[radikal]

Manisekaran,

I quite enjoyed reading your post.

But everything you have said is before a guy named Vairamuthu was asked to write a song by Illayaraja and Bharathiraja.

The new kid Vairamuthtu wrote 'vaanam enakkoru bhothi maram. naalum athuvoru seethi tharum', which made even Kannadasan sit up and take notice.

The rest, as the cliche goes, is history.

Valee might have been the closest competitor for Kannadasan during his time-that's not a testtament of Valee's talent, but rather the lack of talent when compared to Kannadasan's during that time. But Valee can never replace Kannadasan or Vairamuthu. The only other cine-poet I hold in high regard is Pattukottai - sadly he died young.

All the others have written many good songs and some great songs. But that's it. Nothing comapred to Kannadasan and Vairamuthu who could turn a song for a stupid run of the mill cinema situation into a poetic gem.

AIMHO