- Lyricist
- Vaali
- Singer
- S. P. Balasubrahmanyam
- Music director
- Ilayaraja
- Movie name
- Anjali
- Movie release year
- 1990
- Lyrics added on
- 26 May 2017
Lyrics & meaning
Beyond the translation
Overall song meaning
Raathiri Nerathil is an energetic, high-concept children's fantasy track from Mani Ratnam's iconic film Anjali (1990). Composed by Ilaiyaraaja with lyrics by Vaali, the song captures the vivid imagination of a group of apartment kids who engage in late-night fantasy play, envisioning themselves as supernatural creatures, aliens, and cosmic warriors battling in a galactic Star Wars setting. Through rhythmic chants, dramatic sound effects, and exaggerated villainous boasts about eating humans, burning the earth, and living for millions of years, the song playfully portrays the boundless creativity and energetic world-building characteristic of childhood games.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Onomatopoeia (Oli-kurippu)
“Thidum thidum thidum”
Use of rhythmic phonetic words like 'Thidum thidum' and 'Rum bum bum' to simulate thumping sounds and futuristic mechanical beats.
Hyperbole (Uyarvu Navorchi)
“Bhoomi eriyum / Kodi varusham”
Extravagant exaggerations about monsters burning the earth upon touch and living for ten million years.
Rhyme & Rhythm (Iyaibu)
“Perum bimbam / Muttum kombum”
Matching end-rhymes such as 'bimbam', 'kombum', and 'rambam' creating a catchy rhythmic cadence suitable for a children's chorus.
Did you know?
Trivia
In the movie Anjali, this song features a visually creative sequence where the neighborhood kids construct sci-fi monster costumes, ride bicycles decorated with lights, and stage a galactic battle in their apartment complex courtyard at night. The track was composed by Maestro Ilaiyaraaja and sung by S. P. Balasubrahmanyam alongside a children's chorus.
Keep listening
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