Uthara Swayamvaram Kathakali Song from Danger Biscuit – Lyrics in English with Translation

Song Details

Song: Uthara Swayamvaram Kathakali from Danger Biscuit (1969)

Lyrics: Sreekumaran Thampi

Music: Dakshinamoorthi

Playback: Yesudas

Filmed on: Prem Nazir, Sadhana

Uthara Swayamvaram Kathakali Song from Danger Biscuit – Lyrics in English with Translation

Uthara swayamvaram kathakali kanuvaan

Uthrada rathriyil poyirunnu

Kanchana kasavulla poonchela uduthaval

Nenjeyyum ambumayi vannirunnu

To watch Uthara swayamvar Kathakali

I went to Uthradam (star) night

She came wearing a dress with a silk border

And sat with cupid arrows

Uthara swayamvaram kathakali kanuvaan

Uthrada rathriyil poyirunnu

Njan Poyirunnu

To watch Uthara swayamvar Kathakali

I went to Uthradam (star) night

Yes, I went

 

Irayimman thambi nalkum sringara padha lahari

Sringara lines given by *Irayimman Thampi

Irayimman thambi nalkum sringara padha lahari

Sringara lines given by *Irayimman Thampi

Iru swapna vedhikalilalinju chernnu

Got dissolved in both dreamy worlds

Karalile kalithattil arupathu thiriyitta

Kathakali vilakkukal erinju ninnu

In the stage of the heart where 60 wicks were lighted,

Kathakali lamps kept burning

Uthara swayamvaram kathakali kanuvaan

Uthrada rathriyil poyirunnu

To watch Uthara swayamvar Kathakali

I went to Uthradam (star) night

 

Kudamaloor sairandriyayi, mankulam brihandalayayi

*Kudamalur became Sairandri

*Mangulam became Brihannala

Kudamaloor sairandriyayi, mankulam brihandalayayi

*Kudamalur became Sairandri

*Mangulam became Brihannala

Haripattu Ramakirishnan valalanayi

Duryodhana veshamittu guru chenganooru vannu

Varanassi than chenda unarnnuyarnnu

*Haripad Ramakrishnan became Valala

*Guru Chengannur came wearing Duryodhana’s costumes

& Chendamelam of *Varanasi

Ayiram sankalpangal therukal theertha ravil

Arjjunanayi njan, aval utharayayi

The night,

Thousand imaginations run chariots

I became Arjuna,

She became Uthara

Ayiram sankalpangal therukal theertha ravil

Arjjunanayi njan, aval utharayayi

The night,

Thousand imaginations run chariots

I became Arjuna,

She became Uthara

Athu kazhinjatta vilakkananju poy

Ethra ethra ajnatha vasaminnum thudarunnu njan

After that *Attavilakk was blown out

How many exile lives,

I am continuing even today!

Uthara swayamvaram kathakali kanuvaan

Uthrada rathriyil poyirunnu

Kanchana kasavulla poonchela uduthaval

Nenjeyyum ambumayi vannirunnu

To watch Uthara swayamvar Kathakali

I went to Uthradam (star) night

She came wearing a dress with a silk border

And sat with cupid arrows

Uthara swayamvaram kathakali kanuvaan

Uthrada rathriyil poyirunnu

Njan Poyirunnu

To watch Uthara swayamvar Kathakali

I went to Uthradam (star) night

Yes, I went

Some notes about the beautiful song

Notes: *IrayimmanThampi wrote Uthara Swayamvaram and Uthara’s romantic feelings towards Arjuna are expressed here.

The song also lists real artists who performed Uthara Swayamvaram on stage.

*Attavilakk – lamp lighted for Kathakali performance. Read more about Kathakali here.

Sadhana – The beautiful actress featured in this song

Sadhana was featured alongside Prem Nazir in the evergreen Malayalam song Uttaraa Swayamvaram Kathakali Kanuvaan. She was paired with the actor for Danger Biscuit, in which this particular song was featured. Right from her debut, Sadhana appeared in numerous movies starring Prem Nazir. Yet she gained popularity in Malayalam cinema through glamour roles and cabaret dances, and faded away soon. Active in cinema between 1969 and 1981, she later moved away from the limelight, and after a while, she fully disappeared from film and friends’ circle. 

She was discovered years later, in 2018, in a pitiable condition, which is how the world came to know about her tragic story. Read Sadhana’s biography here.