- Lyricist
- Gangai Amaran
- Singer
- S. P. Balasubrahmanyam
- Music director
- Gangai Amaran
- Movie name
- Naam
- Movie release year
- 1985
- Lyrics added on
- 23 Jun 2022
Lyrics & meaning
Beyond the translation
Overall song meaning
This humorous and satire-laden track from 'Naam' (1985) features a struggling working-class man praying fervently to various state and international lottery schemes as if they were divine deities. Unable to manage his household expenses on a meager salary and living in cramped quarters, he performs ritualistic worship to lottery tickets, chanting state names like mantras to grant him a jackpot prize.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Satirical Metaphor / Personification
“En arumai lottery seettu dheivangalae”
Elevating state lottery tickets to the status of goddesses and heavenly deities ('lottery seettu dheivangalae', 'note-u saamigalae').
Irony / Parody of Mantras
“Om maharashtra punjab”
Chanting names of Indian states and neighboring countries prefixed with 'Om' to simulate a sacred Vedic chant.
Monorhyme / Rhyme Scheme (Edhukai/Monaai)
“Naan arinjum ariyaamalum”
Alliteration and repetition of sounds in lines like 'arinjum ariyaamalum' and 'therinthum theriyaamalum'.
Did you know?
Trivia
Composed and written by Gangai Amaran, this unique comical song playfully highlights the mid-1980s craze for state-sponsored lotteries in South India, sung with dramatic devotion by S. P. Balasubrahmanyam.
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