- Duke Jeyaraj
I
translated into English a moving song from the movie Mahanati
(Telugu)/NadigaiyarT hilagam (Tamil) on
the life of the 1950s and 1960sactress Savitri which released in the early part
of 2018 with Keerthi Suresh playing the lead. The song is titled, Chivaraku Migiledi
(Telugu)/Irudhiyil Enna Enjum (Tamil).
Is this the mirror that saw the beauty called
Savithri?
Is this the mirror that saw the woman with fame
and riches?
Or is there a crack in that mirror (and what I
am seeing – my deplorable/miserable self – is not real)?!
Tell me why? Tell me why?
Tell me the answer – the poem I am about to
sing?
I don’t know the answer…I do not know the answer…Tell
me the answer poem!
What is left at the end?(repeat four times)
When I was a born there was a struggle (my
father died)
When I am about to die still in my forties (with
deception by the love of my life and addiction to alcohol speeding this process),
there is a struggle
Between these two events there is a small
celebration (I became famous in the movie world! Yes, people wanted my
autograph! Yes, people wanted to be around me! Yes, people said, you are the
most beautiful woman in the world who can also act amazingly well!!)
At the end, it was all a big disappointment!!!!
Where are those celebration days? Where is that
romance (with Gemini Ganesan) that was so dear to me?
Tell me the answer, time! Tell me the answer,
my poem!! Why is life so empty, meaningless and disappointing, when I sort of
enjoyed everything the world had to offer?
What is left at the end, great actress?
(repeated eight times)
I feel the
theme of the Bible book of Ecclesiastes inspired the writing of this song. The
book of Ecclesiastes in the Bible talks about man’s futile search for meaning
in wine, wit, wisdom, work, women, wows and the world (read chapter two).The
theme verse of this book is found in Ecclesiastes 2:25 and this message
unfolds: Life under the Sun is meaningless, unless we make a connection with
the One Above the Sun!
One statement
which Savitri made in the course of this movie particularly illustrated the
truth I learnt from the Bible book of Ecclesiastes and Jesus’ conversation with
the sex-with-different-men chasing Samaritan Woman found in John 4: “I was a
fool to imagine a sexual thirst that did not abate post your relationship with
Alameluakka (Gemini Ganesan’s first wife), Pushpavalli (Gemini Ganesan’s
mistress) would abate following a sexual relationship and marriage with me!”
A comment
on YouTube video of this song in Tamil which went this way: “This song suits
every human in this world!” Abhishek Vaidya left this comment in the first week
of June 2018.
I would
say, the above song could be the song of everyone who has not experienced and
drunk the living water and the only God-in-flesh Jesus in a personal way (John
4:14)! Jesus also said in John 10:10- “I have come that you may have life –
life to the full!” – and eventually shed every drop of His sinless blood to open
the only way for peace to flood our sin-tormented souls (Romans 5:1, The
Bible).
Living life
without having a living daily relationship with the resurrected again Jesus
will never be full!! It will be meaningless. It will be without serenity.
Yes,
Savitri’s search for serenity wasn’t a solo search! This
kind of search for peace is what human kind world-over does!
Have you
been searching for peace lately knocking at the door of sex, drugs, affairs,
fame, money, etc.? Have you been bitterly disappointed following a ‘small
celebration’ and ‘initial elation’? [Yes, there is passing pleasure in sin (the
Bible teaches this in Hebrews 11:25)].
Come now to
Jesus, turning from sin and placing your entire trust in Him, for your
salvation. And when you do that His peace – a peace which the world cannot
give, money cannot buy, and the Devil cannot take away will be yours (John
14:27, The Bible)! Peace amidst the storm will be yours when you are under
Jesus’ wings (Luke 19:42, The Bible).
(To read
more such Gospel presentations of Duke visit www.purposespot.blogspot.com, a website which Florussel Sathya Prachnio
voluntarily manages for our ministry).
