- Lyricist
- Kannadasan
- Singer
- P. Susheela
- Music director
- M. S. Vishwanathan
- Movie name
- Puthiya Paravai
- Movie release year
- 1964
- Lyrics added on
- 3 May 2017
Lyrics & meaning
Beyond the translation
Overall song meaning
Paartha Nyabagam Illaiyo is a classic song from the 1964 psychological thriller Puthiya Paravai. In the film, the song is performed by B. Saroja Devi's character to provoke and intrigue the protagonist (played by Sivaji Ganesan). The lyricist Kannadasan weaves themes of memory, lost love, reincarnation, and identity as the singer hauntingly asks her beloved if he recalls their past encounters by the riverbank and their deep emotional connection, or if he has erased those memories entirely.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Personification
“Indha iravai Kel adhu sollum / Andha nilavai Kel adhu sollum”
Attributing human speech capabilities to non-human elements such as the night, moon, and heart.
Metaphor
“Indru vanthadhae Pudhiya paravai”
Comparing the protagonist's transformed state or re-emergence to a 'new bird' (Pudhiya paravai).
Rhetorical Question
“Nyabagam illaiyo / Paruva naadagam thollaiyo”
Asking questions not for answers, but to evoke nostalgia, guilt, and deep emotional reflection.
Did you know?
Trivia
Composed by the legendary duo Viswanathan–Ramamoorthy and rendered by P. Susheela, 'Paartha Nyabagam Illaiyo' is celebrated for its Latin jazz/bossa nova musical arrangement. The iconic cabaret-style set and choreography made it one of the most stylish musical sequences in 1960s Tamil cinema.
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