's iconic quotes about dreaming big, the song redefines a 'dream' not as a passive nighttime vision, but as a burning passion that keeps you awake, forces deep introspection, and propels you past societal constraints like caste and doubt. It calls on the individual to view themselves as their only real competitor and to temper themselves through hardships. In the context of the movie, the song echoes the journey of Kousalya, a young girl from a rural farming family striving against social and financial obstacles to fulfill her goal of becoming an international cricketer. Through vivid imagery of sowing sweat as seeds and turning obstacles into dust, the track captures her fierce determination to transform calendar dates into etched moments of sports history.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Allusion
“Abdul kalam sonnar ondru / Kanaa kaana vendum endru”
Directly quotes and references Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam's famous maxim encouraging youth to dream big dreams before they can come true.
Metaphor
“Unnai vaati vaairam seiyumae”
Compares overcoming hardships and emotional burning to refining raw carbon under heat and pressure into a diamond.
Metaphor
“Poraadu un vervai vithai”
Metaphorically compares drops of sweat shed during hard work to seeds sown into the ground to yield victory.
Monai (Initial Rhyme / Repetition)
“Nee nee nee neeyaga iru / Thee thee thee theeyaga soodu”
Uses rhythmic repetition of single-syllable Tamil words ('Nee', 'Thee', 'Naan') at the beginning of consecutive lines to create dramatic emphasis and cadence.
Did you know?
Trivia
'Kanaa' (2018) marked the directorial debut of lyricist and singer Arunraja Kamaraj and was the maiden production venture of actor Sivakarthikeyan under Sivakarthikeyan Productions. The film stars Aishwarya Rajesh as a farmer's daughter aiming to excel in cricket, alongside Sathyaraj. The music for the film was composed by Dibu Ninan Thomas, whose soundtrack, featuring motivational songs like this title track, received wide acclaim for its emotional intensity and uplifting arrangements.
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