- Lyricist
- Vairamuthu
- Singer
- S. Janaki
- Music director
- Devandran
- Movie name
- Aankalai Nambathey
- Movie release year
- 1987
- Lyrics added on
- 16 Nov 2020
Lyrics & meaning
Beyond the translation
Overall song meaning
Aankalai Nambathey (Don't Trust Men) begins with a traditional devotional invocation to Goddess Muthumariamma, seeking her blessings for abundance, growth, and prosperity. However, the song quickly shifts into a spirited, lighthearted warning against trusting deceitful men and entering traditional marriages. It serves as a playful feminist track warning young women about male pretenses. The lyrics mock men who make grand promises of romance, only to back out when asked to commit through marriage, or those who evaluate brides purely based on dowry gifts. Vairamuthu uses witty colloquial language to suggest that women might be far better off remaining independent and living life on their own terms without getting married.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Monaai (Initial Rhyme / Alliteration)
“Thottadhellaam tholangidanum / Nattadhellam molachidanum”
Matching initial sounds in consecutive lines ('Thottadhellaam' and 'Nattadhellam') creating a rhythmic folk pace.
Edhugai (Second Letter Rhyming)
“Sonnaa idhu vetkkakedu / Sollatiyum maanakedu”
Matching second consonants ('tt' in Thottadhellaam / Nattadhellam, and 'nn' in Sonnaa / Sollatiyum) standard in Tamil lyricism.
Refrain (Pallavi repetition)
“Vaetti katti velicham podum aanai nambadhinga”
Repetition of the core theme 'Vaetti katti... aanai nambadhinga' to reinforce the central warning of the song.
Idiomatic Metaphor
“Saayam veluthu pogum”
'Saayam veluthu pogum' literally means 'the dye/color will fade', an idiom referring to someone's true bad nature being exposed.
Did you know?
Trivia
This track belongs to the 1987 Tamil film 'Aangalai Nambadhe' directed by K. Alex Pandian. The song blends traditional village folk prayer structures (Muthumariamma worship) with contemporary social commentary on marriage and gender roles, which was a popular comedic/dramatic motif in late 80s Tamil cinema.
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