Rekhla race ! ~ நெஞ்சம் உண்டு நேர்மை உண்டு ஓடு ராஜா

 

An appealing MGR movie song -  நெஞ்சம் உண்டு நேர்மை உண்டு ஓடு  ராஜா  -  movie ‘En Annan’ – in the voice of TM Soundara Rajan, written by Kaviyarasu Kannadasan, to the music of KV Mahadevan.  

 

A horse drawn rekhla vandi – not sure how fast can the horse with a leg strapped can run !  - ரேக்ளா ரேஸ் -  ரேக்ளா என்பது ஒருவர் மட்டும் அமரக்கூடிய ஒருவகை மாட்டு வண்டி.  இது பந்தயத்தை கருத்தில் கொண்டே உருவாக்கப்படும் சிறிய வகை மாட்டு வண்டி,  இதன் சக்கரங்கள் சிறிய அளவிலும் வேகமாக சுழலக்கூடிய வகையிலும் வடிவமைக்கப்படுகின்றன. 

Paul Mathry, a student about to graduate and embark upon a teaching career, finds out that his father was convicted for murder, a secret that his mother had hidden from him since his childhood. Driven by an intense desire to see his father, Paul sets out to visit him in prison, only to find out that visitors are never allowed there. From there, he meets the primary witnesses in the case that convicted his father, not all of whom are supportive to Paul's cause. He encounters several dead ends but he persists, with the help of a store girl named Lena and a news reporter. 

His persistent campaign finally bears fruit. Rees Mathry, Paul's father, goes on appeal and is vindicated. The novel ends with Paul's father, a hardened, cynical man, seeing a fleeting hope for self-renewal and a purposeful life. 

நெஞ்சம் உண்டு, நேர்மை உண்டு, ஓடு ராஜா

நேரம் வரும் காத்திருந்து பாரு ராஜா

அஞ்சி அஞ்சி வாழ்ந்தது போதும் ராஜா

நீ ஆற்று வெள்ளம் போல் எழுந்து ஓடு ராஜா

 

Detailed earlier is ‘Beyond This Place’ -  a novel by Scottish author A. J. Cronin first published in 1950.  The novel has been adapted for both film and television. In Bengali, Sabar Uparey starring Uttam Kumar, Suchitra Sen and Chhabi Biswas was made in 1955. A Bollywood version of this novel, Kala Pani (1958), was directed by Raj Khosla and starred Dev Anand and Madhubala.  A Telugu version, Poola Rangadu (1967), loosely based on the novel, was directed by Adurthi Subba Rao and starred ANR and Jamuna. The 1970 Tamil movie En Annan starring MGR was also based on this movie  !!!

 
Interesting !
 
Regards – S Sampathkumar
3.5.2025