Reposting it here with more sentences added to it

I have very fond memories of Vizhigalin Aruginil Vaanam. It was the summer vacation of 2004. My dad was on his 14-day visit, bringing along with him boxes of ‘foreign’ chocolates and a load of gadgets. Among the gadgets was an MP3 player that became my companion in just a few days.⠀ 

Only a handful of songs could be loaded into it.  I got just two albums – Aayudha Ezhuthu and Azhagiya Theeye. I wasn’t yet a Rahman fan (I became a hardcore ARR fan only after Delhi 6 in 2009), but I still enjoyed the songs from the former movie. I didn’t know much about the latter. I got to know from my uncle that the actors were Prasanna (who had already acted in Five Star) and Navya Nair.⠀ 

The first song, Vizhigalin Aruginil, captivated me so much. The prelude, consisting of flute and strings, is marked with finger snaps that follow throughout the song. Then there are subtle piano notes, an upbeat rhythm, a dreamy chorus, ebullient string sections, and such heartwarming lyrics. The song was way ahead of its time. It sounds fresh even after 20 years. The arrangements are unlike any other song of the 2000s decade. That’s why it stands out and is loved by many people. 

The composer, Ramesh Vinayagam, was a newbie at that time, but the beautiful songs in this album made him popular. Especially, his unique voice intoxicated me. Every time Ramesh sings ‘oh ye…’ at the end of each line, I find my heart swelling with joy. 2004 was also the year when our family got our first window air-conditioner. All my summer afternoons turned breezy with me sitting in a corner of the cooled room and this alluring song booming in my MP3 player.⠀ 

This track has that meditative aura, though it is a love song from the perspective of a man. On some days, I used to just lie down with my headphones on, stare at the ceiling blankly, and immerse myself in this ethereal melody. The 10-year-old me did not have a mobile phone for distraction. Just unadulterated music streaming from the earbuds straight to my heart.⠀ 

When Ramesh goes அலைகடலாய் இருந்த மனம்…
துளி துளியாய் சிதறியதே…(Alaikadalaai irundha manam, thuli thuliyaai sidhariyadhe…), I reach heaven instantly. That elevation in both paragraphs is one of the highlights of the song. And, of course, my favourite line is – இருதயமே துடிக்கிறதா…
துடிப்பது போல் நடிக்கிறதா… (Irudhayame thudikiradhaa…Thudipadhupol nadikiradhaa…). Anyone who has been through the phase of unexpressed love would find solace in the lyrics of this song. That ரகசியமாய் தவித்திடவா… (ragasiyamaai thavithidava) phrase encompasses the whole theme of the song. 

If I hadn’t listened to this on my MP3 player, I wouldn’t have imbibed music in my blood. I would always remember Vizhigalin Aruginil as the gateway to establishing my intense relationship with music. I am attaching photos of my writing of this song’s lyrics in my 2006 diary. The 12-year-old me was still obsessed with the song (I might have made blunders in the lyrics because that’s how I misheard them and interpreted them in the pre-Internet days).  

How much do you love this song? Let me know in the comments

Love,
Kavya Janani. U