- Lyricist
- Kamal Haasan
- Singers
- Kamal Haasan, Yazin Nizar, Ranjith, TS Ayyappan, Ghibran
- Music director
- Ghibran
- Movie name
- Uttama Villain
- Movie release year
- 2015
- Lyrics added on
- 9 Mar 2023
Lyrics & meaning
Beyond the translation
Overall song meaning
Saagaavaram Pol Sogam Undo is a deeply philosophical song from the movie Uttama Villain, written and performed by Kamal Haasan. Set as a classical verse narration presented to a king, the song explores the burden of immortality, the impermanence of the physical universe, and the continuous cycle of death and rebirth. The narrator observes that even stars and planets eventually burn out, yet life mysteriously sprouts again from cosmic chaos, just as a plantain tree leaves seeds within its own death. Ultimately, the song highlights how physical immortality is a curse, whereas true immortality is achieved through legacy, art, structured poetry, and genuine love that outlasts mortal existence.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Monaai (Initial Rhyme / Alliteration)
“Saagaavaram pol sogam undo”
Repetition of the 'Sa/So' sound at the beginning of words in the first line ('Saagaavaram', 'sogam').
Simile (Uvamai)
“Seiyyul pol oru kadhal vendum”
Comparing the nature of true love to structured, rhythmic classical poetry ('Seiyyul').
Analogy (Uvamai)
“Mulaiththum murinthum thulirkkum vaazhai / Than maranaththulae vittathu vithaiyae”
Using the biological cycle of a banana plant, which reproduces before dying, as a metaphor for human legacy and artistic continuity.
Did you know?
Trivia
The song serves as a core thematic anchor for Uttama Villain, mirroring the parallel stories of the 8th-century folk artist Uttaman (who seeks to trick death) and the 21st-century actor Manoranjan (who faces terminal illness). Kamal Haasan incorporated scientific facts about the eventual death of the Sun and planetary evolution into classical Tamil poetic meters.
Keep listening
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