Phir Se Ud Chala - Rockstar

Phir Se Ud Chala – Rockstar

Composition – AR Rahman

Lyrics – Irshad Kamil

Singer – Mohit Chauhan

Prelude – The song “Phir Se Ud Chala “ is a contemplative song which takes us to the world of our dreams and how we aspire to reach our goals . It’s a song about self- introspection and understanding of the human psyche . The metaphors used in this song are beautifully penned by Irshad Kamil, who takes us to a heavenly world with his wordplay . The song has a meditative tune set by the greatest composer of our times , AR Rahman .

Phir se ud chala

I have taken flight once again.

Udke choda hain jahan neeche

I have left the world below as I fly over the horizon.

Main tumhare ab hoon hawale

I am now surrendered to you. 

Ab door door log bhagon meloon door yeh wadiyan

The people , gardens and valleys are far away from me.

Phir dhuan dhuan tan har badli aati hain chune

There is mist and smoke everywhere, and every cloud comes to touch my body.

Par koi badli kabhie kahin kar de tan gheela yeh bhi na ho

Yet no cloud ever soaks me - none reaches deep enough. 

Kisi manzar par main rukha nahin

I didn’t stop at any view or sight.

Kabhie khud se bhi main mila nahin

I have not met myself.

Yeh gila toh hain , main khafa nahin

There is a complaint, but I am not offended.

Shahar ek se , gaanv ek se

Log ek se , naam ek

The city , village , people and names of people are all the same.

Phir se ud chala

Mitti jaise sapne hain kitna bhi palkoin se jhadon phir aa jaate hain

The dreams are like they are made of mud and clay . No matter how much I sweep them away from my eyelashes, they reappear .

Itne saare sapne kya kahoon kis tarah se maine thode hain chode hain kyun

I don’t know what to say when I have a lot of dreams . I don’t know how I have broken them and abandoned them many times and why.

Phir saath chale mujhe leke udain yeh kyun ?

Why do they come along with me and take me high up in the sky to fly ?

Kabhie daal daal kabhie pat pat

Mere saath saath phir dar phire yeh

Sometimes branch to branch , sometimes leaf to leaf, the dreams roam along with me, knocking on every door . 

Kabhie sehra kabhie savan

Kabhie ravan kyun mar mar ke

I am sometimes the garland hung from the head of the bridegroom , rain, or the demon “ Ravan “ dying repeatedly 

Kabhi daal daal kabhie pat pat

Sometimes the branches and leaves

Kabhie din hain raat , kabhie din din hain

Sometimes the day is night, and sometimes the day is day

Kya sach hain kya maya

Hey daata hey daata

Oh God ! What is the truth,  and what is illusion ?

Idhar udhar teetar bithar

Kya hain pata hawa le jaye teri or

Here and there and helter - skelter, I don’t know why the air takes me towards you !

keenchain teri yaadein , teri yaadein , teri or

Your memories draw me towards you. 

Rang birange vehmon main main udta phirun

I fly with colourful delusions in my heart .

Postlude – The first line of the song explains how the hero leaves his past ways and surrenders his destiny according to God’s will . The hero says he left the people , gardens and valleys as he was soaring high up in the sky . The metaphorical reference to clouds represents how people he came across tried to dampen his spirits,  but he marches across not being  influenced by people and their opinions . He was so engrossed in doing hard work to fulfil his dreams that he didn’t catch hold of any sight and scenery which came his way . The hero has never understood his true self and what he really wants out of life . He has his own complaints to God for making him undergo hardships and grief in the pursuit of his dreams, but still he is not offended . The hero says that the world is the same in every aspect. Even though the people dwelling in the world differ in race , religion , gender , nationality , caste , ethnicity ,etc. , they are all the same,  as they have the same human emotions which bind them together . Many unblemished dreams as pure as virgin earth come to the hero’s mind no matter how he tries to break them and leave them in fear of them not coming to fruition . 

The hero searches for opportunities by approaching many doors so that at least one opens by flowing along with the branches and leaves . The hero is like the garland which the groom wears on his head during the wedding day, symbolising joy and happiness . Sometimes the hero is like the rain, which is a symbol of renewal , change and good luck . The hero becomes like the demon Ravan of the epic Ramayana with a lot of vices and has to face his demons at every point and try to overpower them with good qualities and the power of light over darkness . Sometimes for the hero , the day is as dark as night with no hope for the future, and some days are bright with optimism and zeal to do well in life . The hero is oblivious to what is happening around him and doesn’t know what is truth and what’s illusion . The hero is not able to decipher the myriad mysteries and the epiphanies of God . 

The hero reminisces about the memories of his beloved and is immersed in her thoughts . The hero flies high up in the sky like a bird, enjoying its sense of freedom in the vast expanse of the sky. There is nobody to reprimand him for having his delusionary dreams in which he believes with conviction. This song is for everyone who wants to understand the self and move forward in the journey of life by depending on one’s strengths and gifts provided by God .

Kannadi Koodum Kutti - Pranayavarnangal

Kannadi Kudum Kutti – Pranayavarnangal

Composition – Vidyasagar

Lyrics – Gireesh Puthencherry

Singers – KJ Yesudas , KS Chitra

Prelude – The peppy, playful wedding song “ Kannadi Kudum Kutti “ has enthralled generations, with young and old alike grooving to the song . The song appears in the movie when “ Arathi “,  the character played by Manju Warrier,  dreams about getting married to the love of her life . The song is kind of a lovely sweet banter between the groom and bride on their wedding,disclosing their love for each other . 

Kannadi koodum kutti kannezuthi pottum kuthi

Kavalam painkili vayo

Oh birdie who resides in the Java olive tree ( Kavalam tree ) ! By looking in the mirror of your vanity table in your nest , adorn yourself by applying collyrium in your eyes and applying “ bindi “ ( a decorative mark worn on the forehead by Indian women ) and come here .

Kunnatta penninu udukkan kudamulla kodiyum ayi

kookiyum kurikkiyum vayo

Oh lover ! ( male bird ) - Come by cooing and whistling with a jasmine flower-embroidered brocade saree for the charming girl

Mazhaolum mannelle mulaola kudelle

The rain falls through the mist, and the nest is made of bamboo leaves.

Azakolum mizhioram kulirurum kanav elle

The eyelash is beautiful, and the dreams are cool.

Manavalan vannu vilichal nanam kollum manaselle

When the groom calls you , your heart becomes demure and shy .

Poovil ee pullankuzhalil penne nee muli unarthum pattinte

pallavi ente kathil othumo

Oh girl ! - Will you sing the prelude of the song in my ears which you hummed and awaken in the flute  and flower ? 

Melle ee chillu nilavil mulle nin muthu pozhikkum kinnara

kattu kavil poo nulli nokkio

Oh girl - In this crystal moonlight, did the playful breeze that scatters pearl-like jasmines gently pinch your flower-like cheeks?”

Arum kanathenullil oro moham pookumbol innathil padi

poonkuyil

When desires bloomed in my heart unseen to everyone , the cuckoo sang tunefully .

Mannil ee munthiri valliyil allipoo puthu virinjal kanum njan

ente kinavil ninte poo mukham

Oh lover ! – When flowers bloom in the grapevine in mist  , I see your flower-like face in my dream

Ennum rakunthal azhichitt enne poo pattu puthakkum

punnara thoo mani muthe nee varum naal

Oh darling girl – I await the night when you will cover me with your tresses like a flower- embroidered silk brocade .

Pookum kaavo pon puvo , thooval veeshum venpravo

The flowers bloom in the trees in the precincts of the sacred grove . The dear flower blooms . The white pigeon flaps its wings

Nenjoram nerum bhavukam

The hearts of the flowers and the white pigeons extend greetings to the couple tying the  nuptial knot .

Postlude – The folk words used by Gireesh Puthencherry imagine the heroine to be a bird who gets ready inside her nest by looking at the mirror on the vanity table , by applying collyrium in her eyes and by applying bindi ( a decorative mark worn on the forehead by Indian women ) . The hero brings a jasmine flower - embroidered brocade saree for his bride according to the customs of Hindu weddings,  where the saree to be worn by the bride is given by the groom . The groom has prepared for the wedding well by arranging a new home, and  the light rain on the wedding day adds to the revelry as a good omen for bringing luck and marital bliss . The bride is filled with new dreams, and she becomes shy when the groom calls her . The second stanza of the song points towards the first night after the wedding of the groom and bride . The groom requests the bride to sing the prelude of a song in his ears . The groom caresses the cheeks of the bride . The mention of the grapevine here mainly points towards the wish of the bride to have their relationship grow richer like wine with time . The groom is waiting for the embrace of the bride when she will cover him with the tresses of her hair like a flower embroidered silk brocade . The flowers in the trees which grow in the sacred grove and the pigeons extend greetings to the newly wedded couple for their married life to be everlasting and eternal . This is a song which fills our hearts with joy and desires in our pursuit of a perfect wedding of our dreams . 

Aro Viral Neeti - Pranayavarnangal

Aro Viral Neeti – Pranayavarnangal

Composition – Vidyasagar

Lyrics – Gireesh Puthencherry

Singer – KS Chitra

Prelude – The song “ Aro Viral Neetti “ from the film Pranayavarnangal is a pensive track setting a sombre theme when the heroine has unrequited love towards the hero . The sorrow of the heroine is reflected in the lyrics by Gireesh Puthencherry . This song is a gem hidden among other more popular tracks from this album . The grief of the character “ Arathi “,  played by Manju Warrier, in her desire to get the love of “Vinayachandran “ played by Suresh Gopi, captures the whole sequence of the song . 

Aaro viral neeti manasin manveenayil

Someone reaches out a finger to pluck the clay lute of my heart . 

Etho meezhineerin shruti mitunnu mukham

The teardrops , falling from the eye, provide the silent pitch . 

Talarum tanuvode , Idarum manamode

The body is tired . The mind is wearied

Vidavangunna sandhya Virahardraya sandhye

Oh the evening bidding goodbye ! - the tender, sorrow - soaked evening . 

Vennilavu polum ninakku inn eriyum venalayi

The cooling moonlight is like scorching summer for you.

Varnaraji neettum vasantha varsha shokamayi

The spring with its colourful grove of trees turned into the sorrowful monsoon . 

Ninte ardra hridayam thooval chilla udanna padamayi

Your feather - soft benevolent heart broke into the shards of glass of a framed portrait.

Irulil parannu murivettu padum oru pavam pooval kiliyay nee

You are a flower- like  singing bird who flies through the darkness and gets wounded .

Pathi manja manjil pathuke petha orinja mazhayil

The rain pours slowly and incessantly through the pale , fading mist.

Kattil minni mayum vilakkay kathu nilpath are

For whom do you wait,  standing like a flickering flame of the lamp ?

Ninte mohashakalam peeli chirak odinja shalabham

The fragment of your desire spreads like a peacock feather and breaks like the butterfly's wings.

Manassil menanja mazhavillu maikkumuru pavam kaneer mukilay nee

You are like the weeping cloud which erases the rainbow woven in my heart .

Postlude – The opening line of the song mentions the lute made of mud in the heart of the heroine, analogous to the concept of a human being created from mud by God according to excerpts from scriptures of world religions . The rhythm with which the teardrops fall from her eyes is according to the pitch which is provided by silence . The heroine is wearied searching for her lover, and her mind is anxious as to why the lover is not reciprocating her love . She observes the evening as it bids goodbye,  filled with melancholy . The sight of moonlight ignites a fire in her heart . Her search for meeting her lover extends for months starting with the vernal spring, ending in her tears along with the rain of the monsoon season . The heart of the heroine,  as soft as a feather,  started bleeding when one was wounded by the piercing shards of glass . She stands like the shimmering flame of a lamp,  not knowing what future holds for her and whether the flame will be doused soon and her hope of uniting with her lover will come to an end . The fragment of her desire, which was spread like peacock weather with dreams, got shattered and broke like the wings of a butterfly . The cloud which formed in her heart erased the rainbow . Here the rainbow is pointing towards the covenant between God and man, where the former promised us redeeming grace and mercy, protecting human beings until the dissolution of the world . The erasure of the rainbow here is analogous to the loss of hope in the heroine’s life . This is a song which is an ode to anyone who has experienced unrequited love and faced impediments in their love life in pursuing their lover .

Vara Manjal Adiya - Pranayavarngal

Vara Manjal Adiya Ravinte – Pranayavarnangal

Composition – Vidyasagar

Lyrics –  Sachidanandan Puzhangazha 

Singer – Sujata

Prelude - “ Varamanjal Adiya Ravinte Maril “ is a song which has captivated the generation of the 1990s with its enthralling poetry . There is not even a single Keralite who has not come across this song played on the television sets in 1998 when the film “Pranayavarnangal “ was released with the white brocade saree- clad  bespectacled Manju Warrier reciting the song at a college event .

Vara manjal adiya ravinte maril

Oru mannu thulli urangi

A dewdrop slept on the bosom of the night smeared with turmeric .

Nimi neram enkilum thengi nilavin

viraham ennalum mayangi

The moonlight sobbed for a few moments , then slowly faded .

Pularithithan chumbana kumkuma elle

Ritunandini akki

The night blossomed into an adolescent girl filled with joy when the red- hued dawn, like vermillion, kissed her forehead

Avale pani neer malar akki

The girl turned into a redolent red rose .

Kilivannu konchiya jalaka vathil kaliyay chariyathare ?

Who half -closed the window where the bird came and cosseted her by chirping ?

Mudiezha kothiya kattin mozhiyil madhuyay mazhiyath are ?

Who changed into sweet nectar on hearing the words of the breeze which combed her hair ?

Avalude kannil kazhi mashiyale kanavukal ezuthiyath are ?

Who wrote dreams in her eyes by applying collyrium ?

Ninavukal ezuthiyath are , avale taralith akkiyath are ?

Who brought lovely thoughts in her heart ? Who sent cold shivers through her by enchanting her ?

Mizhi peythu thornnaru sayanthanthil mazhay chariyath are ?

Who became the rain that fell one evening when her tears dried after she wept in sorrow ?

Dala marmaram nertha chillakal ullil kuyilyay mazhiyath are ?

Who turned into a cuckoo and rustled in the nest made of twigs and tender leaves  ?

Avalude kavilil tudu viral ale kavithakal ezuthiyath are ? Mukulith akkiyath are ?

Who stroked her cheek by writing poems on it with a reddened finger  ? Who turned her into a blooming blossom ?

Avale pranayini akkiyath are ?

Who turned her into a lover ?

Postlude – From what I could decipher,  the whole song is about the secret musings of a girl on reaching adolescence when she develops wings and starts flying high into the firmament to discover and experience true love, which is the aspiration of every human being . A girl who is analogous to the night smeared with turmeric is bathing with a dewdrop sleeping on her bosom . The night on receiving the kiss from her lover, which is metaphorically termed as the red-hued dawn like vermillion, turns into an adolescent girl . The girl is compared to a redolent red rose . Love is an emotion interspersed with intimacy and the touch of the lover . The girl wishes her lover would cossette her , stroke her hair , say sweet words to her , apply collyrium to her eyes with dreams,and  fill her heart with immodest thoughts, sending cold shivers through her body and enticing her . The lyricist says that the girl sobbed in grief from the lamentation of the lover when he came in the form of rain to comfort her and to make the raindrops unify with her tears, analogues to the fact that they both are one soul .The girl turned into a songbird like the cuckoo with her dreams and desires . The lover stroked her face, by writing poems on her face as human touch is a form of endearment for the beloved . She turned from a tender bud into a blooming blossom . The lyricist says that the girl turned in to a lover . This song captures the imagination of every daydreaming individual who has a multitude of thoughts and turns the  thoughts into words in the form of poetry when drenched in the eternal feeling of love .  

Areyum bhava gayakan akkum - Nakakshathangal

Areyum bhava gayakan akkum – Nakakshathangal

Composition – Bombay Ravi

Lyrics – ONV Kurup

Singer – KJ Yesudas

Prelude –  “ Areyum bhava gayakan akkum “ is a song which shows the beauty of a girl in her teens and twenties . The character Lakshmi, played by Saleema in the movie Nakakshtangal, is a mute girl bubbling with dreams and aspirations and gifted with lots of talents . It is a song of the yesteryear when love was the union of two souls into one rather than a cardinal desire of the flesh of a human being . It is a song which envisages the values and principles of a generation gone by who saw the beauty of the soul of a person rather than physical features . 

Areyum bhava gayan akkum

Atma soundaryama anu nee

Your soul is so beautiful that you can turn anyone into a passionate singer.

Namr sheersher ayi nilpu nin munnil

Kamra nakakshtra kanyakal

The enchanting stars, like damsels, stand with their heads bowed down in front of you .

Kinnara mani thamburu meeti

Ninne vazhtunnu vanavum

The sky eulogises you by playing the Kinnara veena ( a type of lute ) , bells and plucking the thamburu ( the lute ).

Mannile kili paythalum

Mulam thandil mulunna thennelum

The nestling on the earth and the breeze which moves through the reed of bamboo sing praises of you.

Innitha nin prakeerthanam

Ee prapancha  hridaya veenayil

You are exalted in the heart of the world,  which is like a lute .

Ninte shaleena mounamakumi

Pon mani cheppin ullilayi

Your modest silence is closed inside the box to which golden bells are affixed.

Moodi vecha nigooda bhavangal

Pookalay shalabangal ayi

Innitha nrittalolaray

Ee prapancha nadana vediyil

The secretive emotions which are mysterious and closed in the heart turned into flowers and butterflies . They danced and swirled upon the stage of the world .

Postlude – The soul of the heroine is termed as so pure and pristine that it turned anyone into a passionate singer . The twinkling stars in the sky compared to damsels bowed in front of her in veneration . The adroitness of lyricist ONV Kurup lies in the fact that he mentions the “ Kinnara Veena “ in the second stanza of the song . The Kinnara veena is eponymous with Kinnaras, who are mythical beings dwelling in the hills of the Himalayas and are musicians who accompany Gandharvas , the celestial singers . The Kinnaras are half human and half bird who consume pollen grains , redolent with flower perfumes, and are garbed in flowers . The Kinnara veena played by Kinnaras finds a mention in this song showing the myriad themes from the repository of the lyricist . The whole world is said to be eulogising the heroine . The mysterious emotions hidden in the silence of the heroine are said to turn into colourful flowers and butterlies which dance on the stage of the world . The song celebrates the nascent youth of a woman who has the whole universe to explore in front of her and also meet her beloved in the journey of life . 

Manjal Prasadavum - Nakakshathangal

Manjal Prasadavum – Nakakshathangal

Composition – Bombay Ravi

Lyrics – ONV Kurup

Singer – KS Chitra

Prelude – The song “ Manjal Prasadavum “ from the film “ Nakakshathangal “ charms us with its rustic charm . It’s like a song when we hum on seeing the golden sheaves of grain fluttering in the fields in the idyllic villages of Kerala, welcoming the temple festivals with its golden hue . The song comes at the situation when Ramu and Gauri, played by Vineeth and Monisha, meet by chance on a temple visit to Guruvayoor . The song fetched the coveted national award for best playback singer for KS Chitra . The talent of Bombay Ravi is that even after being a North Indian , he mingled with the cultural landscape of Kerala and brought out the colour of the state of Kerala in his music,  respecting our cultural ethos . 

Manjal prasadavum nettiyil charthi

Manja kuri mudum chutti

I applied a religious offering made of turmeric to my forehead . I applied a religious mark made of   sandalwood paste and was attired in a  brocade saree .

Inn ente muttathu pon ona poove nee

Vannu chiri thuki ninnu

ooooo – vannu chiri thuki ninnu

Oh dear golden onam flower ! - Today you smiled at me from my courtyard .

Kunimani cheppil ninnum

oru nullu kumkumam njan thottu eduthu

oh njan thotta eduthu

I took a pinch of vermillion powder from a box made of rosary peas.

En viral thumbil ninna varna renukkal

En nenjil ake padarnnu

The powder of vermillion from my fingers spread to my heart.

Oru poombularvela vidarnnu

Oh pumbularvela vidarnnu

A dawn hued in red with a myriad of flowers blossomed.

Pinne njan padioru enangal okkeyum

Ninne kurich ayirunnu

All the tunes which I sang after meeting you were about you .

Anthimayangiya nerath nee onnum

mindathe mindathe poyi

You left when the evening slept without saying anything. 

Ente nenjile maynaiyum thengi

Oh nenjile maynaiyum thengi

The mynah bird in my heart sobbed.

Postlude – The song begins with the panchavadyam ( the ensemble of five instruments ) with the rhythmic beats of hourglass- drums like the timila , the maddalam made of wood of the jackfruit tree ; the ilathalam, which are like cymbals made of bronze , the damru ( hourglass drum which produces sound from rattling cords striking on resonators ) like the edakka and horn-shaped kombu, which is a wind instrument . The panchavadyam sets the whole stage of the background of this song taking place in the temple precincts . The beginning lines of the song bring out the heroine's visit to the temple and she marks the religious offering of turmeric and sandalwood paste on her forehead,  clad in a traditional Kerala brocade saree . The vermilion powder,  which she took from a box made of rosary peas, which are also red in colour, spread in her heart, which resulted in the appearance of the dawn with its red hue . Before the second stanza of the song begins,  the sound of the nadaswaram, which is also called an auspicious instrument played at weddings comes to the fore,  indicating the wish of the hero and heroine for a happily ever after . The heroine is so smitten by the hero that she only sings songs in his remembrance after meeting him . The song is the perfect love song which makes the heart flutter to the innocent love . It emerges in the hearts of lovers who first meet each other on the temple premises by chance. 

Neeraduvan - Nakakshtangal

Neeraduvan – Nakakshthangal

Composition – Bombay Ravi

Lyrics – ONV Kurup

Singer – KJ Yesudas

Prelude – The petite figure of Ramu, played by Vineeth,  singing the song “ Neeraaduvan “ in praise of the “ Nila “ river, has captured my imagination ever since I was a teenager . This song is dear to my heart, as the film “ Nakakshtangal “ was released in the year 1986 , when my parents got married . This is the favourite Malayalam song of mine,  and I used to sing this song for hours and everywhere when I got the chance . The compositional virtuoso of Bombay Ravi and the lyrical prowess of ONV Kurup give wings to this breezy song . The song is composed in the raag “ Suddha Saveri which brings out a pleasant and soothing effect on our soul .

Neeraduvan nilayil neeraduvan

Nee enthe vaiki vannu poo thinkale

Oh moon ! Why did you come late to bathe in the Nila river ?

Eranam ven nilavin poompudava arinju

The wet white moonlight disrobed her flower-embroidered brocade saree while going to bathe.

Ee nadithan pulinanjal chandana kulir aninnu

The riverbank was garbed in the coolness like that of the sandalwood paste .

Poompudava thumbile kasava eduthu

Pookaitha kanyakamar mudiyil vachu

The screw pine flowers ( pookaitha ), who are like damsels, took the border of the flower-embroidered brocade saree and wore it in their hair .

Attuvanchi pookalum kattiladi ulanju

The “ Attuvanchi “ flowers ( river's homonoia) swayed in the breeze.

Alimali mannalthattum athira poo aninju

The riverbank was bejewelled by the “ Athira “ star’s reflection in the water.

Alinte kombathe gandharvano

Areyo mantramodi unartheedunnu

The celestial singer who dwelled in the banyan tree woke up someone by the incantation of hymns .

Postlude – The “ aakar “ at the beginning of the song is just like an invocation to the river goddess . The beats of the tabla are just like the ebb and flow of waves in the river . The Nila river is the lifeline of the southern Malabar districts of Kerala, originating from the Western Ghats, and has played an instrumental role in the spread of arts , crafts , literature , stories and poetry . The river Nila has been a muse of poets and writers for a long time . The whole sequence of lyrical poetry by ONV Kurup describes the moon as a woman who comes to bathe in the Nila river. The metaphor here is the triangular love story of Ramu , Gowri and Lakshmi, played by Vineeth , Monisha and Saleema,  respectively . The girl Lakshmi enters Ramu’s life when he is already in love with Gowri . The hero asks Lakshmi why she came into his life late when he was already in a relationship with Gowri .The entry of Lakshmi into Ramu’s life puts him in a fix as both the girls love him . The moon disrobes herself while bathing in the river . The screw pine flowers,  which are golden in colour are imagined to be maidens taking the border from the brocade and wore it in their hair . The “ Attuvanchi “ tree has flowers with fragrance which grows by the river banks . The feminine aspect associated with the “ Athira “ star when women keep fast for the longevity of their husbands in the Sagitarrius month is brought to the fore . The river is exalted by the beauty of the reflection of the “ Athira “ star in its waters . The song is the highest form of lyrical poetry, where the nuances of the river goddess , the femininity of women , the rich flora encompassing the riverbanks join the revelry in the life of a river .