Sundari Kanaal Oru Sethi ........

    Listening to Raja sir song alone can lift your spirits but I love watching few of his songs visually too and one among them is ‘Sundari Kanaal oru Sethi’ …I was also curious to know why did I love the song so much and my little research on the song was so overwhelming that I wanted to pen my thoughts …Also just to let you know the song is almost seven minutes …These days except Shankar sir movies songs are merely fillers where audience make an excuse to go to restroom or check their phone on latest Whatsapp message or go for a chit chat with their group but here is a song shot more than two decades back with a story said in a most poetic way in Celluloid …  

   Now coming to the context of the song I am wondering what Mani Ratnam must have conveyed Lyricist Vaali and Ilayaraja the composer during the composition session. There is this ego between lyrics and music of any song but if you find any chartbuster then one thing will be in common – music and lyrics will always compliment each other and not try to dominate each other.  The song begins with bells ringing and Shobana waiting for her man and the music sets in ….I have no clue regarding Carnatic music but seeing Airtel super singer I know atleast what is Pallavi and Charanam ….Pallavi starts where Rajini elopes Shobana and they get married followed by Santhi muhurtham ….Since there are so many emotions in the song Raja has used multiple ragas to bring out the emotions. As a layman I have no clue regarding ragas and on which context it is used but I can definitely sense ragas pertaining to joy, pain, sorrow, longingness, love, bravery are all blended within the song. Cinematography is not just visiting a foreign locale or buying some cutting edge technically advanced cameras instead visuals should portray the theme and connect the audience. Rajini sings “நான் உனை நீங்க மாட்டேன் நீங்கினால் தூங்க மாட்டேன்” which says he would never leave her and if he does he won’t be able to sleep.Now Rajini goes for war and both are separated ….   Orchestration picks up now and stage is set for war which happens so poetically with raja’s orchestration  and now comes Shobana with beautiful Chennakeshava temple in the background to sing “வாய் மொழிந்த வார்த்தை யாவும் காற்றில் போனால் நியாயமா பாய் விரித்து பாவை பார்த்த காதல் இன்பம் மாயமா” which means would it be fair if the words just float away in the wind ….and the love and joy experienced after spreading the mat and looking into each others eyes just an illusion …The way Shobhana emotes is absolutely priceless …Rajini answers through “வாள் பிடித்து நின்றால் கூட நெஞ்சில் உந்தன் ஊர்வலம் போர்க்களத்தில் சாய்ந்தால் கூட ஜீவன் உன்னை சேர்ந்திடும்” which means Though he is having sword in his hand his heart is always playing carnival and parade of her and in the event he loses the battlefield his soul will always merge with hers …..If modern day husbands say this to their spouse then they would get some good thrashing but we can feel a sense of humbleness in the way Rajini utters those words …Then both of them express their love where we can feel the longingness of the couple …..Though they are still separated there is a small portion where it seems they both are united and the glow in Sbobana’s face is enough to light up Chepauk stadium …..Again war happens and Raja’s orchestration sets the tune and director informs time is passing by showing moon and daylight and Shobana sings “சோலையிலும் முட்கள் தோன்றும் நானும் நீயும் நீங்கினால் பாலையிலும் பூக்கள் பூக்கும் நான் உன் மார்பில் தூங்கினால்” which means even thorns would prickle in oasis if we part and if I happen to rest on your chest then even flowers would bloom in dessert for which Rajini replies “மாதங்களும் வாரம் ஆகும் நானும் நீயும் கூடினால் வாரங்களும் மாதமாகும் பாதை மாறி ஓடினால்” even months would turn weeks if we join and vice versa if our paths part ways …..Shobana always dreams Rajini is around and Girl’s love is beautifully expressed through Vaali’s lyrics ….Finally Rajini comes from war and hero and heroine unite with happy tears ……

     When I researched the song it described how Raja sir used Kalyani (raga to emote happiness) and Kosalam raga (to express war sequences) and how he interlinked one another to bring the emotion attached with the lyrics. The song is a classic example that magic happens in celluloid when people like Mani Ratnam, Ilayaraja, Vaali, Santhosh Sivan join hands. For every end there is a beginning and we are fortunate Rahman- Mani Ratnam happened after Thalapathi but as a cinema lover and as a music fan am extremely disappointed to see that happen at the cost of Mani Ratnam – Ilayaraja combination.