Song: Vaanil Yeni Pottu
Music: AR Rahman
Singers: Mano
Lyrics: Palani Bharathi
Actors: Vikram, Vivek, Babu Ganesh and others
Film: Puthiya Mannargal
Our song for Kathiri Veyil day, marking the beginning of peak summer in Tamil Nadu, is ‘Vaanil Yeni Pottu’ from Puthiya Mannargal, the 1994 Vikram and Mohini starrer directed by Vikraman.
In this song, a group of students – played by Vikram, a student leader, Vivek and others – sing of the wishes they have for the future. It features Nadaswaram and Thavil with AR Rahman’s signature synthesizer music of the 1990s. Lyricist Palani Barathi shot to fame with this film which had songs in the top chart busters for many days.
A stanza from the ‘Vaanil Yeni’:
சுட்டெரிக்கும் அந்த சூரியனை
நாம் கட்டி போடவேண்டும்
ஒரு சுடாத சூரியன் வேண்டும்
வீச மறுக்கும் காற்றை
கொஞ்சம் தட்டிக்கேட்க வேண்டும்
மண்ணில் வருகின்ற வானம் வேண்டும்
Roughly translated, the stanza means
Let us reject that sun that burns us
Let us instead get one that shines without heat
Let us question that breeze that fails to move, and fails to cool us
Let us ask for a sky that reaches the ground