I’ve been hearing the Kabali songs since they released a few days back. I must confess it was a bit underwhelming at first. Except for “Ulagam Oruvanukka” none of the other songs stuck in my head. And that song too didn’t feel great.
But, over time, as I kept hearing them on loop, I began to like “Vaanam Paarthen” and “Maya Nadhi” too. I don’t usually like slow-paced or sad numbers. For instance, I listen to “Enga Ooru Madrasu” more than “Aagaayam Theepidicha”. So this is surprising.
Not the usual
The first and most obvious thing about the songs is that you don’t find any of the usual lyricists or singers that are associated with a Thalaivar film album. It’s a welcome change. I love it!
The lyrics give the impression that the songs are present only to heighten certain emotions and to contribute to the narrative. It doesn’t have any generic songs that could be inserted anywhere in the film like “Sahaana Saaral” or “Kilimanjaaro”. That’s a good sign. It implies Superstar is part of a Pa.Ranjith film and not the other way round.
The dynamics between Kabali and his wife
So one cliche of gangster films is of course that wife or sister gets murdered or raped. When Radhika Apte appeared in the first teaser, my brother remarked, “Dude! The way she’s smiling she’s definitely gonna get murdered.” (You know people who are going to die have a certain way of smiling in Tamil films. The seasoned movie watcher can detect that.)
I’m hoping against hope that Pa.Ranjith wouldn’t succumb to that cliche. When I heard “Vaanam Paarthen”, I initially thought, “Pochu da! Thalaivar is going to cry after villains brutally butcher his wife!”
But upon closer hearing, I feel there’s a certain vagueness in “Vaanam Paarthen”. It doesn’t explicitly say anywhere that Kabali’s wife is dead. It talks of separation and the sorrow and loneliness that haunts the husband.
Engum paarthen undhan bimbam
Kanavilum ninaivilum
Thinam thinam varubaval
Ethirinil ini vara neratho
There’s a certain hope or yearning that “Won’t I ever see you once again?” Even the first line talks of Kabali travelling through rivers and searching amidst the seas.
Nadhiyena naan ododi
kadalinil thinam thedinen
And in “Maya Nadhi” song there’s a line that says Kabali lost his wife in a river. So although metaphoric, this could be taken literally too.
Now I’m happy that there are 2 possibilities.
Possibility One - Separation by Fate
Kabali loses his wife in some form of river or sea accident. And he has no clue whether she’s dead or alive. This justifies the line that he’s writhing like a fish that’s been caught. He’s not dead yet at the same time he’s not free. So “Vaanam paarthen” must occur at a point when he’s unsure if his wife is dead or alive and is unsure about her whereabouts.
If a husband loses his wife in an accident, would he say she hurt him? Would he say she moved apart for some unknown reason? So an alternative theory is that his wife wilfully separates from him. Maybe some misunderstanding between them or something Radhika wants him to do which he doesn’t and so she moves apart. But, later on in their old age somehow an understanding dawns between the two of them. Maybe they’re brought together due to circumstances or by someone. Although the possibilities of this theory are lower, I’m not able to completely dismiss it either, especially when you have line in which Kabali requests his wife to come back to him.
Yemaarum kaalam
Inimel vendaamadi
Kai Seradi..
Intro Song
The most likely candidate for the “intro song” is of course “Ulagam Oruvanukka”. (Veera Thurandhara sounds more like an end credits song) Although Kabali album is least like a Thalaivar film album as pointed out by Baradwaj Rangan, Pa.Ranjith would definitely not do away with the intro song.
My guess is that the film opens with Kabali sporting the aged look and is getting released from prison for some crime he did long ago. And as soon as he’s out, he does something that makes his enemies get terrorized. So “Ulagam Oruvanukka” sounds like a group song that his henchmen sing to celebrate his return from prison or the act he did as soon as he’s out of prison.
“Ethiri koottam aadi pochey
Kuruthiyil neruppu thaan
Koodi pochey..”
And of course, Kabali’s mission upon getting released from prison seems to be revenge. Very clear from the single line.
“Dressed to kill call it KabaliSWAG”
As a Thalaivar fan, I love this! You see it’s little things like this that differentiates a Pa.Ranjith hero wearing a suit from a Vishnuvardhan hero wearing a suit. A suit is not just a suit. It’s a dress that Kabali wears as an armour for heading out to battle! :)
Of course, if “Ulagam Oruvanukka” is indeed the intro song, then that implies Kabali’s youthful days would be narrated in flashbacks. Nothing wrong in that, as I said, unless Radhika Apte gets butchered, which from the songs I’m quite sure is unlikely to happen.
Racial & Slavery Undertones
Both Madras and Attakatthi had lots of subtle political undertones. And both had rooted protagonists from specific geographic and social backgrounds. “North Madras as seen through Attakatthi and Madras” would be a separate article by itself. In fact, I strongly believe Chennai 28′s rootedness must have been Pa.Ranjith’s contribution. For instance, one of the guys not liking it when someone calls Visalatchi Thottam as “Sunnaambu Kaava”. Tell me one other Venkat Prabhu film in which you saw such specific characterization.
Mettukudiyin koopaadu
Ini naattukkulla kekkadhu
Ina mugavari adhu ini
Vizhi thirandhidume
So in Kabali too there’s going to be lots of specifics and undertones about the racial tiffs and sparks that flew in Malaysia. References to slavery and discrimination of workers are peppered throughout the lyrics. I’m looking forward to watching it on screen and learning more about the history of Tamil workers in Malaysia.
Pa.Ranjith makes it open through one of the lines in the opening song. People from every strata of the society have stories to be told, and those stories absolutely MUST be told. And thanks to Superstar, this story is going to get a huge platform to be told and I simply can’t wait!
