- Lyricist
- Pulamaipithan
- Singer
- T. M. Soundararajan
- Music director
- M. S. Vishwanathan
- Movie name
- Dravidan
- Movie release year
- 1989
- Lyrics added on
- 1 May 2021
Lyrics & meaning
Beyond the translation
Overall song meaning
This song is an uplifting, sociopolitical anthem celebrating Dravidian identity, courage, self-respect, and economic justice. The speaker presents himself as a humble servant and true friend of the working class, urging people to cast away fear and refuse to bow before power or high status. Instead, people are encouraged to bow only to justice and take pride in their hard work, which sustains the nation. The song celebrates the southern land and calls for unity, reminding everyone that by keeping duty alive and standing up for rights, a better tomorrow is guaranteed.
Writing craft
Poetic devices
Metaphor (Uruvagamm)
“Needhiyendra kappal karai sera / Naamae kalangarai vilakkam”
Justice is metaphorically referred to as a ship ('Needhiyendra kappal') navigating to shore, guided by the people acting as a lighthouse ('kalangarai vilakkam').
Ethukai (Second Letter Rhyme)
“Achcham thallungal aanmai kollungal / Nichchayam naalai namathae”
Rhyming of the second consonant in consecutive lines, such as 'ch' sound in 'Achcham' and 'Nichchayam'.
Monai (Initial Consonant Alliteration)
“Padhavi adhigaram paarththu vanangaamal”
Matching starting sounds in words within the same line, such as 'Pa' in 'Padhavi' and 'paarththu'.
Did you know?
Trivia
The lyricist Pulamaipithan deliberately references iconic lines popularized in classic M.G. Ramachandran (MGR) songs written by Kannadasan—such as 'Acham enbathu madamaiyada' (from Mannathi Mannan) and 'Yaen endra kelvi' / 'Naan ungal thozhan' (from Aayirathil Oruvan)—to evoke a strong sense of nostalgia and political idealism in Dravidan (1989), which starred Sathyaraj.
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