Punnagai Mannan, Iru Kodugal (1969)

In the 1969 film Iru Kodugal (directed by K. Balachander), the song "Punnagai Mannan" (King of Smiles) serves as a lyrical debate about the protagonist Gopinath's complex marital situation.

The song is set during a Navaratri festival and features two women, his first wife (Janaki) and his second wife (Jaya), who are unknowingly connected to the same man.

The lyrics, written by Vaali, use mythological metaphors to question the morality of a man having two wives.

The "King of Smiles": The title refers to the protagonist, Gopinath, comparing him to Lord Krishna (the King of Smiles) who was beloved by both Radha/Rukmini and Bhama.

Parallel: The song asks if it is acceptable for one "Krishna" to belong to two women (Rukmini and Bhama), or for Lord Murugan to marry both Valli and Deivanai.

The Moral Question: One woman sings that a woman's nature is to believe that a garland (marriage) should only be given once. The other counters by asking if God himself didn't wear two garlands (married two women).

Life vs. Tradition: It concludes by questioning if it is possible for "two souls to reside in one body," reflecting the tension of the film's title, Iru Kodugal (Two Lines), where two separate lives intersect through one man.

Visual Context in the Song

In the video, Janaki (Sowcar Janaki) and Jaya (Jayanthi) perform the song in a Golu (doll display) hall. The lyrics are a veiled exchange; Janaki knows Gopinath is her long-lost husband, while Jaya is unaware she is the "second line" in his life.

[Disclaimer: This video clip is posted for viewing pleasure and as an archive for good old Tamil songs. By this, I do not wish to violate any copyright owned by the owner of the song / Movie. I do not own any copyright for the song. If posting the song violates the copyright you own, then please let me know, and I will remove it from YouTube. If you like the song, then please buy the original Movie/Song CD from the copyright owner of the movie.]