Kaaviya Thalaivan (காவியத்தலைவன்)

"The Epic Hero"

[British India period when stage players were at their peak]

Greetings sir This is my son

'Like a cat abandoning its kitten, my father left me in the drama company'

-What is your name? -R.Gomathi Nayagam

'This is my teacher'

'Madurai Theatre Maestro, The Hounorable Sivadas Swamigal'

'Swamigal was an ascetic A follower of lord Hanuman'

'A blazing fire, He was'

Please mother, I'm hungry

'Kali was begging in the train'

You sing very well What is your name?

-Kaliyappa -Kaliyappa

'Liking his singing'

'Swamigal took Kali into our company]

It's not "Avall Pori" but "Aval Pori"

It's not "Avall Pori" but "Aval Pori"

'All the other kids would mock Kali, Calling him "Beggar Boy"'

'I was the one who used to chase those kids away'

'That's why Kali liked me so much'

'He always called me "brother" He had so much affection'

'We grew up together in the drama company'

*With pristine Tamil*

*Invoking divine music*

*Dazzling stories,we will tell*

*With the moon as our witness*

*We would tell you stories of victories*

*We're the 'Madurai Sri Bala Shanmugananda Drama Company' *

*Come on folks, Come on*

* Come to see our drama*

*Come on folks, Come on* * Come to see our drama*

*Of green, yellow, red, white and violet*

*Of Mira with the blue- hued Krishna*

*Of green, yellow, red, white and violet*

*Of Mira with the blue- hued Krishna*

*Magic within your eyes, we can create*

* A rainbow inside ypur heart, we can create*

*Come on folks, Come on* * Come to see our drama*

*Come on folks, Come on* * Come to see us dance*

*Come on folks, Come on* * Come to hear us sing*

* Monday, Tuesday , Wednesday, Thursday and Friday*

* Singing 'Ta- ra- dum - dara- re'*

* Monday, Tuesday , Wednesday, Thursday and Friday*

* Singing 'Ta- ra- dum - dara- re'*

*Worlds you've never seen before, We'll show*

* Your day dreams into realities, we'll change*

*Come on folks, Come on* * Come to see our drama*

*Come on folks, Come on* * Come to see us act*

*Come on folks, Come on* * Come to hear us sing*

*Come on folks, Come on* * Come in your carts*

*Come on folks, Come on* * Come to see our drama*

Brother Kumbakarna

The one you're talking to, is the lord of demons, Ravanan

I'm warning not with mere mortals

I'm warning against the Lord Supreme, who rules the earth and the sky

After worshipping his dazzling eyes and lotus form

I'm warning against him

Yes, Kumbakarna

This is my birth's destiny

A fame that no one can claim

I await Rama's bow

Let his arrow tear my heart apart

Let him drink my blood and search within my heart...

And let him see for himself it's the Lord name that is in there!

Wow!

What applause! Looks as if the stage will collapse

Kali, one day I too, must stand here as the 'hero' and gather loads of claps

What's there in claps, brother?

How can you say that, man?

Brother, if you see Ravanan's tears, would you want to clap your hands?

Won't you raise your folded hands in respect and cry?

If these people are claping their hands, Thay haven't seen Ravanan still

All they see is 'hero' Bairava Sundaram's acting!

What's wrong with that? Today, Bairava is no. 1 'hero'

I must become like him someday

Brother,our guru Swamigal is 100 times a better actor than him

How he would dazzle with his dance!

I must act like him, at least for one day

No one even needs to see my acting

If I know for myself that I've arrived, that's enough.

Hey! What's happening here?

All of you come here

Hey, it,s time for your 'Thirupughal' lesson.

If Swamigal sees this, he will go berserk. Come on

What crap!

Even boys playing child roles, have no fear of me

What sort of life is this,Kandasamy?

-Palavesam -What is it, master?

Why the streamer?

Not a streamer It's loincloth

Why so many?

Don't I need a fresh one everyday?

-Hey, I've seen this cloth somewhere -Let me see if you find out

Hey,why does this cloth smell of me?

Will your dhoti smell of you or me?

Hey!I only had two dhoties, you have torn one,isn't it?

For sitting jobless, is'nt one enough?

Hey duffer-son

If I don't kill you and drop you at Swami's feet, today

Behold master's anger!

-Oh no! Swami is here -Hey,Palavesam

What is this? Runnig around with loincloth?

-They have torn it, Swamigal -Were you sleeping till they tore it?

Not the one I was wearing They tore the one I had put out to dry

Hey! Swami is here!

Swami, I'm not able to control them.

Let's see who that is show me

-Hey master -Swami

They are learning their lessons well Why talk ill of them?

No,they were...

Don't laugh, you silly fellow

-Master! -Swami

Are they just cheatig in the crow? Or they have learned the lessons well?

I have taught each one well

You ask each one individually

Sing properly, you fool! I'll kill you

Wonder what's going to happen todat!

it's a good start Go on

Go on

How many years since you joined?

You can't even say the first lesson

Get lost Go, kneel there

-I had taught him well -Yes I can see that!

'Next is him? Thrashing Guaranteed!'

Donkey!

-Go on and kneel down -Go!

- Is this what you taught them? - I taught them well the duds!

Palavesam will tell it well

[Uses a food- related word in the middle of solemn verse]

- Hey! - Don't you want it fully?

You're called 'Palavesam' (many rules) and can't even do one role.

He has asked me to kneel down Don't you know that I know nothing?

Then why bring Swamigal straight here? I'll take care of you later

I'll make that last dhoti into loincloths as well

He was a fool even before he joined our company

And he has been a fool from his birth!

Swamigal, I have lost faith

Instead of asking each one to kneel down, ask everyone to.I will goin them too

Now, this is fair!

-Gomathi -Swami

Arriving at Mount Meru that gathers gold

A glittering golden cane, you threw, my dwelling

The mad devourer of everything in a vessel

Born with the dark, O MurugOne!

Brilliant!

At this point, instead of saying "Murugan" Arunagiri addresses as "MurugOne"

Why?

To get the rhyme right...

You fool! You cow!

Is it merely for the rhyme?

That's right Swami

That's why he stresses on 'O' to end in KathiOne,MurugOne

MurugOne and MuthalOne

I'll thrash you and kill you, you donkey!

Arunagiri wouldn't sing without meaning, just to rhyme

Murugu means beauty KOne means king

Arunagiri sings of Lord Murugan as 'king of beauty'

That's it Do you understand?

You're finding fault with Arunagirinathar haimself

In ' Born with the dark',

What does 'dark' mean?

'Dark' refers to 'elephant' which means Ganrsha

Arunagiri says that Murugan was born as brother to Ganesha

Hey, do any of you know why?

Dark refers to the night Arunagiri says, 'Beyond night is the light Murugan'

Just as the sun comes after the dark

After the dark son Ganesha, the fair Murugan was born, he says

Hey you fools!

Don't read your lessons mindlessly

Beneath each word, a thousand meaning lie buried

Bring it out and relish it, you guys

Don't skim the surface like a herd of cows

For your voice and form, you should have become a great hero

Then, why did you become just a master?

It's a love story, brimming with tears, my boy

Go on and tell that nonsense

I don't know her real name I used to call her 'Rasathi'

Why?

I used to be like a Rasa (king)

She, a Thi (fire) that's why

Oh my! How he lies!

In those days, in the Madurai district, I was famous 'hero'

You were 'infamous' , right then?

-Hey! -Let him speak, man

Go ahead

In those days, donning the role of the hero

If I stand tall on the stage...

It will be doomed!

-Look at him -Why?

-Alright... -You go on

From a toothless granny to an unborn baby, all would look at me, mouths open

How will an unborn child look with mouth open?

Kali, how can you?

you are sloshed You leave

-Go on, tell - I won't

Look at me and tell me

Rasathi said that she wanted to see me act

One day, I brought her and made her sit, right before the stage

Just because she was sitting

I raised my voice three pitches high and sang