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Aiwa Screen to Aura Park

I started Pre-Kg in 2007, right around the time Azhagiya Tamizh Magan soundtrack came out. As a child, my world would come to a halt when Vijay appeared on our aiwa screen. 


To this day, before anything important, I play “Ella Pugazhum” through my headphones. My friend has it downloaded in case my device fails. Somehow, every major exam I walked into while listening to it, with the right timing, I’ve scored an S.  The song is an amulet, not of luck, but of the reassurance it gave me that all I had to do was put in the work. 


Songs from Vijay’s movies have soundtracked my childhood. Scenes have accompanied me through numerous fevers and crying episodes. We had three cds of azhagiya tamizh magan alone, not to forget about the countless number of vijay dance mix cds. “Arjunaru Villu” was my cocomelon. I played kabaddi for my school house match because Vijay played kabaddi in Ghilli. Nanban left a deep sense of responsibility to learn something rather than just doing it for the test scores.  Finding the notes to the latest Vijay song and playing it on the keyboard was the ultimate cool thing that my 11 year old self did.  Adults who’ve known me in my childhood imitate his dialogues the way I would say them as a kid. 


As I grew up, I did not like all the movies the same. But somehow, they were all a part of my life, representing various milestones I’d hit along the way. I watched the 2:30pm show on the first day Velayudham came out — my first Vijay movie in theatres. That was the year I topped grade 1 in primary school. Last year, I had the chance to stay in Mumbai for a while. Out of all the pictures I was excited about, I cherished the one at Marine Drive that was perfectly soundtracked by Jagdish on Mission theme.  I often wonder if i took an interest in F1 because of kuruvi, but that is something that I will never know. 


Watching Jana Nayagan FDFS felt right. It was the perfect end to an era of films that raised me. If adulthood had not made its presence clear already, the final montage did it. And it hit hard. My parents often recall my first day of Pre-KG, now that I’m graduating soon. I refused to go out of the house without watching “Ella Pugazhum.” And today, I headed to my office right after the movie ended. 


I often feel reluctant to be tagged as a fellow anil. Because I’ve had my opinions.

This is a farewell indeed. A farewell to my childhood. A farewell that seemed easy on paper, but rather hard during those last two minutes.  

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