Happy Birthday Rajinikanth: At 72, how Thalaivar invalidated his own song Ra Ra Ramaiya from Baashha

The problem with such songs is how the preachy lyrics sometimes end up becoming a tool to criticise the same heroes who lip sync them in the films. ‘Oruvan Oruvan Mudhalaali’ lyrics goes, “Kaiyil konjam kaasu irundhaal needhaan atharuku ejamaanam. Kaluthu varaikum kaasau irundhaala adhuthaan unaku ejamaanam (If you have ‘some’ money in your hands, you own it. If you have ‘a lot’, it owns you).” This comes from the actor who was honoured this year by the Income Tax department for being the highest taxpayer of Tamil Nadu. Another example is from Rajinikanth’s Baba, which has been re-released. The brilliant song ‘Shakthi Kodu’ from the film, which should be part of everyone’s gym playlist, has the lyrics “Muduvedutha pinaal naan thadam maara maataen. Munvaitha Kaalai pin vaika maataen (I don’t change tracks once I decide. I don’t retract once I have put a step forward).” The lines were missing from the remastered version of the film for obvious reasons.

However, I am glad about how Rajinikanth undercut his own song ‘Ra Ra Ramaiya’ from Baashha. The well-choreographed song, written by Vairamuthu, divides the lifetime of a person by eight. The song argues that one should do certain things only at a certain age. The lines go like this,

“Mudhal ettile aadathathu vilaiyaatu alla, nee rendaam ettil kalaadhathu kalviyum alla. Moondraam ettil seiyaathathu thrumanam alla, nee naalam ettil peraathathi kozhandhaiyum alla (It’s not a game if you haven’t played it before the first eight. It’s not education if you haven’t learnt it by the second eight [16]. It is not marriage if you haven’t done it before the third eight [24]).”

The song is just an echo of the values and virtues of the mainstream status quo. There’s no difference between the song and the family member, who keeps bothering the single youngsters about marriage. The song ends with the lines:

“Elaam ettil kaanathathu ulagam illa, nee etaam ettuku mela irundha nimmadhi illa” It’s not retirement, if you haven’t done it before seventh eight (fifty-six) and there’s no peace if you live past your eighth eight (sixty-four).”

The lines haven’t aged well at all, have they? As per the logic of the track, Rajinikanth is in his ninth eight, 72! And 2.0, Tamil cinema’s second highest-grosser, was released when he was 68. Also, Kaala and Kabali, some of his finest films in recent times, were made when he was way past his 64.

Unlike other veteran superstars like Amitabh Bachchan (a mentor figure to Rajini) and Kamal Haasan, Rajinikanth rarely plays his age in films. Yet, he has managed to retain his image and fanbase intact. That should be the takeaway for his millions of fans across the globe, not the silly Ra Ra Ramaiya.

With Jailer and a solid deal with Lyca Production, it wouldn’t be wrong to say he still has a lot more up his sleeve. It’s true, there has been no other superstar in the history of Tamil cinema to have pulled off such great feats at 72. I would like to recall his dialogue from 2.0, “I am the only one… Super one. No comparison.” Unlike Ra Ra Ramaiya, this line might be true for a long time… maybe, forever.