Third Log: 10 November 2022

Sometimes writing is not the most efficient and immediate way to communicate something. Almost always as a director, I have more than scenes and dialogues and stage directions running in my head. I got the feeling I was hitting a deadline, but not getting anywhere. Because after all the actors were dependent on how efficiently I communicate what we want to do.

So, I spent the night humming tunes. I knew songs played a very integral part to this. I knew cinema, street theatre and therukoothu were heavy influences on what we are trying to create. Then, it is a process of laying out these cards as I hummed on way back from work.

That is how these three songs popped in to my head, with their lyrics –

The first one wasn’t much of a stretch. – Connecting People

The refrain tune first came to me, which is a normal theatrical folk tune of “thanna thannaas”. And the connecting people – Nokia’s tagline – which ended up Disconnecting People, also here in the context of the play lends itself to means our act of connecting people through this performance –

Lyrics

Group: Thana-thanaa connecting people
Thanathanaanaa connecting people

Nimmy: Chinna chinna kadhaiya kekka vaarunga 

Aparna: Road-oramaa soodaa tea-yum thaaronga

Nimmy: Chinna chinna kadhaiya kekka vaarunga 

Aparna: Road-oramaa soodaa tea-yum thaaronga

Group: Thana-thanaa connecting people
Thanathanaanaa connecting people

Atchaya: 6 varsham munna oru
Kanchipuram kovil pakkam
Chinna chiru veetukulla
Vaazhndhonga
Yengaloda kadhaiya kekka vaarunga
Yengaloda kadhaiya kekka vaarunga

Group: Thana-thanaa connecting people
Thanathanaanaa connecting people

Nimmy: Chinna chinna kadhaiya kekka vaarunga 

Aparna: Road-oramaa soodaa tea-yum thaaronga

Group: Thana-thanaa connecting people
Thanathanaanaa connecting people

Selvi: kukkumakku gramthulendhu
Potti padukka madichikkittu
Yethirkaalatha thedi inga vandhonga
Yengaloda kadhaiya kekka vaarunga
Yengaloda kadhaiya kekka vaarunga

Group: Thana-thanaa connecting people
Thanathanaanaa connecting people

Nimmy: Chinna chinna kadhaiya kekka vaarunga

Aparna: Road-oramaa soodaa tea-yum thaaronga

Nimmy: Coffee?

Aparna: Adhuvum serndhu thaaronga…. 

Group: Thana-thanaa connecting people
Thanathanaanaa connecting people

Aparna: Beachoram kaathadikka
Sooda vadai biscuit oda
Oyaarama naadagam paaka vaarunga
Yengaloda kadhaiya konjam kelunga
Odi vandhu nadagam paaka vaarunga… 

Group: Thana-thanaa connecting people
Thanathanaanaa connecting people

The second song is for a proper cinematic love scene of an inter-caste couple who have found each other across the factory floor. The hero saves his heroine and enters into a dream song. We decided to base this on very typical Tamil hero love songs like that of Vijay’s. Especially, Ennai Thalaata Varuvaala. In humming this and attempting to tell the story, the following song was born in the middle of the night – Nagarum Kanavugal (Shifting Dreams)

Lyrics

Chorus – Nimmy and Selvi

Nagarum kanavugal
Vizhi orathil aazhndha iravugal
Olindhaadhum nam thedalgal
Ingu vaazhum tharunangal

Aparna:

Pirivin marupakkam
Un kangal thediye
Velai oru pakkam
Un sirippai nadiye
Unnai kaakkavey
Naan odi vandhaaley
Kangal vaadudhey
Un valiyai kandaaley
Kaadhaley
Yen kaadhaley
Nam kaadhaley

Nagarum kanavugal
Vizhi orathil aazhndha iravugal
Olindhaadhum nam thedalgal
Ingu vaazhum tharunangal

Atchaya:

Unnai nambi saaigindren
Nee yendhi kolvaai endru
Yekkangal serkindren
Ondraai theerthu kolvom endru
Pizhaippai thediye
Oru iruppai naadiye
Nam vaazhkai vaazhavey
Indha valiyai thaanguven
Kaadhaley
Yen kaadhaley
Nam kaadhaley

Chorus – Nimmy and Selvi

Nagarum kanavugal
Vizhi orathil aazhndha iravugal
Olindhaadhum nam thedalgal
Ingu vaazhum tharunangal

Aparna: Sernthey nadakkindrom
Atchaya: Nam valaiyum paathaiyil
Ap: Piriyaamal parakkindrom
At: Nam kanavu kottaiyil
Ap: Kaadhal jeikavey
At: Vesham kalaivey
Ap: Pirivai vellavey
At: Naam serndhu nadikkindrom
Ap: Kaadhaley
At: Yen kaadhaley
Together: Nam kaadhaley

Chorus – Nimmy and Selvi

Nagarum kanavugal
Vizhi orathil aazhndha iravugal
Olindhaadhum nam thedalgal
Ingu vaazhum tharunangal

The reference was the Anbe Sivam street play scene.

Out of this was born the third song – bringing together the idea: Educate. Agitate. Organise.

Lyrics –

Manidhargal Sutri

Nimmy: Manidhargal sutri indha kashta krodha kavalai vellam yedharku
Thimiraaga alaiyum indha adhigaara vargathai yedhirthu
Indrey nee serndhu vaa poraatathai yezhuppu – x2

Together:

Samathuvam unarthu
Sinathinai valarthu
Ondraaga thirattu
Rajavai virattu (x2)

Nimmy: Tholvigal pala vidhamaai maara koodum maara koodum
Kai serkum silarum kooda sava koodum sava koodum(x2)

Together:

Samathuvam unarthu
Sinathinai valarthu
Ondraaga thirattu
Rajavai virattu (x2)

Nimmy: Ulagathin vervai naangal
Aalbavanin moochum naangal
Iyandhirathai iyakka kooda thevai naaangal dhaana da

Nimmy: Manidhargal sutri indha kashta krodha kavalai vellam yedharku
Thimiraaga alaiyum indha adhigaara vargathai yedhirthu
Indrey nee serndhu vaa poraatathai yezhuppu – x2

Over the rehearsals, we arranged who will sing which bit and the visual ideas for the songs.

Once the songs came together, it gave me the fuel to write the first draft with dialogues

More about this in the next log.