The Golden Era of Dr.IR and Dr.SPB

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#248 தண்ணி தவிக்குது தண்ணி தவிக்குது வண்ணக்கிளி
(தாய்க்கு ஒரு தாலாட்டு , 1986 , ஜானகியுடன்)

Another SPB song from a NT movie and I don't know who does the udhattasaivu for this on-screen. Possibly for some son kind of character as it's difficult to imagine NT (of 1986) dancing around for this song. A beatsy themmAngu that's completely in the rAsA domain (and the structure possibly got reused a few times later on as well).

This album was quite famous for two reasons :
1. Raja did a full-fledged remix of a MSV-TKR number from pudhiya paRavai. ('unnai onRu kEtpEn uNmai solla vENdum' has become 'pazhaya pAdal pOla puthiya pAdal illai'). Though he had used portions of older songs in medley kind of format earlier, there was never a total repeat of a single old song like this IIRC.
2. TMS singing again for IR, after some gap (Those who frequently term IR as an arrogant man please take note). Interestingly, the original unnai onRu kEtpEn was a PS solo but the remix was a duet.

The other interesting thing about this movie was the import of Balachandra Menon from MF to direct. He was quite popular in MF during early-80's (TN magazines used to call him Kerala's Bagyaraj) and was the first hero / director for Shobana (April 18). With MF having its golden age during 80's, every other field was looking at them with admiration & awe. Only a year before, TF had that awesome Fazil movie 'poovE poochchooda vA' that was nothing like what the viewers got as their regular dose and became a huge hit!

There was thirst for more from the arabikkadal theerangaL. So, Balachandra menon got imported to direct Sivaji (name pronounced as "BalEndra" menon , MGR is known as MG RamEndran in Kerala as they have the habit of swallowing "ch" when it comes in the middle. OTOH, they pronounce "Ch" very clearly in the names such as Chandrika, Chandran etc...BTW, I always remember Chandrika soap very favorably, not for the soappu but the family that owned the company...a young couple from that family helped me reack KG in their Maruthi after I spent > 30 min lying on highway a few years later - with mARu kAl mARu kai heavily fractured in a hero honda -truck collision, desparate & slowly losing hope)...

I don't think TOT was a runaway hit like PPV. Possibly a moderate success (again we need encyclopaedia Murali sir's help). The songs were moderately popular and almost 100% of my listens were either on buses or teakkadais around the Cbe region. ArArirO pAdiyathArO thoongippOnadhArO is such a sweet KJY gem. 'kAdhalA-kAdhalA' is an interesting IR-KSC duet as well).