MGR’s film song on Kashmir resounds in Rajya Sabha

On Wednesday, MPs tuned into AIADMK MP A Navaneethakrishnan, who broke into a famous song from the MGR-starrer Idaya Veenai during the day’s business of debate on Kashmir. Navaneethakrishnan began his speech not with words, but with the Kashmir, beautiful Kashmir song. The lines piqued the interest of the Speaker of the House, who encouraged him to render the entire song. Navaneethakrishnan promptly belted out the song, “Kashmir beautiful Kashmir, Kashmir wonderful Kashmir. it’s a paradise on earth, So worth a visit.” 

The lyrics also have words from other languages, Rendi banni jeyaatthi aashon, which were not lost on the audience.  Rajya Sabha was debating on Kashmir, when the valley recently witnessed unrest and curfew for over a month now, and Navaneethakrishnan’s song sent MPs on a trip down memory lane when Kashmir was on everyone’s bucket list of must-see places. Idaya Veenai was directed by the duo of Krishnan-Panchu. Panchu Arunachalam passed away Tuesday morning at his residence in T Nagar. 

Navaneethakrishnan went on to inform the Upper House of the link between Tamil cinema and Kashmir, recalling how a number of Tamil films were shot in scenic Kashmir. He also informed the House of a common practice among Tamilians, of feeding saffron from Kashmir to pregnant women, in the hopes of begetting a fair and beautiful child. The nexus between politics and cinema has been a major topic of engagement among political analysts and politicians. Navaneethakrishnan has only re-invented the wheel. Earlier this week, the Tamil Nadu Assembly also turned into an impromptu musical forum, when ministers broke into songs from MGR-Jayalalithaa films.

The House was witness to an antakshari of sorts on August 8 as political rivals the ruling AIADMK and main opposition party DMK engaged in a ruckus-free and elaborate debate on who’s leader had penned or rather played (in movies) with “thoughtful” lyrics in the bygone days. They did it by humming old numbers during the budget debate. 

AIADMK MLA Rathinasabapathi had got the antakshari going when he recited a song from MGR-Jayalalithaa starrer Oli Vilakku (1968) and said their leader Jayalalithaa had envisioned the need for free rice 48 years ago. So long was his recital that it left many in the treasury benches in splits and a few in the Opposition smirking.