- Lyricist
- Kannadasan
- Singer
- T. M. Soundararajan
- Music director
- K. V. Mahadevan
- Movie name
- Kulamagal Radhai
- Movie release year
- 1963
- Lyrics added on
- 25 Sept 2019
Lyrics & meaning
Beyond the translation
Overall song meaning
This song is a witty social commentary on the power, influence, and commercial nature of print media and newspapers. Lyricist Kannadasan observes that spoken words hold little sway compared to the printed word, which people instantly accept as absolute truth regardless of whether it is genuine or fake. The song humorously critiques how newspapers boost sales by publishing pictures of movie stars, humor cartoons, and sensationalized romance stories that captivate impressionable youth.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Antithesis (Ethirsol)
“Unmaiyum poiyum vilangudhu”
Juxtaposition of opposing concepts 'Unmai' (Truth) and 'Poi' (Lie), as well as 'Mei' and 'Poi' to emphasize the duality handled by print press.
Initial Alliteration (Moonaai)
“Ulagam idhilae adangudhu / Unmaiyum poiyum vilangudhu”
Matching initial vowel sounds in 'Ulagam' and 'Unmaiyum' creating rhythmic flow.
Refrain / Repetition
“Ulagam idhilae adangudhu”
Repeated chorus lines reinforcing the central idea that the entire world is captured inside a sheet of newspaper.
Did you know?
Trivia
From the 1963 Sivaji Ganesan film 'Kulamagal Radhai', this track features music composed by K. V. Mahadevan. Kannadasan used this song as a humorous reflection on print journalism and consumer psychology during the 1960s.
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