Poet Vairamuthu was once asked which of his songs he thinks has best been picturised. One of the three songs that he mentioned was “Uyire Uyire” from the film “Bombay“, to my surprise. I listened round-eyed to his reply, as I wasn’t, truth be told, attentive to that song thitherto. Although, my fortune smiled upon me, as I had a smartphone even then. And I could play the song’s video in no time. Here, in this article, my hand is going to beget what my heart did behold.
THE FORT I WISH TO VISIT
Have you ever been to Bekal Fort, or have you at least heard about it? I neither have gone there yet nor have I known about it. But only now did I come to know that was where this song was shot. This largest fort of Kerala is located in a district called ‘Kasargod‘. A single google search of its image will leave you awed, showing all those mossy spots used in this soulful song.
AN UNANSWERED QUESTION
It’s time to scrutinise the song’s nuances. But before doing that, let’s, as always, delve deep into the circumstances. A man asks his lady-love if he can expect her to appear for him the day after, to which he doesn’t even get an exact answer. Yet, he waits for his beloved as promised, not knowing if she will reach the rendezvous. That is when the song does begin.
THE SEA, A TREE AND STILL MANY THINGS
At the song’s outset, we are shown the forlorn man, who awaits amidst strong waves to meet his beloved woman. You may ask why the waves are that intense. It is just to show us that the man is so tense. And then, we are shown a single tree. If we look at this perennial from the man’s angle, it is only used to symbolise his loneliness.
From there, the scene soon moves on to the waves once again. The long, narrow road shown after then represents that the man has endured a long wait. And those moist, mossy walls communicate the couple’s hearts to us as stated by the poet.
THE CASUALTIES DRESSED IN CASUALS
The hero and the heroine are casually dressed in blue in this song. Furthermore, it is evident to everyone that this colour has been used as the dominant one. It is because blue does symbolise peace and innocence. Of course, we all know well that the young couple is in an interfaith love. Only to suit this situation has this soothing colour been chosen.
And yes, this hue is also used in sad songs most often. Can you remember the romantic Tamil film “Kandukondain Kandukondain” directed by Rajiv Menon? In that film, too, he has employed the same technique. Yes, in the sad song “Engae Enathu Kavithai“, the actress is beautifully bedecked in blue. (Apart from this, we can also see a similarity in these two songs’ lyrics. I will surely try to discuss them in any of my upcoming articles.)
WHY WAS HE WORRIED?
This eponymous part is the best that I have saved till this last. It is said that the souls of every two lovers are adjoined. This sad love song seems to prove this point. At the very second, the man sings, “That is why I was worried”, the lady hurts herself, hitting all her posterior parts on a stone wall harshly. I don’t think this scene is easily noticeable. Still, for me, it is so exceptional because this is where the picturisation is at its peak.
“உன் கண்ணில் நீர் வழிந்தால் என் நெஞ்சில் உதிரம் கொட்டுதடி”
The above verse has been extracted from a famous poem of Bharati’s. And I feel that the aforementioned scene, where the lady exudes unease when her man worries, is just a lachrymose recreation of this remarkable line, where the man bleeds while glimpsing his lady cries.
CONCLUSION
Before the beginning of the song’s second stanza, the lady runs to reach her man’s hands. By the time she runs towards him, her outer garment is seized from her. Even so, she never seems to mind then, for her only aim is to be with him. This scene alone has given us an excellent lesson that the storm of love can’t stop blowing for any reason. Thanks to director Rajiv Menon, the cinematographer of this soulful song! Indeed, by his splendid picturisation, he reminds everyone that humans’ hearts can’t be controlled by so-called social stratification.
