Puthiya vanam song with English lyrics, film Anbe Vaa

The song 'Puthiya vaanam' (புதிய வானம் - The sky is new) from the movie Anbe Vaa (அன்பே வா - Come, My Love - Tamil - 1966) was one of the most popular of MGR’s (M.G. Ramachandran) idealist songs. The movie was based on the story of the Hollywood film 'Come September', 1961. It was a resounding commercial success and “attained cult status in Tamil cinema”.

The hero, arrives in Shimla (the capital of Himachal Pradesh) for a vacation and proceeds to his bungalow enjoying the sights and sounds on the way. He sees a new sky and Earth and the world awakening to a new Sun. He sings that nobody questioned about one’s nationality or discriminated based on caste there. Human beings there were pursuing the path of Love, worshipped Nature and showed in life that the mind is as high as the mountain peaks.

Even though the lyrics keep rhyming about snowfall and shower of flowers they are not seen in any of the scenes of the song and yet MGR’s acting talent made the audience forget that.

MGR’s film career spanned four decades from 1936 to 1978 that started when he was 18. A charismatic and generous person, he became a popular political leader in a party. Five years after the party won the elections and began ruling Tamil Nadu, he quit alleging corruption, in 1972. Given the title ‘Revolutionary Leader’ by his followers, he then launched his own party which won the elections to the Assembly of Tamil Nadu thrice consecutively and thus he was the first actor to become a Chief Minister of a state in India (1977 - 87, Tamil Nadu). MGR was awarded the Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian honour, posthumously, in 1988.

The song were written by Vaali to music set by M.S. Vishwanathan and sung by TM Soundarajan. My English translation of the lyrics are displayed on the video.

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