- Lyricist
- Vaali
- Music director
- Shankar Ganesh
- Movie name
- Unnai Sutrum Ulagam
- Movie release year
- 1977
- Lyrics added on
- 2 Jul 2024
Lyrics & meaning
Beyond the translation
Overall song meaning
Perthaan Paatti Aanaal from the 1977 Tamil film Unnai Sutrum Ulagam is a lively birthday celebration song for a woman reaching her 60th birthday. Lyricist Vaali and composers Shankar-Ganesh emphasize that age is merely a number. Despite her grandmother status, the protagonist is described as youthful, radiant, energetic, and stylish, appearing as if she were twenty years old rather than sixty. Through lighthearted Tanglish rhymes and playful imagery, her family and friends express their love and wish her a long, happy, and vibrant life ahead.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Moonaal / Initial Alliteration
“Perthaan paatti aanaal paarvaikku beauty”
Repetition of the 'Pa' consonant sound at the beginning of words in the line.
Iyaibu / End Rhyme (Code-mixing)
“Perthaan paatti aanaal paarvaikku beauty / Peran peththi eduththaakkooda eththanai sweety”
Playful use of English words rhyming together (beauty, sweety, duty fruty) across consecutive lines.
Upamai / Simile
“Paalai polae vannam”
Direct comparison of skin complexion to milk ('Paalai polae') to denote fairness and freshness.
Contrast / Antithesis
“Jaathagam paarththaal arupathu vayathu / Jaadaiyai paarththaal irupathu vayathu”
Juxtaposition of chronological age (sixty) against physical appearance/demeanor (twenty).
Did you know?
Trivia
Unnai Sutrum Ulagam (1977) stars Jayalalithaa in the lead role. This track is a rare vintage Tamil cinematic birthday song celebrating a 60th milestone (Sashti Apthapoorthi) with upbeat westernized instrumentation and catchphrase-style English rhymes crafted by lyricist Vaali.
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