- Lyricist
- A. Maruthakasi
- Singers
- S. C. Krishnan, M. S. Rajeswari
- Music director
- K. V. Mahadevan
- Movie name
- Manamulla Marutharam
- Movie release year
- 1958
- Lyrics added on
- 28 Feb 2022
Lyrics & meaning
Beyond the translation
Overall song meaning
'Vaanga Amma Vaanga' is a delightful, lively street-hawker duet from the 1958 film 'Manamulla Marutharam', composed by K. V. Mahadevan and penned by A. Maruthakasi. Sung with spirited banter by S. C. Krishnan and M. S. Rajeswari, the song portrays two rival bangle sellers playfully competing for the attention of female customers on the street. The vendors use witty marketing pitch lines, calling out unique varieties of glass bangles—from golden ones suited for slender arms to bright red bangles associated with motherhood. They even name bangles after famous contemporary pop-culture films like 'Chinthamani' and 'Manthiri Kumari', highlighting the cultural importance of bangles as traditional ornaments of charm and auspiciousness.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Simile (Upamai)
“Poongodi pola kaigalukketha”
Compares women's soft, delicate arms to a flowering vine ('Poongodi pola').
Alliteration & Rhyme (Monai / Edhugai)
“Putham puthusaa romba sogusaa”
Uses matching initial and internal sounds ('Putham puthusaa' and 'sogusaa') to create a rhythmic vendor chant.
Pop-Culture Allusion
“Sindhaamani valaiyal / Manthiri kumari valaiyal”
Refers to iconic 1930s-50s Tamil cinema titles ('Chinthamani' and 'Manthiri Kumari') as catchy marketing names for bangles.
Anaphora / Repetition
“Vaanga amma vaanga”
Repetition of 'Vaanga amma vaanga' captures the authentic cadence of Tamil street hawkers calling out to prospective buyers.
Did you know?
Trivia
Lyricist A. Maruthakasi clever incorporated references to hugely popular Tamil films of that era—'Chinthamani' (1937) and 'Manthiri Kumari' (1950)—as named bangle varieties. This clever real-world hawker technique grounded the song in urban Tamil folk culture.
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