A recent YouTube video that has about six million views is something called “Benny Lava”. Some bright spark got hold of a Tamil* song and "translated" it according to what he thought the words sounded like in English. If you don't know Tamil and have a particularly twisted sense of humor, you'll love it. If you do know the language, like I do (intimately), then you'll know that quite a few Tamil songs are funny without the English-ization. I've picked and translated three of the ones I remember fondly from the nineties.
The first one that came to mind when I was thinking about this was “Ottagatha Kattiko”, which literally translates to “hug the camel”. Imagine you're an extra- imaginative Tamil movie director shooting a love song sequence in some Indian desert... makes perfect sense now, doesn't it?
Ottagatha kattikko
Hug the camel
Gettiyaga ottiko
Hold on tightly!
Vatta vatta pottukaari
Woman wearing a round round pottu!!**
Well, that's pretty standard fare, actually. A few completely insane lines amid some decent poetic verses and you've got your basic dance sequence. But the Indian film industry has a few more tricks up its sleeves…
In this case, context is important. To my constant amazement (and hilarity), Kollywood * ** insists on casting as heroes rotund actors whose looks and charm can be accurately described in mathematical negatives. But the movie Duet decides to take the bull by its horns with Kathirikkai . And what a job it does of it, too:
England poagum bothu
When going to England (a master touch of sophistication here…)
Aeroplane aerum bothu
When getting on the airplane
Ticket rendu vaanga solli
“Buy two tickets”
Notice vanduchaam
Said the notice for him.
There are lots of English words, so common an occurrence by then that I'm sure half the rural population of India learned the language through Tamil songs. And the notice seems to be a pretty accurate prediction about those who're forced to buy two plane tickets to accommodate themselves...
It's not the only instance of prophesying in Tamil songs, either. One of my top favorite funny Tamil songs, Urvasi , does as good a job:
Photo Source
The poster for the hit movie Kadhalan (Lover) , which included the song Urvasi.
Oorvasi, Oorvasi,
(A random girl's name)
Take it easy, Oorvasi
(…self-explanatory)
Oosi poala odambiruntha
If you have a body like a needle
Thevai illa pharmacy
There is no need for a pharmacy! (I'm sure this is diet pills we're talking about here…)
Continuing in the happy-go-lucky vein,
Oliyum oliyil current pona
If the electricity gets cut (a sometimes daily occurrence in Tamil Nadu)
Take it easy policy
Ozhunga padichum failappona
If you study hard, and still fail (cricket and/or education and/or movie stars appear to figure often in Tamilians' prayers)
Take it easy policy
Figurigal yaarum illaamal
Without any figures (slang for pretty girls, the main preoccupation of college boys)
Vaguppugal irundhum enna payan
What's the point in going for classes?
Growing up in Singapore, I l earned a lot about the typical Indian male youth from Urvasi.
I'm sure there are equally, if not more, funny songs in the history of Tamil music, but these are a few that stuck in my mind (and were big hits in the 90's).
YouTube, incidentally, has the videos for the songs – the dance moves are excellent entertainment.
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