Soon old wounds were healed. On another occasion, Ilayaraja wanted to compose music, and wanted quality lyrics. So he sent his assistant “ Please bring our poet.” The assistant asked Ilayaraja “Which poet?” Ilayaraja angrily remarked, “What do you mean which poet? As if you do not know that poet in the cine industry refers to only one person, and that is Kannadasan?” Thereafter they started to work together and produce further gems.


In 1980, Kannadasan was not feeling well and was getting prepared to leave for Chicago for medical treatment. It was at this time that the film MONRAAM PIRAI was in the making. Ilayaraja sent for a song, and Kannadasan gave the song. That was the last song of the greatest poet the cine field had ever seen. As soon as Ilayaraja received the lyrics, he was overcome with untold sorrow. Ilayaraja himself is a writer of lyrics. He read and re- read the lyrics and sought to grasp the hidden meaning. Ilayaraja somehow had a premonition that this song would be the very last song from Kannadasan. He felt that Kannadasan had a message that he was leaving the Tamil people, the Tamil language and Tamilnaadu forever. That song was needed for a moving situation in the movie. In a very moving mood, Ilayaraja composed music for that song. And true enough Kannadasan never came back..

The poet’s first song is
Kalangathiru Maname.

His last song is
Kanne Kalaimaane

He hailed from Chiru Koodal Patti
He passed away in Chicago.

That last song of the poet brought crowning fame to Ilayaraja as the MD, Jesudass as the most appropriate singer, and by extension to Kamal Hasan as the one who provided lip movements. Jesudass had a great liking for this song.

I personally would like to trademark this song as a land mark song as Raja was the only privileged MD to have been bestowed this high honour of composing the last song of one whom I consider the greatest poet Tamilnadu has seen in recent days Kannadasan.

That was not the end of the story. Ilayaraja who was so sad following the passing of Kannadasan, continued to compose for his songs. This time he used a poem that Kannadasan had composed much earlier. That is “Devan Thantha Veenai” from the film Unnai Naan Chanthithen.

In my opinion this ranks top among the landmark songs of Ilayaraja. Just look at the lyrics:


Kannae kalaimaanae kanni mayilenak
kandaen unai naanaeandhip pagal unai naan paarkkiraen
aandavanai idhaiththaan kaetkiraen
raariraaroa oaraariroa
raariraaroa oaraariroa

(kannae)

oomai enraal oru vagai amaidhi
aezhai enraal adhil oru amaidhi
neeyoa kilippaedu pan paadum aanandak kuyil paedu
aeno dheyvam sadhi seydhadhu paedhai poala vidhi seydhadhu

(kannae)

kaadhal kondaen kanavinai valarththaen
kanmani unai naan karuththinnil niraiththaen
unakkae uyiraanaen ennaalum enai nee maravaadhae
neeyillaamal edhu nimmadhi needhaanae en sannidhi

(kannae)

Listen to 'kanne kalaimaane'

HAPPY WEEKEND!