- Lyricist
- Thanjai N. Ramaiah Dass
- Singers
- J. P. Chandrababu, Jikki
- Music director
- G. Ramanathan
- Movie name
- Puthumai Pithan
- Movie release year
- 1957
- Lyrics added on
- 30 Jul 2024
Lyrics & meaning
Beyond the translation
Overall song meaning
This playful duetting track from the 1957 Tamil film 'Puthumai Pithan' showcases a lighthearted romantic battle of wits between a male and female character. The male singer teasingly addresses the woman as 'kulla thaaraa' (short girl) and warns her not to pull fast ones on him, claiming men of the modern era are no longer easily fooled by women's charms as ancient sages were. The female character counters with sharp wit, comparing men's denial of attraction to a monkey pretending not to like bananas. She argues the fundamental interdependence of nature—water, land, trees, seeds, and ultimately men and women. Her sharp wisdom breaks down the man's ego, turning his mountain-hard heart soft, leading to a mutual playful acceptance of love.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Upama (Simile / Metaphor)
“Vaazhaippazham vaendaamennum kurangu polae”
Compares a man pretending not to care for women to a monkey claiming it doesn't want a banana ('Vaazhaippazham vaendaamennum kurangu polae').
Metaphor (Uruvam)
“Arivu uliyaalae paethuttiyae kulla thaaraa”
Compares wisdom to a chisel ('arivu uli') and the male's stubborn heart to a mountain ('malaiyaana emmanasa').
Anaphora / Logical Chain
“Neerillaadha nilamillae nilamillaadha maramillae”
Repetitive philosophical chaining of interdependent elements (water -> land -> tree -> seed -> man -> woman) to establish balance.
Emoni / Wordplay (Slaedai / Pun)
“Ingu kullaa nee podaadhae kulla thaaraa”
Playful use of the colloquial phrase 'kullaa podaadhae' (don't cap/trick me) with 'kulla thaaraa' (short duck/girl).
Did you know?
Trivia
This track features J. P. Chandrababu, one of Tamil cinema's pioneer comedian-singers known for bringing Western vocal inflection, Yodeling, and theatrical expressions to Tamil music, alongside classic playback singer Jikki. Composed by G. Ramanathan, the song uses rhythmic Tillana motifs from classical Carnatic music subverted into a comical duet.
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