ILaiyaraaja- The Light- Hearted Musician

While AandaaL is considered to be one of the greatest Tamizh poetesses because of her mastery over the language of tamizh, because of her poetic brilliance and above all due to her eloquence, not many have looked at the sense of humour in her verses. This could be due to various reasons which would include the presence of deep philosophical content in her verses, her spiritual inclination, her devotion, her rather different and unique life- history and most importantly our proclivity to look at Bhakti literature with a tunnel vision.

However, the fact remains that there is enough humour-laced with innocence - in a majority of her 143 verses. As a sample, read her Thiruppaavais from no.6 to no.15 in which she tries to coax her friends to join her in her mission. That ‘coaxing’ is for making them get up from the bed in the chilly mornings of Margazhi and that ‘mission’ is to pray to KrishNa.

Let us look at no.9 as a sample of samples:

தூமணி மாடத்து சுற்றும் விளக்கெரியத்

தூபம் கமழத் துயிலணைமேல் கண்வளரும்

மாமான் மகளே மணிக்கதவம் தாழ் திறவாய்

மாமீர் அவளை எழுப்பீரோ உன் மகள்தான்

ஊமையோ அன்றி செவிடோ அனந்தலோ

ஏமப் பெருந்துயில் மந்திரப் பட்டாளோ

மாமாயன் மாதவன் வைகுந்தன் என்றென்று

நாமம் பலவும் நவின்றேலோர் எம்பாவாய்.

It is a beautiful hall illuminated with lamps glowing all around with incense stick spreading the fragrance. The girl is fast asleep. AaNdaaL and her friends are knocking at the door decorated with the bells. The girl refuses to get up. In fact, she does not move an inch. After making all kinds of noises, AaNdaaL seeks the help of the girl’s mother. ‘Is your daughter dumb? Or is she deaf? Or is she the laziest? Or is it that she is cast by a spell to sleep for eternity?’

Now, look at the sarcasm in each and every line. The first 3 lines talk about the richness and comfort. But it also says, ‘Lights and Sound all around and yet..she is sleeping’. Calling a friend dumb, deaf, indolent and slothful in a normal conversation nowadays is not uncommon. But what sets this verse apart is the suddenness with which these words appear –after describing the house and the surroundings using hyperboles.

And to think that this is a Bhakti poem makes it significantly beautiful.

It also goes to show at least 2 things:

1.Even a serious thing can be said in a lighter vein without in any way diluting the seriousness.

2. We often tend to box people and their works as per our perception, thus missing the wood for the tree.

One of the many false perceptions about ILaiyaraaja is that he is very serious. But contrary to this belief, he has a huge sense of humour which even gets reflected in his works. His background scores in many comedy movies and in comedy scenes in all movies speak volumes of his humorous sense. But the fact that many of his songs too show his propensity for humour may not be known to many.

Today’s song is just one example.

‘VandaaL Mahalakshmiye’ from ‘Uyarndha ULLam’(1985) oozes with humour. What stands out is not just the humour but also the classicism inherent in the composition. It is indeed tough to say if humour runs as the undercurrent in the classical song or that classicism runs as the undercurrent in a humorous song.

One sees a host of multifarious elements in this composition based on KalyaNi in which SPB shows his multi dimensions as a singer yet again.

What strikes us first is not just the absence of a prelude but the presence of the upper ‘Sa’ in the very first phrase, an occurrence which is somewhat uncommon. The second phrase –Mahalakshmiye (Sani riSa nidhaniSa)- itself gives a sketch of KalyaNi even without using the prati madhyama. The two swaras-ri and ni- are the jeevaswaras(ones which give life) to KalyaNi.Is it for no reason that he is called the Isaignani?

There  is one more subtlety in the Pallavi. After SPB renders ‘VandaaL Mahalakshmiye’, he pauseS for half aavarAtna(taaLa cycle) and the mridangam plays ta - - -/ta ka dhi mi/ta ka dhi mi/ ta - - - giving kaarvai in the first and the fourth parts with the jaalra playing the last syllable and this pattern is repeated in the next two phrases-EndRum AvaL Aatchiye. He then renders the full line, this time adding ‘en veettil’ between the first two and the last two phrases. In tamizh there is a word called ‘kuRumbu’ which can be loosely translated as ‘mischief’ and isn’t it apparent here?

After a soulful ‘akaaram’ for 2 cycles by SPB, the Veena-VeNu starts painting the canvas with classical KalyaNi in the beginning of the first interlude.It is tender and mellow and is embroidered with simple and yet intricate patterns. The percussion too responds in style and it is a raga-laya delight. What is to be noted is silence of the percussion when the VeeNa-VeNu plays.

The Guitar enters suddenly and tee-hees in KalyaNi. Here too, the suddenness is striking. The Guitar internalises the charms of the raga and externalises it in its unique style with the Bass guitar and the Indian percussion backing it with glee. After exactly 3 aavartanaas in western KalyaNi, the Indian KalyaNi reappears with the VeeNa, Sitar and the VeNu. With smile written on their faces, these seem to tell each other- ‘We have had enough fun.Let us continue later and watch the CharaNam'.

The first half of the CharaNam is dominated yet again by the higher octave swaras(Ri, Ga and Sa) and in a way this is responsible for the mood which is further enhanced by the rendering of SPB. The composer’s grip on Laya is well-known and one gets to witness this again here as the first line of the CharaNam starts after the Samam with the last line ending in the last beat of the taaLa cycle.. The change of gait of the percussion (from the third and the fourth lines), the penultimate line going as ta ka dhi mi/ta ka dhi mi/ta ka dhi mi/ta ka dhi mi and the last line going as ta dhee ta/ ta dhee ta/ ta dhee ta/ta dhee ta in a very typical classical style are not unexpected from the master of Laya.

But what is unexpected is something in the following CharaNam.

 Before that there is the second interlude where the West and the East meet. First, the Guitar and the Bass guitar sound repetitive notes with the VeeNa giving a very brief repartee. Even as the Guitar brothers continue the same repetitive notes, the VeeNa expands the melody with gentle nobility of involvement. It is an entrancing portrayal of the hidden beauties of KalyaNi in particular and music in general.

The first part of the second CharaNam starts and is totally different from the first CharaNam. The swara ‘ma’pairs with ‘pa’ and ‘ga’ and this janta prayoga shows yet another dimension of the raga. What happens after the first two lines is what makes ‘Ee laya Raaja , a musician par excellence. The lines now are rendered in ‘usi’. Note that I am not talking about the percussion which goes normally. But the vocalist is made to render the lines giving stress in the even syllables. Honestly, I haven’t come across such an innovation even in any classical concert.

After ‘Mayanginen’, the composer and the singer decide to mesmerise us with a claasical swara korvais- an incredible array of swaras.  The group of upper ‘Sa’s following the group of mid-octave ‘sa’s, with the lower octave ‘ni.’ in the ‘sarisani.’ group which follows in the second line, the higher octave group of ‘Ri’ s following the mid-octave ‘ri’s and the ‘pa ma dha ni.’each in a group of  4 first and then in a group of 6 towards the end shows the mischievously beautiful musicality of the composer.

And the ‘mischievous musicality ‘ continues till the last line of the CharaNam where one hears the akaaram which giggles, chortles, sniggers, titters and sneers.

Humour makes a genius, a super genius-whether it is AandaaL or it is ILaiyaraaja.

Does anybody disagree?

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