Why This Kolaveri Di, Kolaveri Di
Why this Kolaveri, Di? Why this murderous rage, girl?” I am in love with this song and sing along whenever I hear it on the radio. Did you know this plays on 95 F M? Why this Kolaveri Di has found a spot on this English songs channel on the radio, unheard of, right? A Tamil-English song on English song list!
Why this Kolaveri Di by Dhanush
It’s a light-hearted fun song about failure in Love. Tamil movie star Dhanush has penned and sung this song. As Dhanush says, “It’s a song fit only for bathroom singers. Its simplistic and rustic beats make it more appealing and catchy to the commoner. Heartbreak is a phenomenon almost everyone can relate to.” The song is written in Tanglish (a mixture of Tamil and English). The lyrics portray the feelings of an average Indian boy who has failed in love or who has some problems with his girl.
Youth today love trendy topics and catchy tunes, a lethal combination. The song passes off as an English song though it is sung in a Tamil accent. People who don’t know the lingo also can understand this song. I don’t know the Tamil language but I love this song because of the laid-back, charming and fun way it has been sung. Language is no barrier here and it actually bonds people who speak different languages. The young generation relates to the concept of making fun of themselves or of their friends: “Har friend Zaroori hota hai, yar.”
I want to remain imperfect to be completely happy ~ Lucks
There are many who love the quirky lyrics and are enjoying listening to and sharing this song with their friends, while another section of people hate this song and feel that it is not in good taste, because of the Tamil-English mix in the song.
Why does Quirky sell? What makes people go gaga over something not run of the mill, something outside the box? Is it because it’s not perfect, and we all know none of us are. Can we relate to the song better because of its eccentric nature? Like the Japanese define Wabi Sabi in the art books as “Flawed Beauty”.
How do we define perfection? What constitutes a perfect being or entity? There is a kind of beauty in imperfection, as noted by Conrad Hall. When I hear people talking about this song and I myself hum it while cooking or writing, I pause to think: why do I like this song? What attracts me to this Tanglish number which makes very little sense? And the answer is glaringly obvious – it’s different. Sometime back there was an advertisement for a famous ketchup brand, and the tagline was, “It’s Different.” People like different, they like something out of the ordinary, unique content, idea, out of the box-thinking.
Kolaveri’s charm – its imperfection
Had this been the average, run of the mill kind of song, it wouldn’t have captured the audience’s attention. It is memorable because of its one-of-it’s-kind style. And the fact that the singer is making fun of himself adds to the charm. No one likes a wise guy who makes fun of others, but if the subject of ridicule is the doer himself, people accept him and also empathize with him. We are a silly, sentimental bunch with our emotions guiding our thinking most of the time. That’s the reason why advertisers play on our emotions and trick us into believing their tall claims and making a profit in the process.
I wouldn’t be happy if I were perfect; what would I do with my quirkiness then? ~ Lucks
Sometimes a little bit of imperfection is a good thing too. Let me share an incident with you, I was about 16 years old and studying in high school. From a very early age I had been disappointed with the shape of my nose, I had always hated the way my nose turned up at the end as if it was sniffing the air for the weather. I had vowed to get it fixed when I was able to afford cosmetic surgery. It was my much-awaited dream and goal. Imagine my surprise when during the auditioning for the role of The Statue of Liberty, I was picked up to be the coveted Statue.
The prettiest girl in school, let’s call her Barbie, had walked up to the teacher in charge and demanded an explanation for her poor choice; the teacher’s reply had stunned me. She had turned around and spoken directly to the prom queen, sic, “She has the perfect face for it”. Barbie had then pointed out that my nose was not straight and fine like hers, to which the teacher had retorted, “Exactly, that’s what makes her perfect for the role of Statue of Liberty”. I never thought of changing anything on my face ever, I grew to love my nose after that day.
Coming back to the song which prompted this post, I think we all should be who we are, and do what we do best without worrying about what others will say and think. If we enjoy creating something it is surely going to be appreciated, if not by all then by a few who can see it for what it is. I think that creative people are not average people; they possess extraordinary talents which make them stand apart from us normal mortals. The spark of eccentricity is essential to illuminate the path untried and less trodden.
An imperfect leap is better than a perfect stillness~ Lucks
Sulekha aka Lucks
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15 Comments
We can grow stronger from our imperfections 🙂
Like you, I wouldn’t want to be perfect, I love being clueless, goofy, bubbly, clumsy, creative self with all the imperfections that come along with it. But at the same time we are perfect for many things like your role as the Statue of Liberty.
Great post Lucks!!
I love imperfection, Sulekha. Have you noticed that people who are perfect are difficult to live with? 😉
Who wants be perfect. Perfect is boring. Thank you for sharing this video. Ron has been telling me about this song but I didn’t get the chance to listen to it till now
Oh you know Sulekha, a friend sent me this video three weeks ago and told me it was a sensation 😉 I googled it but have not totally grasped its meaning. Thanks for telling me what it is about through your post 🙂
On songs~ as a musician, I think songs that we can hum or sing just by listening are good hits because they are very catchy. Tunes are important as well as rhythm.
When I first heard this, taking it as an Indian beat ~ I thought it was a bit erotic, something that I’d like to use for belly dancing LOL…then the lyrics and the way he sung it made me laugh ;)For me, it was a good combination.
While I truly dislike some of our very own songs for their ‘cheap’ words, I think the intent for such songs are also to be considered. If one uses it as a way of self-expression, then it could be acceptable (not always though).
On imperfection, I agree, it’s what makes us unique. While we call it as such, it is actually a blessing on our part.
I truly love your sharing 🙂 Thanks…btw, I love the whole of you :*
Ditto to Viki’s comment. Liked the post but not the song. Maybe its quirky but there’s something about that song which irks me.
Joy always,
Susan
@Janaki, I know, the celebrities have started this trend of trying to look perfect 🙂 Thank you.
@Manisha, The feeling is mutual, I love your write ups too. Thanks for appreciating my article and leaving such a lovely comment.
@Portia, acceptance of reality makes life much easier to live and enjoy. I know the song must have been difficult to understand but the fun way he has sung it is evident from the video. I liked his relaxed style of singing.Thank you for visiting chatty divas and commenting.
My dear Mitr, I am thinking of calling “our publisher” today with the idea of a book of quotations by Lucks – we would then be rich in our imperfection and I would share the fruits of your quirkiness! There are many a story in which the perfect has had to give way to the imperfect just because perfect was not as perfect as imperfect :). I know that the last sentence will make sense to you. What after all the practice you have had with a certain someone…
@Viki, ‘There is a kind of beauty in imperfection’, glad you liked the article,thank you.
Wonderful post. Cosmetic surgery has become so common these days, every one wants to be Diva.
“I think that creative people are not average people; they possess extraordinary talents which make them stand apart from us normal mortals. The spark of eccentricity is essential to illuminate the path untried and less trodden.”- Loved this as this soo true!
I love your write-ups sulekha coz they exhibit so much positivity!
Lovely read!
Dear Sulekha,
I couldn’t fathom much about that song but liked to read about your own incident. Perfection or imperfection – what matters is acceptance of the reality. You have put it in a very nice way.
-Portia
Enjoyed reading this article though I don’t like the song. Imperfections are not always a bad thing.