- Lyricist
- Ilaiyaraja
- Singer
- S. N. Surendar
- Music director
- Ilayaraja
- Movie name
- Thedi Vandha Raasa
- Movie release year
- 1995
- Lyrics added on
- 30 Dec 2021
Lyrics & meaning
♫ Tanglish lyrics
↻ English translation
Police mattum ena mattammaa
Naanga pokkaththu ponathoru koottammaa
Naan unmaiya sonnaa kastammaa
Adha oththukkondaalae yaedhum nashttammaa
Police mattum ena mattammaa
Naanga pokkaththu ponathoru koottammaa
Naan unmaiya sonnaa kastammaa
Adha oththukkondaalae yaedhum nashttammaa
Ada om manasum em manasum
Kettu kedakkuthu
Ingu panaththa searkka ellorukkum
Aasai irukkuthu
Verum pagattu vaazhkkai
Padhavikkaaga alaiyum muttaa janangalukku
Police mattum ena mattammaa
Naanga pokkaththu ponathoru koottammaa
Naan unmaiya sonnaa kastammaa
Adha oththukkondaalae yaedhum nashttammaa
Kozhanthaigala nallaa padikka vaikka venumnnaa
Yaedho onnu vaangi adhukku lanjam kodukkirom
Valarantha pinnae maelae padikka poga venumnnaa
Idam kidaikka college-la panaththa kodukkurom
Padippu mudinju veliya vanthaa velai paarkkanum
Paazhum velai kidaikka naamum something kodukkanum
Velai kidaichchu kalyaanamum panna venumnnaa
Thali kattim pondaattikitta something vaanganum
Sirusulirunthu perusu aagi
Kaadu pogi serum varaikkum
Lanjam koduththu pazhakkiyathu neengathaanae
Adhula police mattum ena mattammaa
Naanga pokkaththu ponathoru koottammaa
Naan unmaiya sonnaa kastammaa
Adha oththukkondaalae yaedhum nashttammaa
Kottum paniyil mazhaiyil veyyilil traffic-la
Kaal kadukka nikkithu naangathaanae
Vettum kuththum nadakkum entha oorinilum
Podhu janaththai kaakkurathum naangathaanae
Natta nadu raaththiriyil seththa ponaththa kaakka
Seththavanin sontha pantham irukkumaa
Kasttapattu kann muzhichchu eeya ootti kedakka
Anga irukkurathu engala thavira yaaramma
Rajini vanthaalum angae kamalu vanthaalum
Manthiri vanthaalum magaraja vanthaalum
Ivanga usurukkellaam
Paththiramaana uththiravaatham yaaru naangathaanae
Antha police mattum ena mattammaa
Naanga pokkaththu ponathoru koottammaa
Tiruppathikku poyi tharisanamum venumnnaa
Kandippaaga yaedho naama koduththu vaikkirom
Thiruttu payala pidichchu oru thandanai kodukka venumnnaa
Adhukku naama kattaayamaa yaedho kodukkurom
Arasu aluvalugaththil yaedho kaariyamaaganum
Ada angae ponaa ellorukkum something kodukkanum
Avasaramaa poganumnnaa auto pudikkanum
Ada adhukkum meter mela pottu something kodukkanum
Rayil-u ticket-u theater ticket-u
MLA ticket-u MP ticket-u
Engum edhilum iruppathellaam lanjamthaan
Police mattum ena mattammaa
Naanga pokkaththu ponathoru koottammaa
Naan unmaiya sonnaa kastammaa
Adha oththukkondaalae yaedhum nashttammaa
Ada om manasum em manasum
Kettu kedakkuthu
Ingu panaththa searkka ellorukkum
Aasai irukkuthu
Verum pagattu vaazhkkai
Padhavikkaaga alaiyum muttaa janangalukku
Police mattum ena mattammaa
Naanga pokkaththu ponathoru koottammaa
Naan unmaiya sonnaa kastammaa
Adha oththukkondaalae yaedhum nashttammaa
Why are only the police looked down upon?
Are we just a hopeless, good-for-nothing bunch?
Does it hurt if I tell the truth?
Is there any loss if you just admit it?
Why are only the police looked down upon?
Are we just a hopeless, good-for-nothing bunch?
Does it hurt if I tell the truth?
Is there any loss if you just admit it?
Look, both your mind and my mind
are completely corrupt.
Here, everyone has the greed
to hoard money.
Living a life of empty show,
for foolish people running after power and position...
Why are only the police looked down upon?
Are we just a hopeless, good-for-nothing bunch?
Does it hurt if I tell the truth?
Is there any loss if you just admit it?
If we want to get our children a good education,
we buy something and give a bribe for it.
Once they grow up and want to go for higher studies,
we pay under the table to get a seat in college.
When their studies are over and they enter the world, they need a job,
and to get that wretched job, we must slip "something" extra.
After getting a job, when it is time to marry,
we demand "something" from the bride we tie the knot with!
From childhood to growing old,
all the way until reaching the cremation ground,
aren't you the ones who made bribing a habit?
In all that, why are only the police looked down upon?
Are we just a hopeless, good-for-nothing bunch?
Does it hurt if I tell the truth?
Is there any loss if you just admit it?
In biting cold, heavy rain, scorching heat, and traffic,
aren't we the ones standing till our legs ache?
In any town where brawls and stabbings break out,
aren't we the ones protecting the common folk?
In the dead of night, to guard a dead body,
will the dead man's relatives even stay by?
Struggling awake all night and swatting away flies,
who else is there beside the corpse except us?
Whether Rajini arrives or Kamal arrives,
whether a minister arrives or an emperor arrives,
for the very lives of all these people,
who provides the secure guarantee? Isn't it us?
Why are only those police looked down upon?
Are we just a hopeless, good-for-nothing bunch?
If you go to Tirupati wanting a darshan (sacred viewing),
we definitely end up paying something extra.
If a thief is caught and needs to be punished,
we still definitely have to pay something there.
If you need some work done in a government office,
oh, once you go there, you must slip "something" to everyone!
If you are in a rush and need to hail an auto-rickshaw,
oh, you have to pay "something" extra over the meter rate!
Train tickets, cinema tickets,
MLA party tickets, MP election tickets—
everywhere and in everything, isn't it all just bribes?
Why are only our police looked down upon?
Are we just a hopeless, good-for-nothing bunch?
Does it hurt if I tell the truth?
Is there any loss if you just admit it?
Look, both your mind and my mind
are completely corrupt.
Here, everyone has the greed
to hoard money.
Living a life of empty show,
for foolish people running after power and position...
Why are only the police looked down upon?
Are we just a hopeless, good-for-nothing bunch?
Does it hurt if I tell the truth?
Is there any loss if you just admit it?
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Beyond the translation
Overall song meaning
The song 'Police mattum ena mattammaa' is a satirical commentary on systemic corruption and societal hypocrisy in India, delivered from the perspective of police officers. It argues that society unfairly singles out police officers as corrupt while ordinary citizens routinely participate in bribery across all walks of life—from securing school admissions, college seats, and jobs, to getting temple darshans, auto rides, and political tickets.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Rhyme / Monorhyme (Asoi/Edupugkal)
“Police mattum ena mattammaa / Naanga pokkaththu ponathoru koottammaa”
The chorus lines end with rhyming suffixes (-mmaa) creating a rhythmic, conversational cadence ('mattammaa', 'koottammaa', 'kastammaa', 'nashttammaa').
Euphemism / Satire
“Paazhum velai kidaikka naamum something kodukkanum”
The term 'something' is repeatedly used as a conversational Tamil slang euphemism for bribes ('lanjam').
Pop Culture Reference / Hyperbole
“Rajini vanthaalum angae kamalu vanthaalum / Manthiri vanthaalum magaraja vanthaalum”
Refers to major film stars (Rajini, Kamal) and dignitaries to highlight that police protection is indispensable regardless of status.
Did you know?
Trivia
The song features lyrics written by Maestro Ilaiyaraaja himself, highlighting his keen sense of social commentary and folk rhythm in Tamil cinema during the 1990s.
Keep listening
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Ellorum Poranthom1979
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Golmal Gopal1998
Kumbakonam GopaluIdentityPoverty
Maanikkam Vairangal1980
Idhayaththil Oru IdamPovertyResilience
Pichandi Thannai Kandu1973
Ganga GowriPovertyIdentity
From the same album
More songs from Thedi Vandha Raasa
View albumEthayum Thaangum Idhayam1995
Thedi Vandha RaasaComforting
Vambu Panna Venaam1995
Thedi Vandha RaasaPlayful
Raasaavai Thedi Vantha1995
Thedi Vandha RaasaCelebratory
Mama Manasukkulle1995
Thedi Vandha RaasaPlayful
Nyayam Kidaikamal1995
Thedi Vandha RaasaDefiant
Chinnachiru Vayathinile1995
Thedi Vandha RaasaNostalgic
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Help us improve the lyrics or English translation.