Kaapi and Mohanam — Two Dimensions of Emotion in Ilaiyaraaja’s Music

🎶 Kaapi and Mohanam — Two Dimensions of Emotion in Ilaiyaraaja’s Music 🎶

---

Prelude

Tamil cinema has long drawn from the Carnatic idiom, but none embraced and redefined it like Ilaiyaraaja — a composer who built bridges between folk soil and symphonic sky. Often hailed as the Music Messiah, Raaja internalised classical grammar and rendered it accessible without compromise. He turned ragas into emotional landscapes and made silence a structural element of sound.

To experience Raaja is to witness a form of emotional engineering — precision and feeling coexisting in seamless unity. Every song becomes architecture: melody as foundation, rhythm as geometry, and harmony as breath. In this essay we traverse two of his recurring ragas — Kaapi and Mohanam — mirrors of two moods, dusk and dawn.

To call him a Music Messiah is not a gesture of fan adoration — it is a recognition of what he has done for sound itself. Ilaiyaraaja did not merely compose songs; he liberated music from the narrow corridors of form and function. He gave melody a conscience, rhythm a pulse, and harmony a direction. In the landscape of South Indian cinema, he became both scientist and sage — the one who measured silence, moulded emotion, and made an entire generation rediscover listening as a sacred act. His music did not entertain alone — it awakened.

---

🎵 Kaapi — The Scent of Memory

🌺 Kanne Kalaimane — Moondram Pirai (1982)

Music: Ilaiyaraaja | Lyrics: Kannadasan | Singer: K. J. Yesudas | Rāgam: Kaapi

This song is Kaapi distilled to its emotional core. Ilaiyaraaja uses only three primary swaras, creating vast emotional resonance with minimalist phrasing. A delicate hint of Nātabhairavi shadows the melody, giving it earthy warmth. Kannadasan’s final lyrical offering becomes a farewell in sound — tender, resigned, timeless.

“Where words end, Kaapi begins — whispering of love, distance, and quiet grace.”

---

🎧 Yae Paadal Ondru (also known as Hey Paadal Ondru) — Priya (1978)

Music: Ilaiyaraaja | Lyrics: Kannadasan | Singers: K. J. Yesudas & S. Janaki | Rāgam: Kaapi

Trivia: First Stereo 8-Track recording in South Indian cinema.

If “Kanne Kalaimane” is introspection, “Yae Paadal Ondru” is luminous romance. The warmth of Yesudas and Janaki’s voices makes Kaapi glow with human tenderness. This was the first South Indian song recorded in stereo 8-track, signalling Raaja’s technical vision as much as his melodic mastery.

---

🪶 Sangathil Paadatha Kavithai — Auto Raja (1982)

Music: Ilaiyaraaja (single song) | Main Composer: Shankar–Ganesh | Rāgam: Kaapi

🪶 Sangathil Paadatha Kavithai — Auto Raja (1982)

Music: Ilaiyaraaja (single song) | Main Composer: Shankar–Ganesh | Rāgam: Kaapi

Officially scored by Shankar–Ganesh, this lone Ilaiyaraaja composition eclipsed the rest of the soundtrack. Built entirely on Kaapi using just three notes — no others were used — the song demonstrates Raaja’s extraordinary musical genius. The tune moves effortlessly between folk simplicity and classical gravity, yet its melodic economy creates immense emotional depth. Its success was so overwhelming that many believed he had scored the entire film. Few composers could make a single song define a film’s identity — Raaja did it effortlessly.

---

🌼 Mohanam — The Light Within

🌼 Naan Oru Ponnoviyam Kanden — Kannil Theriyum Kathaigal (1980)

Music: Ilaiyaraaja (single song) | Rāgam: Mohanam

In a soundtrack where each song had a different composer, this Mohanam stood out for its sheer serenity. The raga’s five-note purity reflects joy without ornament. Raaja paints with light — his orchestration airy, his melody crystalline.

Rāga structure: S R₂ G₃ P D₂ S :: S D₂ P G₃ R₂ S — the pentatonic signature of Mohanam, absent of Ma and Ni, giving it transparency and openness.

---

💞 Oru Kadhal Enbathu — Chinna Thambi Periya Thambi (1987)

Music: Ilaiyaraaja (single song) | Main Composer: Gangai Amaran | Rāgam: Mohanam

A sibling synergy — Gangai Amaran helmed the score, but Ilaiyaraaja’s single Mohanam track became a sensation. Bright and youthful, it radiates simplicity woven with orchestral shimmer. Even when contributing one song, Raaja stamped an unmistakable melodic identity.

---

🔥 Ninnukori Varnam — Agni Natchathiram (1988)

Music: Ilaiyaraaja | Singer: K. S. Chithra | Rāgam: Mohanam | Tālam: Ādi

A classical varnam reborn in symphonic fire. Ilaiyaraaja transforms Ninnukori — originally a pedagogic piece — into rhythmic theatre, blending electric bass, counter-melody, and harmonic layering. The Mohanam stays untouched in soul, yet its body is modern, cinematic, alive.

---

🎻 Ninnukori Varnam — Carnatic Original

Composer: Ramanathapuram Srinivasa Iyengar | Rāgam: Mohanam | Tālam: Ādi

Notable Renditions: Maharajapuram Santhanam, Jon B. Higgins (Bagavathar)

A pillar of Carnatic learning, this varnam is a study in balance — melody and rhythm in equal measure. Ādi Tālam (eight beats) lends its circular rhythm. Among its interpreters, Jon B. Higgins’s rendition remains legendary for tonal purity and meditative flow, remembered even after its online disappearance.

---

🌿 Coda — The Dual Spirit

Between Kaapi and Mohanam unfolds a dialogue of human emotion. Kaapi, with its yearning curve, mirrors dusk — reflective, soulful. Mohanam, radiant and open, embodies morning light. Ilaiyaraaja bridges them through orchestration, turning raga into character and emotion into story.

“In Raaja’s world, a raga is not notation — it is emotion finding its own grammar.”

---

✨ Closing Thoughts

From the quiet breath of Kanne Kalaimane to the exuberant pulse of Ninnukori Varnam, Ilaiyaraaja proves that ragas are not ancient relics but living beings. His Kaapi whispers memory; his Mohanam sings illumination. Together they complete a circle — silence and sound, shadow and sunlight.

— Dhinakar Rajaram

© 2026 Dhinakar Rajaram. All rights reserved. The concept, textual content, and images in this blog are original creations by the author. Videos embedded from third-party platforms remain the property of their respective copyright holders and are used solely for educational, reference, and illustrative purposes. Unauthorised reproduction or redistribution of any original content without prior written consent is strictly prohibited.

#KaapiRagam #MohanamRagam #IlaiyaraajaMagic #TamilFilmMusic #CarnaticCinema #MusicAnalysis #RagaExploration #KanneKalaimane #NinnukoriVarnam #SouthIndianClassics #FilmMusicDeepDive #DhinakarRajaram

Two Vasanthams — Two Ragas, One Emotion

Ilaiyaraaja’s oeuvre represents the seamless convergence of classical rigour and emotive storytelling. His approach to raga is not merely technical but deeply human — each raga is a living entity, resonating with emotion and spiritual expression. Among his most captivating creations are two compositions sharing the suffix Vasantham, yet arising from entirely distinct melodic and emotional worlds: Mallika Vasantham and Kalyana Vasantham.

Though each raga has a unique parentage, scale, and personality, both evoke the subtle emotional hue known in Tamil as sōgam — a restrained, tender melancholy that lingers in the listener’s mind. Through these two compositions, Ilaiyaraaja demonstrates how ragas with disparate tonal structures can converge to produce a shared emotional resonance.

I. Mallika Vasantham – The Unheard Beauty

Film: Nyaya Geddithu (Kannada)
Song: Saavira Janumadhalu
Ragam: Mallika Vasantham — S G₃ M₁ P N₃ S | S N₃ D₁ P M₁ G₃ R₁ S
Parent Raga: Mayamalavagowla
Thalam: Chatushra Eka Talam
Singers: S. Janaki, S. P. Balasubrahmanyam
Actors: Roopa, Kannada Prabhakar
Music: Ilaiyaraaja

This composition is unique — the only song ever composed in Mallika Vasantham for cinema. Its raga, devised by Ilaiyaraaja, has never been used before or after in any film music. The scale, while rooted in Mayamalavagowla, exhibits traces of Kedaram and Shankarabharanam in both the arohanam and avarohanam, lending it subtle shades of classical depth.

Arohanam and Avarohanam

Arohanam: S G₃ M₁ P N₃ S
Avarohanam: S N₃ D₁ P M₁ G₃ R₁ S

The omission of R₁ in the ascent creates an airy, open progression, while its inclusion in the descent restores emotional grounding. This duality produces an internal tension — a yearning quality that moves effortlessly between luminous ascent and introspective descent.

Characteristic Phrases (Prayogas)

• G₃ M₁ P–N₃ S — signature ascent evoking longing.
• S N₃ D₁ P M₁ — descending sigh reflecting gentle melancholy.
• P M₁ G₃ R₁ S — concluding phrases establishing repose and serenity.

Ilaiyaraaja’s treatment ensures smooth, continuous transitions; the song’s voice and orchestration glide between notes, producing a contemplative effect rather than overt dramatics.

Composition Analysis: Saavira Janumadhalu

The song embodies brother–sister affection, expressed through musical devotion rather than overt sentimentality. The opening prelude — S–N–D–P–M–G–R — declares the avarohanam before the rhythm enters, reflecting a reflective rather than declarative approach. The Chatushra Eka Talam lends a lilting cyclic motion, complementing the dialogue between S. P. Balasubrahmanyam’s grounded voice and S. Janaki’s tremulous timbre.

The orchestration — soft flutes outlining swara contours and muted strings sustaining harmonies — emphasises the emotional depth. Certain chordal choices lend fleeting shades reminiscent of Punnagavarali, which is why casual listeners sometimes confuse the raga, though its grammar is distinctly Mallika Vasantham.

Cultural Resonance: Nāga Panchami in Karnataka

In Karnataka, Saavira Janumadhalu is often played during Nāga Panchami, a festival celebrating familial protection and sibling bonds. Sisters pray for their brothers’ longevity and prosperity, offering milk or ghee on their backs, while worshipping serpent idols or anthills (putthu) as symbols of divine guardianship. Traditional foods such as Pooran Poli are prepared, and simple folk games are part of the day. In this context, the song functions as a melodic archana, reflecting prayer, protection, and familial love.

II. Kalyana Vasantham – Emotion Within Serenity

Parent Raga: Harikambhoji (28th Melakarta)
Arohanam: S G₂ M₁ D₂ N₂ S
Avarohanam: S N₂ D₂ M₁ G₂ S
Type: Audava–Audava (Pentatonic)

Kalyana Vasantham is capable of expressing both joy and subdued sorrow, depending on how Ilaiyaraaja phrases the swaras. Its open pentatonic structure omits R and P, allowing the raga to convey radiance or emotional depth.

1. Gnaan Gnaan Paadanum – Poonthalir

Singer: Jency Anthony
Mood: Joyous, radiant, pure

The song employs Kalyana Vasantham as a luminous melodic framework. Key phrases — G₂ M₁ D₂ N₂ S and S N₂ D₂ M₁ G₂ — unfold gently, with occasional touches of Srothaswini to add sparkle. Strings, bells, and soft pads highlight the raga’s purity, while the vocals embody innocence and devotional warmth.

2. Nenjil Ulla – Rishi Moolam

Singer: P. Jayachandran
Mood: Subtle sorrow, emotional outburst restrained within serenity

Here, the same raga expresses introspection and latent melancholy. Ilaiyaraaja elongates M₁–D₂–N₂ phrases, creating emotional suspension and release. The orchestration — sustained cellos and muted violins — supports this subtle sōgam, while the vocal delivery conveys a restrained, internalised emotional outpouring.

III. Comparative Reflection – Two Paths, One Emotion

Aspect	Mallika Vasantham	Kalyana Vasantham
Parent Raga	Mayamalavagowla	Harikambhoji
Type	Sampoorna (7 swaras)	Audava–Audava (5 swaras)
Mood	Devotional tenderness, sibling affection	Joy (Poonthalir), restrained sorrow (Rishi Moolam)
Key Prayogas	G₃ M₁ P–N₃ S / S N₃ D₁ P M₁	G₂ M₁ D₂ N₂ S / S N₂ D₂ M₁ G₂
Emotional Centre	Familial love, prayer, purity	Inner emotional spectrum — joy and spiritual reflection
Orchestral Colour	Veena, flute, muted strings	Strings, cello, soft choral textures

Though structurally distinct, both ragas share a common emotional thread: inward reflection, devotion, and the subtle sōgam of restrained feeling. Ilaiyaraaja’s genius lies in this ability to adapt raga grammar for cinematic emotional landscapes, allowing joy, love, or sorrow to emerge from the same melodic material.

IV. Conclusion

In Saavira Janumadhalu, love is sanctified through devotion and sibling affection. In Nenjil Ulla, emotion is cathartic yet inward. In Gnaan Gnaan Paadanum, joy shines luminously. These two Vasanthams exemplify Ilaiyaraaja’s mastery — the art of translating raga into the human emotional spectrum. They are reflections rather than siblings, two distinct manifestations of the same poetic spirit.

References & Further Reading

• தமிழ் விக்கிப்பீடியா – மல்லிகா வசந்தம்
• Wikipedia – Kalyanavasantam

#Ilaiyaraaja #MallikaVasantham #KalyanaVasantham #CarnaticRagas #FilmMusicAnalysis #SowgamRaga #IndianFilmMusic #RagaAnalysis #Musicology #ClassicalFusion #BrotherSisterLove #NagaPanchami #MelodicGenius #FilmSongRagas

© 2026 Dhinakar Rajaram. All rights reserved. Content and analysis original to the author. Embeds and references used for educational purposes only.

From Nalanda to NASA: Bharat’s Leap from Past Glory to Future Power

 

From Nalanda to NASA: Bharat’s Leap from Past Glory to Future Power

A meditation on Bharat’s timeless intellect — her journey from inherited grandeur to engineered greatness, where civilisational memory meets scientific modernity.

---

Make India Great Again: Bharat’s Rendezvous with Destiny

“Make India Great Again.” To some ears it may sound like a slogan borrowed from foreign political theatre. But in the Indian context, it is not a hollow catchphrase. It is a civilisational summons. For Bharat, greatness is no novelty to be engineered afresh; it is a patrimony to be reclaimed, recalibrated, and rendered relevant to the twenty-first century.

Our forebears gave the world the concept of zero, the rhythms of yoga, the curatives of Ayurveda, and philosophies that married reason with reverence. Colonisation, however, truncated this trajectory, leaving behind poverty and a fractured self-confidence.

Today, as Bharat strides into her Amrit Kaal, the time has come to blend ancient grandeur with modern vigour — to convert slogan into strategy, aspiration into arithmetic.

---

The Engines Already Whirring: Current Achievements

It would be churlish to deny that parts of the MIGA process are already in motion:

• Economic Expansion: India has emerged currently as the world’s forth-largest economy and consistently the fastest-growing among major world economies.

• Digital Alchemy: Aadhaar and UPI have wrought what the French call a coup de maître — turning even the humblest villager into a participant of the digital economy.

• Spacefaring Prestige: ISRO’s Chandrayaan-3 touched the lunar south pole; Mangalyaan circled Mars at a fraction of Western costs — proof that thrift and triumph are not mutually exclusive.

• Start-up Surge: With the world’s third-largest start-up ecosystem, India births unicorns at a pace that suggests entrepreneurial élan, not merely enterprise.

• Democratic Depth: Despite cacophony and contestation, 600 million citizens cast ballots in the largest democratic spectacle on earth — res publica in its truest sense.

These are no trifles. They show that Bharat’s engines of greatness are idling, awaiting acceleration.

---

The Lacunae: Where We Falter

Yet plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose — the more things change, the more they remain the same. Progress coexists with persistent gaps:

• Education as Quantity sans Quality: Enrolments soar but critical thinking and creativity languish.

• Research Deficit: At a paltry 0.7% of GDP, India’s research spending is anemic. By comparison, Israel devotes over 5%, South Korea over 4%. Res ipsa loquitur.

• Inequities Abound: Urban–rural divides, gender gaps, caste cleavages remain stubbornly unresolved.

• Bureaucratic Drag: Noble schemes often perish in red tape, delayed funds, or indifferent implementation.

• Environmental Neglect: Rivers run sullied, air is scarcely breathable, forests shrink. Without ecological dharma, greatness is but a chimera.

---

The Metrics of Magnitude: What MIGA Must Mean in Numbers

Greatness cannot subsist on poetry alone; it must be pegged to measurable horizons:

• GDP per Capita: Today ~US$2,700 → Target: US$12,000–18,000 by 2047 — lifting Bharat from modest to middle-high-income status.

• R&D Intensity: Today ~0.7% → Target: 2.5–3.5% — sine qua non for genuine innovation.

• Researchers per Million: Today ~260 → Target: 2,000+ — a tenfold increase to match OECD standards.

• Innovation Index: Today ranked ~38 → Target: Top 20 within two decades.

• Human Development Index: Today 0.685 → Target: ≥0.800, firmly in the “high human development” bracket.

In other words: to transform grandeur from rhetoric to reality, Bharat must invest in brains as much as in bridges, in laboratories as much as in highways.

---

Illustration: Charting Bharat’s Ascent — From Present Realities to 2047 Horizons

(A visual encapsulation of the Make India Great Again roadmap — juxtaposing India’s current developmental metrics with the aspirational benchmarks of 2047.)

 

---

The Raison d’Être: Why Bharat Must MIGA

Why must Bharat bother? Because mediocrity is an abdication of destiny.

1. Demographic Dividend: A youthful nation today; a demographic time-bomb tomorrow if jobs and skills are absent.

2. Geopolitical Gravitas: In a multipolar world, India cannot remain a mere “balancing power.” It must be a leading pole in its own right.

3. Civilisational Continuity: A people who built Nalanda and Konark cannot forever subsist on borrowed technologies.

4. Moral Responsibility: A planet in ecological peril looks to India — the land of prakriti reverence — to lead the green transition.

5. Equity at Home: True greatness lies not in Gurgaon’s glass towers but in ensuring that a farmer’s child in Gadchiroli or a weaver’s daughter in Madurai has the same chance at dignity.

Thus, MIGA is no vanity project. It is raison d’être — the reason for being.

---

A Roadmap to 2047: Phases of Renaissance

• Phase I (0–5 years): Raise R&D to 1% of GDP, double PhD slots, ensure universal broadband and reliable electricity.

• Phase II (5–15 years): R&D to 2%, researchers per million to 1,000, Global Innovation Index into the Top 30.

• Phase III (15–30 years): R&D beyond 2.5%, GDP per capita $12k–18k, HDI ≥0.800, innovation Top 20.

Ad astra per aspera — through hardships to the stars — must be our mantra.

 

 

---

 

 

Coda: The Indian Cadence

Let us not content ourselves with borrowed quips and imported dreams. Let us conclude with our own wisdom:

“யாதும் ஊரே, யாவரும் கேளிர்” - கணியன் பூங்குன்றனார். —புறநானூறு. 

"Every town is our hometown, and every person is our kinsman"- Kaṉiyan Pūngunṟanār - Purananuru, Sangam Era

If we live by that maxim, India will not merely be “great again”; she will be great anew — her lamp rekindled, her light radiating once more upon the world’s mantelpiece.

---

Hashtags

#MakeIndiaGreatAgain #MIGA #India2047 #CivilisationalRenaissance #DevelopmentWithDharma #AdAstraPerAspera #MakeinIndia #Bharat #Swadesi

Enakena Yerkanave: A Technical Dissection of Rāga, Sthāyi, and Sonic Craft in a Tamil Cine-Classic

 

“Charting the Musical Genome of Enakena Yerkanave: A Voyage from Dharmavati to Kalyani, Through Sthāyi, Counterpoint, and Orchestral Finesse"

Tamil cinema has often borrowed from the Carnatic idiom, but seldom with the finesse one encounters in Enakena Yerkanave from Parthen Rasithen (2000). 

When I first wrote a brief note on this song in the Orkut days of 2008–2009, it had already etched itself deeply in my musical memory. Even after all these years, the composition continues to resonate—testament to Bharadwaj’s extraordinary musical sensitivity and craftsmanship. 

That year, this song stood among Tamil cinema’s finest; it ruled the FM waves and television channels, momentarily outshining even Ilaiyaraaja’s and Rahman’s releases in popular affection.

This song is not merely a romantic duet but a crafted sangīta-śilpam—a musical sculpture where rāga, sthāyi (octave), orchestration, and anubhaavam (emotional resonance) coalesce with consummate artistry.

I make no claim to formal training in music; whatever little understanding I possess has been chiselled through decades of devoted listening to Ilaiyaraaja’s creations and a measure of self-taught curiosity. What follows, therefore, is not a scholar’s dissection but a listener’s reflective and technical meditation on the architecture of this composition—an attempt to unravel how beauty takes form in sound.

Let us now step into the song’s inner sanctum, where melody breathes and emotion listens—tracing how Bharadwaj wields rāga, rhythm, and orchestration to shape its inner emotional geography.

---

1. Rāga Lakṣaṇam: Which rāgas are used?

The song pivots upon two Carnatic rāgas of distinct temperament:

• Dharmavati (59th Melakarta):
• Character: Bright yet serious, with shades of viraha (longing) and bhakti.
• Used in the male portion, establishing intensity and depth.
• Kalyani (65th Melakarta):
• Character: Majestic, luminous, suffused with karuṇā-rasa (tenderness, compassion).
• Used in the female portion, adding warmth and tenderness.

Thus, the juxtaposition of Dharmavati and Kalyani creates a dialectical musical canvas—sorrowful yearning versus radiant affection.

---

2. Sthāyi (Octaval Architecture)

• Male Voice (Unnikrishnan):
• Predominantly in mandra and madhya sthāyis (lower and middle octaves).
• Effect: Gravitas, grounded intensity, an earthy sogham.
• Female Voice (Harini):
• Predominantly in tāra sthāyi (upper octave).
• Effect: Lightness, ethereality, a cloud-like paasam.

This vertical separation enhances the emotional polarity between man and woman.

 

---

3. Interplay Between Rāga and Sthāyi

• Dharmavati + Lower Octave (Male): Conveys viraha anubhaavam—anchored passion.
• Kalyani + Higher Octave (Female): Conveys paasa-mozhi—tender affection.

The thematic symbolism: earthbound yearning (bhū-loka) versus celestial compassion (deiva-loka).

---

4. Interludes and BGM

• Strings: lush harmonic grounding.
• Flute: tender breathing spaces.
• Veena-like plucks: Carnatic undertone.
• Background Score: darker hues under male voice, luminous flourishes under female, with subtle counter-melody hints.

Bharadwaj’s orchestration allows the emotional contour of the duet to remain the focus, rather than overpowering the vocals—a delicate balance rarely achieved in film music.

---

5. Counterpoint Parallel

Though not punctus contra punctum in the Western sense, the piece evokes a counterpoint-like effect:

• Octaval layering: Male in Dharmavati (lower), female in Kalyani (higher).
• Instrumental counter-melody: Flute & strings weaving parallel strands.

Thus, Carnatic monody is enriched with polyphonic suggestion, giving listeners the impression of dialogic layering.

---

6. Cinematic Resonance

• Hero = sogham (longing, passion).
• Heroine = paasam (tenderness, romance).
• The counterpoint-like layering mirrors their push-and-pull onscreen, aligning music with narrative.

---

7. A Comparative Note: Bharadwaj vs Ilaiyaraaja

While Bharadwaj’s composition is a masterclass in raga layering, octave contrast, and orchestral subtlety, it naturally invites comparison with Ilaiyaraaja, the maestro who defined Carnatic-cinematic fusion.

• Rāga Use: Ilaiyaraaja transitions multiple ragas seamlessly; Bharadwaj’s Dharmavati ↔ Kalyani interplay is restrained and intimate.
• Octave & Voice Layering: Ilaiyaraaja often uses dense vocal overlays; Bharadwaj achieves quasi-counterpoint through male/female octave contrast.
• Interludes & BGM: Ilaiyaraaja uses orchestral climaxes, Bharadwaj uses interludes to support, not overshadow the vocals.
• Emotional Resonance: Ilaiyaraaja is macrocosmic; Bharadwaj microcosmic, tender, and personal.

In essence, Bharadwaj quietly honours Ilaiyaraaja’s tradition while asserting his own subtle, intimate aesthetic.

---

8. Why This Song Endures

• Retains Carnatic grammar in cinematic context.
• Contrasts engineered as deliberate śilpam.
• Interludes and BGM sustain mood.
• Quasi-counterpoint layering gives cross-cultural texture.
• 25 years later, still resonates as soghamum paasamum serndha anubhaavam.

---

9. A Salute to Bharadwaj

Composed in 2000, Enakena Yerkanave remains timeless. Bharadwaj’s genius lay in aesthetic engineering—male Dharmavati in lower sthāyi, female Kalyani in higher sthāyi, stitched by lush interludes and eloquent BGM.

This was not “fast-food music” but a banquet steeped in Carnatic tradition yet served on a cinematic platter. Kaalam kaatchi koduththadhu—time itself has testified to Bharadwaj’s marvel.

---

10. Appendix: Rāga Scales

• Dharmavati (59th Melakarta)
• Ārohaṇam: S R2 G2 M2 P D2 N3 S
• Avarōhaṇam: S N3 D2 P M2 G2 R2 S
• Kalyani (65th Melakarta)
• Ārohaṇam: S R2 G3 M2 P D2 N3 S
• Avarōhaṇam: S N3 D2 P M2 G3 R2 S

---

11. Appendix: Western Notation Illustration

Simplified staff notation illustrating octave placement contrast:

• Male Phrase (Dharmavati, Unnikrishnan) → Around Middle C & below (Mandra/Madhya).

Bass clef: C – D – E♭ – F# – G

 

·         *       Female Phrase (Kalyani, Harini) → Octave above Middle C (Tāra sthāyi).

Treble clef: C' – D' – E – F# – G' – A' – B' – C''

This visually demonstrates the vertical separation that produces subtle dialogic tension.

 

12. Hashtags

#EnakenaYerkanave #ParthenRasithen #Bharadwaj #TamilCinema #CarnaticMusic #Dharmavati #Kalyani #RagaAnalysis #IndianFilmMusic #Musicology #CounterpointInCinema #TamilSongsClassic #CarnaticInCinema #Unnikrishnan #Harini #25YearsOfEnakenaYerkanave #IlaiyaraajaComparison #FilmMusicAnalysis