There are a few moments in cinematic history that carve the names of the participants of those moments in the hearts of people who experience that moment on screen. The song ‘Valaiyosai’ from the Thamizh movie ‘Sathya’ (1988) starring Kamalhaasan and Amala is one such moment.

In an on-stage orchestral presentation, the Maestro Ilayaraja recollected the birth and the recording of the song. As the music composition for the movie was going on, Kamalhaasan talks about the music that impresses him in Ilayaraja’s stand-alone musical composition ‘Nothing But Wind’, picking out parts from it. And as he does that, Ilayaraja joins in saying that he has a composition that was composed to be recorded by Hariprasad Chaurasia (what a great flautist!), but has not found a place in the ‘Nothing But Wind’ album. So Kamalhaasan asks for it and Ilayaraja hums out the tune. Kamalhaasan is so impressed that he says that he would like the tune as a song in the movie. And to that the Maestro says that if that is the case then the song has to be sung only by Lata Mangeshkar to which Kamalhaasan readily agrees, as he is the producer of the movie.

Now come the issue of lyrics. The famous lyricist Vaali is given the tune and as he listens to it, he comments to Ilayaraja as to the repetitive nature of the tune. And then he is informed that the song is to be sung by none other than Lataji herself. And so Vaali is given the task of writing lyrics that are simple and can be sung by Lataji, words that will give her not too much trouble. So the famous wordplay in Thamizh, ‘rettaikkilavi’ (loosely translated as ‘double words’) are used in the lyrics.

‘Valaiyosai kala kala kala ena
kavithaikal padikkuthu
Kulu kulu thendral
Kaatrum veesuthu…

Sila neram silu silu silu ena
Siruviral pada pada thudikkuthu
Engum dhegam koosuthu…’

When Lataji was contacted, she asked for the lyrics and the song sung and recorded by someone so that she would know not just the tune but also how to pronounce the words. So the Maestro records it in his own voice and sends it over. Lataji is so taken aback by the lyrics that she doubts whether she can do justice to the song. The one and only S. P. Balasubramaniyam, her co-singer in his debut film in Hindi, ‘Ek Thujhe Ke Liye’ now had the opportunity to reciprocate the help he received from Lataji in pronouncing the Hindi words in the songs of that movie. He helps in the pronunciation of the words she finds difficult and she gives such a perfect rendition that anyone who listens to the song would find it almost impossible to believe that the female singer is not a native speaker of the language. The Maestro says that Lataji, had shivers running through her as she listened to the finished version, unable to believe that she had sung those tongue twisting lyrics flawlessly.

The magic of so many greats – Ilayaraja, Vaali, S. P. B and Lataji – could have been undone by the simple act of creating a picturization of the song that would have dragged it down into the underground. Thankfully the movie’s director Suresh Krissna recognizes the responsibility he has been given and places the song in the stratosphere by giving in to the mesmerizing on-screen chemistry and romance of Kamalhaasan and Amala. The portrayal of their relationship, woven through with child-like innocence and just the right kind of physicality, elevates the song and places it among the all-time greats of not just Thamizh cinema, but Indian cinema.

The mark of true art is its ability to evoke emotions every time we come across it. By that measure, this song is art that blends the voices and the music into a perfect harmony, immortalizing it in the hearts of the listeners.

Won’t keep you from it anymore. Please listen to it with the highest quality headphones you can manage to put on.