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- Udhaya writes:
Song: thangath thErOdum azhaginilE
Film: Ragupathy Ragavan Rajaram
Singer: SPB, P.Suseela
MD: Shankar-Ganesh
Lyrics: Vaali
I remember wanting to see the movie just for this song. But I never did. I still remember some things about the movie. It was directed by Durai. I believe it starred Jeyachandran as one of the sons. Rajini had a small role too. It was about a father hoping to raise three sons the Gandhian way, hence he names them--Ragupathy, Ragavan, and Rajaram. Even in those more accepting days, this movie got some flack from the kadhir vEshtis for slandering Gandhian principle for something as trivial as a movie title. The people who opposed to Vasoolraaja MBBS are probably kicking themselves somewhere for this lost opportunity at guarding culture. The original title Ragupathy Ragava Rajaram was tinkered with so that Ragava became Ragavan and our cultural integrity was preserved without a blemish.
But there's nothing objectionable or political about the song. Shankar-Ganesh recognized a lovely tune when it hit them and left it in the hands of the best. SPB and PS, always in the forefront of my singing dream team, infuse the song with their trusted instincts and nuances that the resultant mood makes one almost jealous of such immeasurable happiness between two people, the way the weary ones eye young lovers.
This song and the like used to taunt me during my summer vacations in Madurai. At my uncle's place where a dozen cousins used to hang out, the Ilangai olibarappu koottu sthaabanam came on like gangbusters to shame this Chennai kid's mainstream song exposure. We used to play under the sun with a radio blasting from inside the house. As one obscure song after another came on, everyone else knew them inside out and sang along, while I was treading gently to keep up. Of course, with age and technology, I've left all my cousins in the dust with my song exposure. But everytime I hear this tune, it takes me back to the hot summer days in Madurai. The readily hummable song captured my fancy the first time I heard it and the song's hold on me still endures. Hope it triggers something fond in your memory or adds to your discovery at dhooL.
Tags: S.P.B , P.Suseela , Shankar-Ganesh