IR is THE Man of Fusion with fusion in his Gene.
For comical song to Nasser's Avatharam, he transcends us to Italic Operatic way of WCM. For traditional way of temple singing of Thiruvasagam, he brings in the Gospel way of singing.
Like that now, to let loose the reign, go-for-free attitude college singing, he gives two sampling to GVM of "Pudikkalai Maamu" and "Veedhi Paththadhe" by Jazzy Kuththu.
(I hate this word Kuththu/dappangkuthu nostalgic haterdness comes into mind of 70's when IR was being stamped and lot of arguments I used to get into with others to clear the wrong notions).
If Jiiva & Co has to sing, take "Pudikkala Mamu", If Santhanam will get into riot take " Veedhi Paththade " something like that..! Just my guess (may be over-guessing)
But what made me cry for this song is the genius IR selecting a scale/ragam (which I could not find any answers so far) with notes of Madhyamavathy, but will never sound like that due to the way of singing of certain phrases. If "Eeramana Rojave Ennai paarthhu...", "Manaada Kodi Meenada ", "Sirugaali Sirugaali" (Telugu-Mallepoovu) etc etc and now this "Veedhi Pathaadhe". Unbeleivable !!
I noticed your observation of similarity with Hindi word "Bathaadhe". May be intentional as it was a trilingual film. We dont know.
Somebody has already cleared the air with excellent convincing write-up on "Pengal Endraal" and in the same way, "Veedhi Pathaadhe" has to rule the College Festivals everywhere in near future!
People has already started accepting the beauty of Saaindhu Saaindhu a beautiful Mohanam piece; (takes me to continue singing Latha Mangeshkar's "Jyoth Kalash..." Suresh may agree with me...).
So no songs can be rejected or kept aside in this album.
With lesser words and a lot of gaps between words, Saindhu Saindhu is very apt song for Hindi adaptation..! (For Hindi, you have to limit the musical notes to Thema or Pulima that's all with just two-syllable words. If you get into Karu-viLan-gani...business, meaning three syllable plus words, Hindi lyricists are finished...! Similarly, limiting to maximum three or four line charanams is enough..! Anything beyond.. filling up of words starts...!) Anand Milind used to do that flaattening/trimming of notes in their Hindi adaptations of IR.
One more thing I observed.. ! IR is particular of complicated words to complicated notes he writes. In "Vaa-nam Mella" song, think of fitting "Var-a-nam Mella" .... in the same time suration of Vaanam Mella....Hope you get what I am trying to tell.
There's a beauty in that twist of "Varanam" (instead of Vaanam) and that's what we are getting in the bag-piper+flute/recorder type of instrumental piece faithfully following throughout the song.
If you whistle, you will struggle for getting that twisty things to replicate, and that's the challenge IR pose for any woodwind player in that song. Though Muthukumar simplified it with "Vanam Mella" he ends with "Tharunam Tharunam..." compensating for the simplification; Somebody felt it as jaarring.. I have different view..!