The Golden Era of Dr.IR and Dr.SPB

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#324 இரண்டும் ஒன்றோடு ஒன்று சேர்ந்தது
(பணக்காரன், 1990 , சித்ராவுடன்)

'iraNdum onROdu onRu sErndhadhu' of paNakkAran

This song is a karumbuththOttam!

Both SPB & KSC are at their sweetest and rAsa in top form as well, fixing an exclusive rhythm arrangement plus some new sounds (guitar or synth that follows each line of pallavi)! Spices with some exotic wind instrument concoction (like how they spice in karumbu juice stalls), in addition to a kombuththEn melody (typical situation of saraNam >> pallavi)! Easily the best song of the album and IIRC quite enjoyable visuals as well! (Smart-looking Rajini with gorgeous Gautami - it doesn't matter what setting & how they shake legs, body, hands & heads etc. Such a sweet song and a great pair guarantees enjoyment. Period).

Like I warned, some senti to follow - nothing romantic but related to the device shown on screen for the song - the clock!

Well, not exactly a clock but wrist watches

Today, they are considered jewelry and not the primary means of time keeping. (For many years now, I don't wear one at all - as we're surrounded by devices with digital clock all the time - PC / phone / dashboard etc ; so namma wrist romba free).

However, it wasn't so 3 decades back - one depended on them on everyday basis as well as for travels. So much so that the HMT company was advertising as "timekeepers to the nation"

There was this north indian college / hostel mate who had predominant body hair (> one cm long and very thick on wrist area) who was always wearing an old watch, very tightly strapped making the hair suffer / leave a mark etc and he used to talk about it to everyone (when & how his dad gifted him, how many years old, how valuable etc). I'm sure many boys of 70's & 80's had some kind of "watch tales" - even Thamizh movies featured scenes with them , like trading them in a restaurant for a meal they cannot pay, adaku vaikkal to tide over a crisis etc.

So, let me dedicate a few paras for my own "watch tale".

The first one I had was from my grandpa - a rectangular one with only 2 hands and a gray strap (possibly black when new and faded). I had it for my 6th-8th grade and by that time it was totally unreliable (ishtappattA mattum Odum) and had to be retired. That was no big issue as we lived inside school campus and 'maNi adikkum' sounds can help calculate the closest time. Then came an opportunity to get a new one!

Those days rural students had an option to write a national talent exam, based on their ranks in 8th grade and can win 2 scholorships per panchayat union. That merit scholarship can land them in selected "town schools" with all hostel & such fees covered upto 1K / year (which was more than adequate). I got it (when in 9th) but wasn't very thrilled to go to a "town school / hostel".

Well, that particular year, our school - though a village one - got added as a "host" and we were thrilled. Also, I had two options : (a) Stay in hostel & get 1K or (b) Stay day scholar & get 0.5K Without question, option (b) was chosen and it meant Rs 500 per year, until end of schooling and we could keep it! For the first year, they sent a "pro-rata" amount of Rs 350 and that was my first "earning" ever

A few days later, I went to school with a hmt avinash (beautiful white dial with a black circle, cost Rs 237) which had too long a chain and was worn over a handkerchief to hold in place The elderly asst-HM who took the first class (colleague & friend of appA) wasn't amused and took it to his table and worked on it for a few minutes with a safety pin obtained from a girl - removed a couple of chain segments and voila! It fitted perfectly now!

That continued till I got my first job, for about 9 years! (Then it became unreliable, pushing me to get an "automatic"). Then there were many watches / gifts etc over the years and now bare hand but that avinash cannot be forgotten

p.s. With the balance money, my ammA got a saree and that was my first gift to her, bought with my own money