- Lyricist
- S. P. Hosimin
- Singers
- Pushpavanam Kuppusamy, Anuradha Sriram
- Music director
- Bharathwaj
- Movie name
- February 14
- Movie release year
- 2005
- Lyrics added on
- 23 Feb 2019
Lyrics & meaning
Beyond the translation
Overall song meaning
'Oththaiya Rettaiya' is an energetic and playful romantic duet from the movie February 14. The song revolves around the traditional game concept of 'Odd or Even' ('Oththaiya Rettaiya'), which the lead characters use as a playful metaphor for flirtation. The male lead teases the female lead by questioning whether various things about her—such as her siblings, her braided hair, her waist folds, and her pulse—are single or double, playfully suggesting that while both of them are currently single ('oththai'), combining forces will make them a couple ('rettai'). The track uses vibrant imagery from rural carnival elements, food metaphors, and local geography to convey youthful passion, witty back-and-forth banter, and romantic tension between the couple.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Monai (Alliteration)
“Rangu rangu raatinamae / Sangu sangu sakkaramae”
Repetition of initial consonant/vowel sound patterns across consecutive lines creates rhythmic musicality.
Ethugai (Rhyming Second Letter)
“Pacha pulla nee maeya paakira / Pacha pullaiya kaayam aakura”
The second letter 'cha' rhymes across both lines ('Pacha' and 'Pacha'), serving as a classic Tamil poetic rhythm tool.
Metaphor
“Kannu rendum meen kozhambu / Udhadu rendum thaen kolambu”
The eyes are metaphorically compared to tempting fish curry and the lips to sweet honey broth to express physical attraction.
Extended Metaphor / Wordplay
“Naan ippo oththadi nee / Sendhukitta sendhukitta rettadi rettadi”
The entire odd/even theme serves as an extended metaphor comparing being single ('oththai') to becoming a pair ('rettai') upon joining together.
Did you know?
Trivia
The song is from the 2005 Tamil romantic movie 'February 14' starring Bharath and Renuka Menon. The film was directed by S. P. Hosimin, who also penned lyrics for songs in the movie. Music for the film was composed by Bharadwaj.
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