CHENNAI: “Determination, hard work and perseverance would take aspiring youth to great heights”, Chief Minister M Karunanidhi said here on Saturday, while pointing out that his own success story and that of music maestro A R Rahman would demonstrate that it is absolutely possible for people from humble origins to touch new horizons of success.
Speaking after releasing the theme song of the World Classical Tamil Conference in CD form, Karunanidhi, who penned the lyrics for the song (music was by Rahman and video directed by Gautham Menon), said, though difficult, he had tried to picturise the over 2000- year hoary past of classical Tamil and the Tamil land including the Sangam age.
“I am aware of the difficulties in portraying the teachings of the Tamil language, the ideologies, culture and customs of the Tamil people in a single song,” he said adding he experienced a great feeling — a sense of oneness with Tamil — to which he had been wedded to all his life, while writing the song.
Showering encomium and love on Rahman, whom he described as ‘a boy of our home’ (namma veetu pillay), Karunanidhi said, young people can come up in life if they spared a thought on the success of the music ace, who had won a place in the hearts of all the people.
Spurred by hope and with a strong determination, he had come to what he is today — a leader hailed by the people — starting from a small village in Thanjavur district, Karunanidhi noted.
An audio visual treat
Beginning with a slide of Agaramuthala, the first kural by Tiruvalluvar, the 5.5 minute compact disc starts with Pirapokkum meaning ‘all are equal by birth,’ and ends with a hearty praise for classical Tamil The work brings the landmark events in the history of Tamil Nadu like the Mamallapuram and Thanjavur big temples and the Sittannavasal inscriptions in the form of an audio visual treat. The Tiruvalluvar statue in Kanyakumari too is featured prominently From the Tamil-Brahmi inscriptions and the Vatteluthu script that bear testimony to the evolution of the Tamil language to the modern Tamil computing, the work records the liveliness of Tamil and facets of Tamil life with a rich cultural background, folk dance, nagaswaram and thavil music