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CHAPTER I

AN OVERVIEW OF TAMIL FILM SONGS

AND THE STATUS OF YOUTH

1.0 INTRODUCTION

Film productions are mostly the reflections of reality. While watching

movies, people identify themselves with the characters, involve themselves in
songs, music and story of films. People tend to remember what they have seen
in the film even after the viewing experience. Such thinking, experiencing and
reflecting can enlighten the audience and influence their attitude and behaviour
both positively and otherwise.

Songs are an integral part of human life. Songs of festivities, on the

occasion of harvest, child birth, marriage, and funeral are few examples. Songs
make human beings sleep, dance and get in touch with their deepest emotions.

Film songs are not only an aspect of cinema, but also an essential part of
film music in today’s Tamil cultural life. Some years back, the centre of social
research conducted a survey and came out with the information that 77% of
those who view films go for songs in the films. Films songs are also dubbed
into other regional languages and bring in lot of revenue thus reducing the
other important aspects of film and paying overdue attention to film songs - for
example, Sankarabaranam, 1979 (Baskaran, 2010:118).

Film Songs are remembered because of their melodies and meanings.

Songs are popular for their harmonious blend of good melodies with
meaningful lyrics. Lyrics are known for deep and profound meaning, rhyme
and rhythm, choice of words appropriate to the sense the lyrics intend to
convey, the unity of meaning, emphasis in the harmony and tune. A good
 
 
 
 
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melody is known for haunting tune which sinks into the listener’s
consciousness, repetition of certain passages at intervals, background harmony
which is rich with variety of instruments, the creative counter melody back up
and the appropriate mood it creates suiting to the theme chosen.

These aspects form the basis for our ability to recall lines of songs that
we had heard during our childhood. A few songs occupy prime place in our
memory. One of the main reasons for film songs becoming popular is that they
are associated and remembered for the scenes and the characters that are
potrayed in it. Especialy, the songs that come in romantic scenes are heard
individually they have a sexual impact on people. Those who hear such songs
have also viewed the respective sequences of the scenes as well. For example,
the song ‘Anubavam Puthumai’ from the film Kaadhalikka Neram Illai (1964)
(Baskaran, 2010:119). And for some, either hearing from outside or hearing it
internally become a healing process, a sigh of relief from psychological or
physical stress, strain and pain.

Chennai is one of the cities in the world where numerous films are
made. About more than 5000 commercial films have been produced in Tamil
Nadu in the past. The influence of films on people has been so intense, that
they have elected so far five Chief Ministers, namely C.N.Annadurai,
M.Karunanidhi, M.G.Ramachandran, V.N.Janaki and J.Jayalalitha from the
film world. All of them entered into politics after their successful career in film
industry.

Dravidian movements with their stong roots in Tamil Nadu, have made
use of the films for achieving their political purposes. Many leaders of
Dravidian movement who entered politics came from the world of drama
where dialogues played an important role. C.N.Annadurai wrote story and
dialogue for the film Nallathambi (1949), Karunanidhi wrote Parasakthi

 
 
 
 
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(1952), Manohara (1954) which were well known for long dialogues and
literary richness. It is a strong belief among people and politicians of Tamil
Nadu even now that one who has the fluency in Tamil language and one who
can eloquently speak for long hours in public meetings will be a seasoned
politician one day.

There is no Indian Cinema without songs. On an average, four to five

songs are introduced in every film today. In olden days there were films with
more than fifty songs. Indian film makers exercise great effort in creating song
sequences as songs reach out to people beyond theatres, through radio,
television, cell phones, compact discs, internet, I-Pods and MP3 players. Film
songs are played as the backgrounder to various functions ranging from
political to social, from domestic functions to community festivals.

Songs can offer newer experiences to people depending upon the

context in which they are used. People may forget the sequences of films or
plots but they remember the film songs. The lyrics and music seem to be
anchored in their mind evoking various experiences of life. Walter Landor
says, ‘Music is God’s gift to man, the only art of heaven given to earth, the
only art of earth we take to heaven’. Music has the ability to infuse harmony
into the mind and body. Tamil film songs represent the pulse of Tamil society.
By and large the Tamils are known to identify and share with others all the
feelings of life such as sorrows, love, sex, affection, courage, death, birth, pain,
thirst, frustration, joy through film songs (Nivethitha, 2007:143).

In Tamil Nadu, film songs are released long before the release of the
film and they determine the success of the film. The songs are shot with utmost
care with huge budgets. At times, the audience may not have seen the film, but
would have listened to the songs and seen in television or video. For these

 
 
 
 
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reasons, music directors enjoy a special place in the hearts of Tamils. There are
fan clubs for music directors like Ilayarajaa and A.R.Rahman.

1.1 A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF TAMIL FILM SONGS

1.1.1 Tamil Film Songs in the 20th Century

In 1913, on the 3rd May, the India’s first film Harichandra produced by
Dada Saheb Palke was screened in Coronation theatre in Mumbai. This was the
birth of Indian cinema. It was a silent film. In 1931 March 14, the first talking
film Alam Ara produced by Ardeshir was screened in Majestic theatre in
Mumbai. This was a revolution in Indian cinema. Ardeshir produced the first
Tamil and Telugu film Kalidas in 1931 and released it in Chennai on 31st
October. A book titled Song and Story Book of Kalidas was also released. The
heroine TB Rajalaxmi sang two kirtanas and two national anthems in the film
(Tamil Cinema Deepavali Edition, 1956).

Narayanan (2008:11) writes in Early Period of Tamil Cinema that the

production cost of Kalidas film was eight thousand rupees where as the income
crossed rupees seventy five thousand. The first two Tamil films with Tamil
dialogues were Kalavarishi and Harichandra in 1932. In the very next year
seven Tamil films namely Kovalan, Sathiyavan Savithri, Nandanar,
Prahalatha, Valli and Vallithirumanam were released. The first two films were
based on epics and the others were on religious themes. Forty eight songs were
included in the film Vallithirumanam (1933) produced by Pioneer films. The
publicity material carried the following words: ‘48 songs, fashion dresses and
decent scenes’.

In 1933, on 26th December, the newspaper Sudesamitran published a

news item on Vallithirumanam saying, ‘sweet songs for your ears will comfort
your mind from the beginning of the marriage till the end of the film. The

 
 
 
 
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descending of Naradar with stunning song from clouds to the earth is a magical
scene’. This film was shown ten weeks in Chennai and six weeks in Madurai.

In 1934, the film Srinivasakalyanam was produced by A.Narayanan in

his studio ‘Sound City’. In the same year, another film titled Vastrapuranam

was produced in Salem. The other films produced in 1934 include,

Srikrishnaleela, Srikrishna Murari, Samboornakovalan, Sakkubai, Saguntala,
Sathisulosana, Seethakalyanam, Dasaravatharam, Pavalakodi, Bamavijayam
and Lavakusa. All the films were based on religious themes. The film
Pavalakodi directed by K.Subramaniam became a grand success. Papanasam
Sivan had written all the 50 songs in the film. M.K.Thiyagaraja Bagavathar
made an entry into film industry through this film. The lyricist Bapanasam
Sivan acted in Bakta Kusela(1936) and was appreciated by various journals
and magazines.

Director K.Subramaniam exposed social realities through his films. In

1938, he directed a film Sevasadanam which revolved around a woman, a
victim of exploitation and torture by her husband. In the story, she quits the
house and begins to live alone with self confidence. The key role was played
by M.S.Subbulakshmi, a renowned carnatic vocalist. On many occasions, the
producers promoted their films with a note that the film contains many songs
written and sung by eminent personalities with knowledge and experience in
music. In 1928, A.V.M and Sons obtained the copyright to sell the gramophone
records of songs by S.G.Kittappa and K.P.Sundarambal, the famous playback
singers. In 1932, they started a company named Saraswathi Stores and they
began producing gramophone records in collaboration with Odean company of
Germany.

In the early years of Tamil cinema, only actors who could sing well
became the heroines and heroes. This trend was overlooked by A.V.M when
 
 
 
 
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they introduced an actress who could not sing and matched her lip movements
attuned to the recorded songs.

Another significant trend began in Tamil film industry in 1935. Till then
the stories of the films were mainly from epics and religion. The films
Dambacharry, Meneka, and Rajambal were totally based on social novels. In
1936 Ellis Dungan came to Chennai from America to make films. He produced
Seemanthani, Sathileelavathi and Iru Sagotharargal. National leader Rajaji
appreciated the film Iru Sagotharargal. Surprisingly, this film did not have
many songs like earlier ones.

The first sound engineer in Tamil film industry was Mrs. Narayanan.
She entered to sound world mainly because, the sound engineers were from
non-Tamil world and they could not sing the songs and speak the dialogues of
the artists with the dubbed tracks. The number of production centres kept
increasing as the days passed by. S.Soundararaja Ayyangar started Tamil Nadu
Talkies in 1934. Sundaram Talkies started Sundaram Studios in Chennai, in
1935. M.T.Rajan of Vel Pictures started ‘Vel Pictures Studio’ in 1934. His
interview in Anandavikatan in 1936 discussed the business motives of the
producers and moral issues arising out of films in those days. According to
him, the film industry had people with profit motives by showing obscene
scenes. He opined that “the studio owners should have purpose and should not
aim only to grab money from the viewers. Three fourth of the actors who join
film industry aim at money only and not on the growth of the industry. Today
the meaning of ‘Social films’ has become meaningless. In all the social stories
we see the same type of alcoholism, sex, murder, robbery etc… There is no
scarcity for obscenity” (Anandavikatan, 1936: September 6).

The actor cum singer M.K.Thyagaraja Bagavathar gave two successful

films in 1937 titled Chinthamani and Ambigapathi. The film Chinthamani was

 
 
 
 
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shown in one theatre for more than a year. Ambigapathi ran for several months.
In 1937 Modern Theatres Studio was constructed in Salem by Sundaram. Three
films were produced in the first year itself, Sathi Agalya, Padma Jyothi and
Purandara Doss.

The film director Asandoss had increased the production expenses from
eighty thousands to three lakhs for the film Bakta Nandanar in 1935.
K.P.Sundarambal’s fee was one lakh rupees in this film. In 1937, for the film
Nava Yuvan he had the shooting in London. In 1937, film director C.V.Raman
portrayed the life of a Harijan girl in the film titled ‘Laxmi or Harijan woman’.

In 1938, the Tamil film industry had a setback reducing the number of
the Tamil films. Actors did not have job. Producers could not get back their
investment. Six studios in the region were about to be closed. Technicians did
not have sufficient work. The film magazine Silver Screen gave a call to all the
producers to come together and bring out at least one good film a month.

In 1939 initiatives were taken to introduce cinema education in the

university. The proposal was discussed in the senate house of Madras
University but was turned down by the then Vice Chancellor Dr.
Laxmanaswamy Mudaliar. In 1939 thirty films were released.

In 1940 S.S.Vasan steps into the industry with historical films. The
dance he introduced in Mangamma Sabatham and the role played by
T.R.Rajakumari in Chandraleka (1948) with uncovered blouse became a
controversy. People remember the dance sequence in front of the huge palace
where hundred men and women would dance over drums. The unit spent
almost two months for this five minute song.

M.K.Thiyagaraja Bagavathar and P.U.Chinnappa with their singing

skill, dominated the industry over a decade. T.R.Mahalingam, N.S.Krishnan

 
 
 
 
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and Kittappa occupied their primacy later with their acting and singing skills.
Songs of the film Srivalli by T.R.Mahalingam were heard throughout the State.
He was at peak during early fifties. Another singer cum actor who came to
limelight was K.R.Ramasamy. N.S. Krishnan had exposed social issues
through his film Manamagal in 1951.

The film Avvayar acted by famous singer K.P.Sundarambal was

released in 1953.

M.S.Subbulaxmi, who acted only in five films, contributed immensely

to the world of film songs through her magical voice.

Kannadasan occupied a predominant place as a lyricist in the Tamil

films till 1981. He composed his numbers with romantic and philosophyical
depths. He enabled all listeners, from the young to the old, to reflect on life and
death.

Although many music directors composed music for Tamil films from
1931 to 1949, the star music director was S.V.Venkatraman. He was succeeded
by G.Ramanathan. Songs like, ‘Vaarai nee varai’ (Mandiri Kumari),
‘Nadagamellam Kanden’ (Madurai Veeran), ‘Masilla Nilave Nee’
(Ambigapathi), ‘Yaradi Nee Mohini’ (Uthimaputhiran), were by
G.Ramanathan.

The last advice of G. Ramanathan to his assistant was this: Whenever

you score music, do not bypass our traditional music. Learn all music but do
not cross over. If anyone asks you, tell him that your father is a Tamil, not an
English man’.

S.M.Subbia Naidu inspired M.S.Viswanathan and Kannadasan to

produce around 4,000 songs to the Tamil film industry. Sudarsanam composed
music for Parasakti. C.R.Subburaman scored music for Devadoss. The songs,
 
 
 
 
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‘Thuninthapin Maname’, ‘Ulage Mayam’, were composed by C.R. Suburaman.

M.S.Viswanathan, Ramamurthy, G.Venkatesh and Kandasala were noted
music directors who dominated the industry after C.R. Suburaman. From 1942
onwards till 1990, K.V.Mahadevan had a special place in the film industry.
Veenai Balachandar is yet another stalwart to score lasting tunes for Tamil
films. The songs, ‘Chitukuruvi, chitukuruvi seythi theriyuma’ and ‘Ponnana
valvu mannagi ponal’ were scored by K.V. Mahadevan. From 1960 to 1963
alone, he scored music for 54 films. His expertise in carnatic music and ability
to feel the situation before composing earned him a special place in the Tamil
film industry.

According to Vittal Rao who wrote The Perspectives of Tamil Films

(2004), it was K.V. Mahadevan who introduced folk music for the lyrics of
Maruthakasi. From 1950 to 1970, the two strong pillars of Tamil film songs
were M.S. Viswanathan and K.V. Mahadevan.

Kannadasan gave ten lyrics to M.S. Viswanathan to compose music for

the film Malayitta Mangai (1958). ‘Senthamil Thenmozhiyal’ was one of them.
This film brought Kannadasan and T.R.Mahalingam to limelight.
M.S. Viswanathan encouraged Pattukottai Kalyanasunaram and Vaali to write
lyric for his songs. M.S. Viswanathan and Ramamuthy used several forms of
music like Karnatic, Hundustani, Folk, Kavali, Bangra, Rock and Western and
reached out to all sections of the society. For thirty years they were together
and later parted with each other.

Shivaji Ganesan believed that in M.S. Viswanathan’s scoring, he had

every opportunity to express softness, anger, sorrow, courage, etc.
M.S. Viswanathan enjoys a special place in the hearts of Tamils for his music.
After M.S. Viswanathan, the one who dominated the industry for nearly 30
years with his folk tunes and melodies was Ilayarajaa. In the beginning of 90s,

 
 
 
 
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A.R Rahman made his entry with the film ‘Roja’(1992) where he fused Indian
music with Sufi and Western. He became the first one to receive the world’s
prestigious Oscar award.

1.1.2 Tamil Film Songs in Recent Years

At the dawn of talkie films, the songs in the films were not necessarily
connected to the stories. They were either religious songs or patriotic songs.
This trend got changed later with the advent of story based films that
highlighted social and family issues. From 1960’s to 1990’s we see this trend
although these films never reflected reality but were meant purely to provide
entertainment.

During the last two decades, we find hundreds of film songs that do not
reflect social realities, instead they lead the audience into artificial realities.
They revolve around violence, sexual obscenity and love to support the
formula stories. We can also see songs that are not in good taste.

The lyrics get drowned in the tune and we are not able to understand the
verses. Our involvement in the tune makes us miss the meaning of the songs.
The songs by and large are merely for entertainment with no agenda of positive
transformation of life.

1.2 WHO CONSTITUTE THE YOUTH?

The United Nations (1995) define youth as persons between the ages of
15 and 24. The UNESCO understands that young people are a heterogeneous
group in constant evolution and that the experience of ‘being young’ varies
enormously across regions and within countries

Many countries also draw a line on youth at the age at which a person is
given equal treatment under the law – often referred to as the ‘age of majority’.

 
 
 
 
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This age is often 18 in many countries, and once a person passes this age, they
are considered to be an adult. However, the operational definition and nuances
of the term ‘youth’ often vary from country to country, depending on the
specific socio-cultural, institutional, economic and political factors according
to United Nations Division for Social Policy and Development (2000).

This Policy will cover all the youth in the country in the age group of 13
to 35 years. It is acknowledged that all the persons within this age group are
unlikely to be one homogenous group, but rather a conglomeration of sub-
groups with differing social roles and requirements, the age group may,
therefore, be divided into two broad sub-groups viz. 13-19 years and 20-35
years. The youth belonging to the age group 13-19, which is a major part of the
adolescent age group, will be regarded as a separate constituency.

Notably, not all definitions refer to only the age group 15-24 as youth.
The National Youth Policy of India, Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports
(2003) defines the youth population as those in the age group 15-29.

1.2.1 Status of Youth in India

As per the 2001 Census of India, population age 15-24 years accounts
for 195 million of the 1,029 million of India‘s population. In other words,
every fifth person in India belongs to the age group 15-24 years. This
population is identified by the United Nations Population Fund (2009) as youth
or the youth population. By 2011, this age group is expected to grow to 240
million according to the Office of the Registrar General (2006) and account for
a slightly higher proportion of the total population than in 2001.

For continuous economic development and demographic evolution, the

youth are critical in every nation. The youth population, which enters into the
country’s labour force, is expected to bring in freshly learned and updated

 
 
 
 
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skills that will help to renew and improve the country‘s stock of human capital.
The Youth also represent the age group that forms the basis of demographic
renewal, as these young people form unions and begin child bearing.

1.2.2 Policies and Empowerment of Youth

The policy on the youth formulated by the ministry of youth affairs,

Government of India (2003) recognizes that in order for the youth to
effectively participate in decision making processes, it is essential that they are
better equipped with requisite knowledge, skills and capabilities. Towards this
end, the Policy envisions the following:

 Attainment of higher educational levels and expertise by the youth, in

line with their abilities and aptitudes, and access to employment
opportunities accordingly;

 Adequate nutrition for the full development of physical and mental

potential and the creation of an environment which promotes good
health, and ensures protection from disease and unwholesome habits;

 Development of youth leadership and its involvement in programmes

and activities pertaining to National Development;

 The Policy recognizes the prevailing gender bias to be the main factor
responsible for the poor status of health and economic well-being of
women in our society and that any discrimination on grounds of sex
violates the basic rights of the individual concerned and it, therefore,
stands for the elimination of gender discrimination in every sphere. The
Policy enunciates that:

 Every girl child and young woman will have access to education and
would also be a primary target of efforts to spread literacy.
 
 
 
 
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 Women will have access to adequate health services (including

reproductive health programmes) and will have full say in defining the
size of the family.

 Domestic violence will be viewed not only as violation of women’s

freedom but also as that of human rights.

 All necessary steps should be taken for women’s access to decision-

making process, to professional positions and to productive resources
and economic opportunities.

 Young men, particularly the male adolescents shall be properly oriented,

through education and counselling to respect the status and rights of
women.

The Policy further enunciates that action would be pursued to eliminate

all forms of discrimination in respect of the girl child, negative cultural
attitudes and practices against women, discrimination against women in
education, skill development and training, and the socio-economic exploitation
of women, particularly young women;

Concerted efforts will be made to promote a family value system that

nurtures a closer bond between men and women, and ensures equality, mutual
respect and sharing of responsibility between the sexes. The policy also
recognizes that an inter-sectoral approach is a pre-requisite for dealing with
youth-related issues. It, therefore, advocates the establishment of a
coordinating mechanism among the various Central Government Ministries
and Departments and between the Central and State Governments, and the
community based organisations and youth bodies for facilitating convergence
in youth related schemes, developing integrated policy initiatives for youth

 
 
 
 
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programmes and for reviewing on-going activities / schemes to fill in gaps and
remove unnecessary duplication and overlap.

As insufficient information and the absence of proper research base

hamper the youth development efforts in India, the policy suggests that the
establishment of a well organized Information & Research Network in regard
to various areas of concern to the youth to facilitate the formulation of focused
youth development schemes and programmes. The Rajiv Gandhi National
Institute of Youth Development (RGNIYD) will serve as the apex Information
and Research Centre on youth development issues. The National Youth Centre
and the State Youth Centres will also serve as store houses of information for
the youth. At the micro level, the Youth Development Centres under the
NYKs (Nehru Yuva Kendras) will be equipped to serve as information centres
for the local youth.

1.3 THE MULTI-FACETED YOUTH

1.3.1 The Youth as Leaders

According to Prof.Vinod Kumar (2009), Youth leadership in India is

needed for bringing revolution in Indian economy, management, Industry,
society and politics. Once the youth undertake leadership, then they accelerate
the process of every work. The youth leadership will seek to achieve new ways
with creative ideas. Quite often they are not encouraged to take up leadership.
The common prejudice seems to be that the youth with their zeal could harm
themselves and others.

Character education is gaining momentum in India as young people

increasingly realize that personal integrity is as important for future success as
conventional academic achievement. In colleges we come across various
associations functioning in view of training the youth to assume leadership in
the future. The co-curricular activities provide ample opportunities for the
 
 
 
 
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students to gain leadership skills to face life in future and apply them for nation
building processes.

In the words of Dr. Kalam (2002) India needs young leaders. The first
vision for India was that of independence, which was achieved. We need a
second vision now — to make India economically strong. That vision ignites
particularly the young mind.

Dwelling on the leadership experiences of the youth, in his studies, Mac

Gregor (2011) proposes the following:

 Increased opportunities for students to be fully engaged in their

educational experience

 Enhanced the overall learning environment and experience

 Increased self-selection to participate in experiences during both in- and

out-of-school time

 Increased student-driven conflict resolution

 Improved group project function in leadership classes and other subject

areas

 Improved school spirit and confidence

 Increased opportunities for cross-age role-modeling and leadership

facilitation

Leadership training and modules need not come only from schools and
colleges, but also from parents, media, especially films and film songs.

 
 
 
 
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1.3.2 The Youth as Social Agent

More often the youth are consulted through focus groups, interviews
and surveys as a means to establish programs to reduce youth violence. In
some cases, academics base their violence reduction programs on theory, past
research, and so-called best practices. Both approaches suffer from what is best
described as adult-centric. (Greene, 2009)

In all the programmes meant for the youth, we make them as passive
listeners or recipients rather than active participants in the programme. As a
result, we see lack of dedication and commitment on the part of the youth in
fulfilling the objectives of the programmes. We need to change the method
move towards ‘bottom-up’ rather than ‘top-down’ communication.

The youth need to own the programmes we launch for their growth so
that accountability is taken care of. Without the active participation of youth
and families in the development, operation, and ownership of programs
designed to create pro-social and peaceful climates, social change efforts will
revolve toward the paternalism and fail to create the kind of transformative
functions social change programs are meant to create. These three
complementary traditions dramatically embrace the power of youth as agents
of social change.

1.3.3 The Youth and Community Development

The sector of the youth is part of the community at large. The

Community can solve every problem with tenant of youths. The Community is
not just a group of people but it is the group of children, young and old people
who have different knowledge but they are interested to work with each other.
At young age, the youth has power to generate new ideas to solve problems of
society. Vivekananda says, ‘Time of young age is not for wasting in idle talk,

 
 
 
 
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but should help the community in solving social problems of India’. Vision and
aim of the youth should be high because, when youth interact in community,
then it is possible they will not stand longer, if they have not set high vision
and aim. It is the dream of the President Smt. Pratibha Devisingh Patil who
addressed to the nation on the eve of Independence Day 15th Aug. 2009 that
weaker sections of country can be uplifted by creating large number of youth
communities with the help of the NGOs.

1.3.4 The Youth and Education

The level of unmet needs of country’s youth is high. Addressing these

special needs of youth needs to be a priority. The youth of the nation—their
skills, knowledge, attitudes, and behaviours, all elements of their human
resource capacity— are very necessary to successfully deploy and covert inot
sustained increases in productivity and economic growth. The large and
increasing relative share and absolute numbers of the youth population in India
makes it even more necessary that the nation ensure that the youth of India
become a vibrant, constructive force that can address social and economic
issues and contribute to just governance and sustained nation building.

In recognition of the important role for the youth in nation building, the
preamble of India‘s National Youth Policy (2003) reiterates the commitment of
the entire nation to the composite and all-round development of the young sons
and daughters of India. It further seeks to establish an All-India perspective to
fulfil their legitimate aspirations so that they are all strong of heart and strong
of body and mind in successfully accomplishing the challenging tasks of
national reconstruction and social changes that lie ahead. The thrust of the
policy is youth empowerment in different spheres of national life (National
Youth Policy, 2003). Education, employment, and health, including sexual and
reproductive health, are all key elements of youth empowerment.

 
 
 
 
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1.3.5 The Youth and Unemployment

Article 23 of the Declaration of Human Rights, United Nations (1948),

gives everyone a right to work, to free choice in employment, to just and
favourable conditions of work, and to protection against unemployment.
However, in India, employment, unemployment and under-employment are all
challenging youth issues. Adequate and appropriate employment at the
appropriate ages is key to successful development and exploitation of the
human capital that youth represent. India needs to prevent youth from entering
the labour force before any attaining education, maturity and skills. On the
other, it must provide appropriate employment of the youth population which
has successfully completed its education, acquired the requisite skills and is
ready to enter the labour force. A large unemployed youth population not only
puts the nation at risk of instability, but also costs the country in terms of
productivity and health expenses. Some research suggests that one year of
unemployment among youth reduces life expectancy by about five years
(Sahni, 2005:75-77).

1.3.6 The Youth and Unhealthy Habits

The survey on National Family Health (NFHS-3), India (2005-06)

provides useful information on the bad habits of country’s youth population.
Forty percent of men use tobacco in some form, including one in five who
smoke cigarettes or bidis and 30 percent who consume pan masala, gutkha, or
other tobacco products. Five percent of female youth report tobacco use,
mainly in the form of chewing tobacco. About two out of five men who smoke
cigarettes or bidis, smoke at least five in a 24-hour period. One-fifth of young
men and 1 percent of young women age 15-24 consume alcohol. About one in
four men who consume alcohol do so at least once a week. Tobacco and
alcohol consumption begin early: Even among men who are only 15 years of

 
 
 
 
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age, 16 percent use some form of tobacco and 6 percent consume alcohol. The
survey further has shown that substance use can directly compromise young
people’s health. For example, evidence suggests that the use of alcohol and
drugs among youth is associated with physical fights, risky sexual activity,
depression and suicide as well as irregular school or work attendence and other
negative outcomes.

One in every 1,000 youth in India is HIV positive. About 2 per 1,000
young women and men suffer from diabetes and 9 per 1,000 suffer from
asthma; 5 per 1,000 women suffer from goitre or other thyroid disorders.

1.3.7 The Youth and Media

The survey conducted by the Ministry of Family Welfare, Government

of India (2006) provides important data on the youth population of India, their
attitudes, media exposure, their issues and future. It says that seventy percent
of women and 88 percent of men age 15-24 have at least weekly exposure to
television, radio, or newspapers/magazines or monthly exposure to the cinema.
Media exposure is much lower in rural than in urban areas. The most common
form of media to which youth are exposed is television. Women are much less
likely than men to be exposed to each type of media. Women with no
education and women in rural areas have particularly low levels of regular
media exposure.

The Mass media exposure is an effective instrument to gain knowledge

on the outside world. Media exposes the population to important information
and increases awareness of health and family welfare issues, in addition to a
variety of social issues. To some extent, media exposure can compensate for a
lack of education if there is regular exposure to educational media messages.

 
 
 
 
 20

The most common form of media accessed by both women and men is
television, followed by radio for women and newspapers/magazines for men.
The majority of youth (59 percent of women and 70 percent of men) watch
television regularly. Gender differentials are evident for each type of media.
Consistent with the gender gap in literacy, the gender gap is also very wide in
exposure to print media. Only 27 percent of young women, compared with 57
percent of young men, read a newspaper or magazine regularly. Compared
with the older cohort of persons age 25-49, exposure to each medium of
communication is higher among youth, particularly for men.

Exposure to each type of media increases with educational attainment.

Among women and men with 10 or more years of schooling, 95-97 percent are
exposed to any of the media. However, the majority of women with no
education (63%) are not exposed to any media. Women with no education, who
constitute one-fourth of the young population, are in a doubly disadvantageous
position. They neither have schooling, nor are they exposed to any
communication media. Media exposure increases with wealth, except for radio
listening among men. Almost all youth in the highest wealth quintile are
exposed to some media, whereas 68 percent of women in the lowest wealth
quintile are not exposed to any media.

1.3.8 The Youth and Film Songs

The Sri Lankan Tamils who live in Paris, Belgium, Germany,

Switzerland, Norway etc after having lost their land and life, identify
themselves and relate with Tamil culture only through Tamil film songs. This
is the reality with Tamils living in Singapore, Malaysia and East Asian
countries as well. Tamil culture is closely associated with song culture. People
see life through songs and songs reflect life. Film songs are a continuation of
this tradition.

 
 
 
 
 21

Nearly one third of film viewers in India are children and youth. Music
and youth are inseparable entities. Songs being the integral part of the film,
‘film viewing’ and ‘listening to film songs’ are important activities of college
youth.

This study focuses on the relationship between film songs and identity
formation of college youth. Youth is a crucial period in which they are actively
engaged in carving out an identity for them. Identity is important for any
human being, especially at a crucial period for college youth, who are trying to
mould themselves into responsible citizens and leaders of the country.

1.3.9 Films Songs through Television

Television now has emerged as the most powerful and all pervading
cultural force throughout the world. As researchers like George Garner, a
pioneer in television shows has proved over and over again that media
influences our opinion and attitudes about ourselves, our relationships, our
place in the world. But what we see and hear in the media is a selective output
reflecting certain priorities and views of the world.

Today, emphasis is not given to the priorities of youth as per their

perception in the media but based on the controllers of media products.
Television channels in India continue to telecast feature films extensively and
more air time is devoted to film songs. There are television channels
exclusively for telecasting film songs round the clock. In India, producers and
directors give more importance to the filming of songs. At times, exorbitant
resources are used just to film a single song. Music is the expression of the
soul. It is a tool through which we can be inspired and entertained. Or it can be
an instrument that excites, frightens, seduces and anesthetizes listeners and
viewers.

 
 
 
 
 22

1.4 THEORETICAL FRAME WORK OF THE STUDY

1.4.1 Identity Formation of Adolescents

To achieve identity is to have a realistic self-concept that includes both

physical and cognitive mastery of the environment and social recognition
within society. Individuals with strong identities recognize both their continuity
with others and their unique individuality. Identity achievement has many
components and is achieved to relate stages or steps, although not universal.
First, probably comes physical identity, acceptance of the body and
capabilities; sexual identity follows; then social identity; vocational; moral;
ideological; and finally psychological identity which encompasses and expands
on all the previous identities.

Erikson (1978) believed that the achievement of an identity in

adolescence provides the strength to tolerate conflict and diversity, reconcile
the contradictions that are so much a part of modern society, and weather
adversity and recuperate from pain. Successful identity achievement does not
exist apart from successful resolution of the earlier childhood conflicts, a basic
sense of trust and hope in the world, an awareness of individual responsibility,
a willingness to experiment, and a sense of competence are necessary
prerequisites to the achievement of ego identity.

The adolescent’s search for a personal identity also includes the

formation of a personal ideology or a philosophy of life that will give the
individual a frame of reference for evaluating events. While it is easy to adopt
a readymade existing ideology, such a philosophy is less flexible and less
effective than a personality developed one. The adopted ideology rarely
becomes truly integrated into personality and can, therefore lead to foreclosure
in identity development (Muuss 1988:61)

 
 
 
 
 23

For some adolescents, the changes, expectations, and new demands are
perceived as a challenge. For them, confusion and stress are part of a process
that leads to a higher level of integration. They quickly recover from setbacks
and minor disappointments. For others, the changes have a more threatening
quality, causing temporary or more prolonged periods of disruption, fear, mood
changes, rebellion and despondency.

Adolescence can also be a time for catching up with responsibilities. For

an adolescent, making the team or being selected for an important
responsibility in the institution often provides a boost in self-esteem and self-
image. Whether adolescence is experienced as a challenge, as an opportunity to
grow, or an extremely painful period of life depends on a variety of factors.
These factors include the nature of conflicts and the types of stress, the
presence or absence of supportive environment, and the degree of mastery
achieved in previous developmental stages.

1.4.2 Theory of Identity Formation and Crisis

For adolescents the crucial stage is identity versus role diffusion.

Erikson describes identity as follows:

the wholeness to be achieved at this stage, I have called a sense of inner

identity. The young person, in order to experience wholeness, must feel
a progressive continuity between that which he has come to be during
the long years of childhood and that which he promises to become in the
anticipated future; between that which he conceives himself to be and
that which he perceives others to see in him and to expect of
him....identity is a unique product, which now meets a crisis to be
solved only in new identifications with age mates and with leader
figures outside the family” (Erikson, 1978:87).

It is in this context, the study engages itself in finding out the contribution of
film songs on the identity formation of youth in Chennai.

 
 
 
 
 24

1.4.3 Media, Adolescents and Identity Formation

Communication is basically sharing, letting another know what is in

one’s mind. Mother understands her child’s cry. It is through five senses that
communication is made possible. Among these the power of hearing and sight
dominate the realm of communication.

In the present electronic age, the sensual, emotional and audio visual are
dominant sources of communication. Perceptual and emotional knowledge is
considered more important than conceptual and intellectual knowledge.
Emotional enjoyment, personal experiences, freedom of expression and
experiential approaches have become the catch phrases in the society as the
electronic media has spread its reach in all directions. In the media scenario
today, media controllers are mighty few and they hold complete control over
information flow leaving less scope for the people to think independently and
creatively. They decide what to give and what not to give to people.
Knowingly or unknowingly the youth encounter with media and undergo a
change in their understanding of life and its values.

The influence of the media on our lives is subtle yet deep. Unknowingly
and imperceptibly we begin to accept the values to which we are constantly
exposed. The media presentations are so powerful that we the listeners
gradually begin to become unsuspecting victims of the media influence and
start to think and feel as the media suggests.

‘The way we live, communicate and act is undergoing a fundamental

change. Never before in history has society undergone a cultural revolution
such as we are presently experiencing’ (Babin, 1970:5). Continuous
consumption of media does create changes in our life, in our thinking,
approach and actions. ‘All media are extensions of some human faculty-
psychic or physical’ (McLuhan, 1967:26).
 
 
 
 
 25

We have reached a point where we cannot think of a life without the

exposure to media. Babin says when we receive information the process does
not end with mere receiving but has effect on the receiver. ‘The new media do
not remain exterior to him. He cannot look at television without being
involved. After a while, television, regardless of the content of the program,
literally amplifies the eye to see and hear as well as the way in which we see
and hear’ (Babin, 1970:15).

According to Babin, active involvement is imperative while we watch

television or film. Once the senses have been awakened by electronic media, in
depth involvement becomes a basic as the need to breathe. This explains why
so many people keep their radio or TV on all continuously. Modern man has
acquired new dimensions. The extensions of his body make it difficult for him
to adjust to experiences that are not all-inclusive sensory experiences (Babin,
1970:15).

According to Mc Luhan Exposure to media in one way could be termed

as ‘manipulative act’.

Once we have surrendered our senses and nervous systems to the private
manipulation of those who would try to benefit from taking a lease on
our eyes and ears and nerves, we don’t really have any rights left.
Leasing our eyes and ears and nerves to commercial interests is like
handing over the common speech to a private corporation, or like giving
the earth’s atmosphere to a company as a monopoly (McLuhan,
1964:73).

The effect of media on humans could be related to their thinking,

behaviour or ideology. “It is also important to understand that these new
extensions of man radically transform every sense ratio and restructure man’s
personality and values. The way an apartment is decorated reflects the person
who lives in it and at the same time profoundly influences that person. The
media both structure and reflect a person” (Babin, 1970:16).
 
 
 
 
 26

Some people are strong in nature and keep their views and ideologies
untouched by the media. “There are growing numbers of persons who
consciously choose their programmes, and for whom the content is the
fundamental criterion. There are also some producers who believe that the
making of a film primarily involves having something to say and saying it
forcefully” (Babin, 1970:17).

The younger ones are far ahead of the elders in receiving and processing
information. According to Babin, there is no communication without
involvement. ‘Young people’s senses are more alert and they react to the media
with greater interest and personal involvement’ (Babin, 1970:25).

India ranks as the highest producer of Cinema from the early seventies.
Television now has emerged as the most powerful and all pervading cultural
force throughout the world. As researchers like George Garner, a pioneer in
television shows has proved over and over again that media influence our
opinion and attitudes about ourselves, our relationships, and our place in the
world. But what we see and hear in the media is a selective output reflecting
certain priorities and views of the world.

Today, emphasis is not given to the priorities of youth as per their

perception but based on the controllers of media products. Television channels
in India continue to telecast feature films extensively and gives more
importance to film songs. There are television channels exclusively telecasting
film songs round the clock. In India, producers and directors give more
importance to the filming of songs. At times, exorbitant resources are used just
to film a single song. Music is the expression of the soul. It is a tool through
which we can be inspired and entertained. Or it can be an instrument that
excites, frightens, seduces and anesthetizes listeners and viewers.

 
 
 
 
 27

Songs are integral part of human life. Songs of festivities, on the

occasion of harvest, child birth, marriage, funeral, are few examples. Songs
make human beings to get into sleep, dance and to touch people’s deepest
emotions. Cinema came into existence in 20th century and song became its
nerve centre especially in Indian cinema.

Film Songs are remembered because of their melodies. When songs are
sung, at times they do not remember or understand what they sing but they are
interested in the tune. Songs are popular for their harmonious blend of good
melodies with meaningful lyrics. Lyrics are known for deep and profound
meaning, rhyme and rhythm, choice of words appropriate to the sense the lyrics
intend to convey, the unity of meaning, emphasis in the harmony and tune. A
good melody is known for haunting tune which sinks into the listener’s
consciousness, repetition of certain passages at intervals, background harmony
which is rich with variety of instrumentation, the creative counter melody back
up and the appropriate mood it creates suiting to the theme chosen.

These aspects form basis for our ability to recall a few lines of songs
that we heard during our childhood. A few songs occupy prime place in our
memory. And for some, either hearing from outside, or hearing it internally
become a healing process, moving away from psychological or physical stress,
strain and pain.

1.5 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

The problem identified for a detailed research study is ‘The Impact of

Tamil Film Songs on the Identity Formation of the College Youth in Chennai’.
It has been considered for the investigation in order to examine the contribution
of Tamil film songs on identity formation of youth. When the impact of Tamil
film songs is deeply analysed in terms of life styles, personality development,
social behaviour, social awareness, personal relationships, social relationships,
 
 
 
 
 28

negative thinking, values and attitude towards life, this study will create an
improvement in constructive identity formation and affirming orientation
among college youth.

It should be also noted that identity formation entails achievement of a

realistic self concept which includes both physical and cognitive mastery of the
environment and social recognition within society.

Identity achievement presupposes and recognises a person’s continuity

with others and their unique individuality.

1.6 WAY OF PROCEEDING

Way of proceeding helps us to explore the ways to move forward with

the study which includes setting up of objectives, research questions,
identification of location, exploring the relevance and understanding the
limitations of the study.

1.6.1 Objectives of the Study

The following are the objectives of the study:

1. To find out the media habits of youth in Chennai

2. To find out the influence of media among the youth of Chennai

3. To investigate the relationship between media, and Tamil film songs in

particular and the youth of Chennai

4. To study the impact of Tamil film songs in identity formation of college

youth in Chennai

5. To offer a series of suggestions based on the study and to enlighten the

message givers to focus on college youth and their identity formation.

 
 
 
 
 29

1.6.2 Research Questions

The present study attempts to seek answers to certain specific research

questions.

 What are the media habits of today’s youth?

 What is the relationship between media and film songs among youth?
 Do story tellers and lyric writers contribute towards proper identity
formation of youth?

 What is the impact of film songs towards identity formation of youth?

 Do film songs play a role in shaping up the attitude of youth towards
their Lifestyles, Personality, Social behaviour, Social awareness,
Personal relationships, Social relationships, Negative thinking, Values
and Attitude towards life ?

 How important is the role of story tellers and lyric writers in helping the
students to form a healthy identity?

 What are the ways and means to enable youth to form a healthy identity,
using film songs in a constructive way?

1.6.3 The Location of the Study

The city of Chennai has been chosen for the study as it is one among the
four largest cities in India. Chennai is well known for having educational
institutions of high quality which accommodate youth from all strata of the
society. It is also well-known for advanced communication technologies, film
productions in South India and a place of fashion and continuous change in the
lifestyle of youth. Hence, a study on the impact of films on identity formation
of college youth in Chennai is desirable and would provide useful findings that
would help the youth and society at large. The researcher has decided to
remain in Chennai during the period of research for participant observation.

 
 
 
 
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 31

1.6.4 Significance and Scope of the Study

Adolescence is a transition time during which the individual moves out

of a familiar psychosocial space and enters other spaces. Adolescents have to
adapt to changes in their biological, cognitive, and physical development at a
time when the changing demands of parents, peers and places of study are
likely to be accelerated. To successfully complete these changes with a sense
of mastery, power and relationships with others, teenagers need to develop new
behaviour, cognitive, and social skills.

Life coping skills are necessitated because of the new expectations and
demands from within and outside. Fresh assumptions about self, value, and
identity must ultimately be confronted. During this time of intense and often
rapid change, the early learning, resourcefulness, and adaptive nature of the
individual are severely tested. Some degree of conflict, stress, frustration and
confusion is inevitable. Adolescents or young adults perhaps, find themselves
to be in complete harmony with themselves, their peers, parents and with
society at all times.

It is in this context, we need to find out how we can create a conducive

situation by way of healthy thinking and affirmation among youth. Film song
seems to be an influencing factor towards identity formation of youth as most
of them tend to devote more time in singing songs. But in recent years, its
positive contribution seems to be deteriorating. Film songs do not provide life
affirming orientation in identity formation. Hence there is a need for an
empirical research to assess the influence of film songs towards identity
formation of youth. This problem when analysed may throw light on the
impact of film songs on identity formation of youth and may provide concrete
suggestions towards shaping up the attitude of youth towards their Lifestyle,

 
 
 
 
 32

Personality, Social Behaviour, Social Awareness, Personal Relationships,

Social Relationships, Values and healthy attitude towards life.

Films and film songs being an influencing factor for youth, have a role
in shaping the personalities of youth with suggestions on moral, social,
spiritual, cultural and economic issues pertaining to youth. Songs can inspire
them, enlighten them, relieve their tensions, provide alternatives to their issues,
rebuild broken relationships, and also lead them into unpleasant experiences.
The present study is an enquiry into these aspects.

The position of youth in India today needs a re-examination of their

status and stand in life. Both State and Central governments have adopted
various schemes from individual to group approach. Despite such initiatives,
the status of youth in Tamil Nadu needs attention and improvement.

The relationship between youth and media needs no introduction. Films

and Film Songs have profound influence on the behaviour of youth. In this
context, the role of Tamil film songs towards the formation of identy of youth
needs to be probed. Scholars have studied about the trends of Tamil film songs,
their impact on Tamil culture and development but have not delved on the
impact of Tamil film songs on youth and their identity formation. However,
empirical research studies of youth and identity formation are conspicuous by
their absence. Hence, there is a need to make a study of the impact of Tamil
film songs on college youth in Chennai city. The various dimensions of
identity formation need to be analysed in order to develop alternatives and
effective strategies to guide the youth in Tamil Nadu.

1.6.5 Review of Related Literature

“A literature review is a systematic, explicit and reproducible method

for identifying, evaluating, and interpreting the existing bodies of recorded

 
 
 
 
 33

work produced by researchers, scholars and practitioners” (Fink, 1998). The

key to a vast store house of published literature related to this study may open
doors to sources of significant problems and provide helpful orientation for
definition, background for selection of procedure and comparative data for
interpretation of results. An attempt has been made to present the studies
related the impact of Tamil film songs on youth.

Purusothaman (2005) studies the contribution of film songs in his thesis

titled ‘The Contribution of Tamil film songs for the Growth of Tamil Society’
where he highlights the role of Tamil film songs in communicating about
Tamil culture to the rest of the world. He presents how film songs reflected the
issues of the society from time to tome and how film songs embraced the new
wave trends. He also highlights how film songs stressed the need for social
unity and peaceful living without communal differences. He asserts that film
songs belong to the world of literature. Ramasamy (1987) studies the social
perspectives of Dr.M.G.Ramachandran whose film stories and songs
questioned the unjust social structures and provided strategies to resolve some
of them.

Thirugnanasambandam (1991) studies the aspect of love in the film

songs by Kannadasan who had deep respects for love, affection, faith in family
life. He presents how songs of Kannadasan defined relationships and provided
methods to develop, nurture and safeguard relationships. Periasamy (2001)
studies about Tamils films and their underlying themes, their growth and
history. Udayakumar (1977) analyzes the songs written by the veteran socialist
lyricist Pattukottai Kalyanasundaram who wrote about issues of grassroots
people, the exploitative social structures, the importance of social relationships
and how we can motivate ourselves. Many of his songs are ‘self fulfilling
prophecies’ which offer self confidence to people who are in distress and
conflict.
 
 
 
 
 34

Theodore Baskaran (2004) in his work ‘Em Thamilar Seitha Padam’,

traces the history of Tamil silent films, birth of documentary films, the
relationship between Tamil films and British, Songs in Tamil films, the voice
of Dravidian movement in Tamil Cinema, and violence and sex in Tamil
cinema. He registers the origin, growth, trends of Tamil cinema and creates
thirst for more information on Tamil cinema in readers. Bismi (2007) in his
work ‘The Rise and Fall of Tamil Cinema’ critically analyses the factors that
contributed for the failure of Tamil film industry. He quotes the examples of
vulgarity in songs, obscenity, excess of violence in Tamil films. Theodore
Baskaran (2006) in ‘Chithiram Pesuthadi’ presents 68 research essays on Tamil
film cinema. The book dwells into the questions, how did Tamil cinema
emerge as an art form against the traditional cultural setting? What was the
contribution of small magazines? etc., Laxmanan (2011) in his work ‘Eighty
Years of Tamil Cinema’ traces the history from silent era up to the latest artists
of Tamil film industry. Gnanasambandan (2011) who has given the
introduction says that the book objectively registers the rare history of film
making, songs, photographs, conversations, the change of political scenario in
Tamil Nadu through true history. Eighty nine famous personalities have
registered their experiences.

Films and film songs being an influencing factor for youth, have a role
in shaping the personalities of youth with suggestions on moral, social,
spiritual, cultural and economic issues pertaining to youth. Songs can inspire
them, enlighten them, relieve their tensions, provide alternatives to their issues,
rebuild broken relationships, and also lead them into unpleasant experiences.
The study is an enquiry into these aspects.

Sivanthambi (2010) answers a series of questions in his work titled ;

Cinema amidst Tamil Culture’ .He writes about the impact of Tamil cinema,
how Tamil culture absorbed the film culture, how Television has become the
 
 
 
 
 35

medium of organisers were some of his ideas. Nivethitha (2010) in his ‘Dances
of Dreams’ critically looks at Tamil film industry. At one stage, he says that
the films by Shankar are a symbol of deteriorating culture of Tamil Nadu.

Veeramani (1997) in his book titled ‘the Social Perspective of Poetic

Skills of Pattukottai Kalyanasundaram’ presents about how the lyricist was
able to understand the ethos of common people and bring those elements on
screen through his lyrics. Chinnadurai (2001) presents the role of film song
literature in development of art in his thesis titled ‘The Aim and Trend of
today’s Tamil Film Songs’. He brings out social perspective of Tamil film
songs, the entry of new wave trend, psychological perspective and language
trends. He also highlights how film songs deviate the minds of people from real
issues and how it falls down from its educative role. Kalai Nambi (1986)
studies the literary sense in the film songs of Kannadasan who is known for his
unique style of presenting complexities of human relationships in a simple way
so that even an ordinary person can understand and have an experience of how
he feels. Venkatesan (2002) studies about how ‘moon’ is depicted in Tamil
film songs. Sudarsan (1992) studies about the social perspectives in Tamil film
songs whose aim was to educate and enlighten people in the past.

Sundaram (2002) studies about the contribution of Kannadasan to Tamil

literature in his work titled ‘The Golden literature of Kannadasan through the
Silver screen’. In his work ‘World Cinema’ Ramakrishnan (2008) brings forth
to our mind all the world famous films and film makers, their intentions and
how they are able to communicate their mind through their films.
Gopalakrishnan (2010) in his work ‘Film Experience’ presents motives behind
his films and how he is able to portray his mind and life experiences on screen.
Jegatha (2004) in his work ‘The art that goes beyond time’ studies the genesis
of Tamil film, its growth, people who nurtured it and the people affected.

 
 
 
 
 36

Ramasamy (2004) studies the relationship between Tamil films and

Tamil political world and exploitative structures of the society. He highlights
the necessity of fighting them out to strengthen the political struggles by
people. Sudesamithran (2009), in his work ‘The Three faces of Cinema’ shares
his experiences and critical perspectives on three types of cinemas which are
Commercial cinema, Realistic cinema and Parallel cinema. Nivethitha (2008)
shares his optimistic views on new film makers who seem to know cinema,
literature and values of Tamil Cinema in his work ‘Cinema Cinema’. Chezian
(2007) in his work ‘Talking Picture-Remarks from the last seat’ shares his
experience from the perspectives of a film maker as well as a viewer. In his
work ‘Cinema’ Nivethitha (2007) deals with Tamil Cinema, Indian Cinema
and World Cinema. While highlighting the backwardness of Indian cinema, he
appreciates new initiatives of young film makers and their film language.
Ramamurthy (2009) presents the history of fifty great personalities in Tamil
film industry who have achieved success in film career in the book titled ‘Film
World Mountains’.

Baskaran (2009) brings out the connection between films and present
life, its impact on people over a century with historical perspective in his work
‘The Rest on Silver Screen’. Kaviri Mainthan (2008) describes how lyricist
Vaali during his forty five years of presence in Tamil film industry, makes
people to reflect on piety, motherhood, moral values, love, affection and
philosophy of life through his film songs in his work titled ‘Vaalum Thamile
Vaali’. Chinnaponnu (2010) in her work titled ‘Tamil films, Culture and
Politics’ suggests that all films need to undergo cultural analysis and more
study need to be undertaken on how Tamil films use dialogues related to caste
and religion. She also suggests that relationship between Tamil films and
portrayal of vulgarity, people’s protests, the urban-rural myths constructed by
Tamil film industry.

 
 
 
 
 37

Shanmugasundaram (1996) in his work ‘Upto Vairamuthu’ analysed the

trend of around six hundred Tamil film lyricists and elaborates on the
contribution made by Kannadasan and Vairamuthu to Tamil society through
film songs. It is a critical evaluation of Tamil film songs and its impact on
society with concrete examples. Hardgrave (1973) in his work ‘Politics and the
Film in Tamil Nadu: The Stars and the DMK’, portrays how the Dravida
Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) was able to influence the hearts of Tamil people
with their idealogy. He also critically looks at the film medium itself with
whose arrival, the local cultural art forms lost their finer elements and had to
succumb to the influence of cinema.

1.6.6 Limitations of the Study

Research done in the area of ‘contribution of Tamil film songs towards

identity formation of youth’ seems to be very less. The number of Tamil film
songs is so vast, undertaking of an in-depth study of all of them seems to be an
enormous task for the researchers. Today’s youth listen to both old and new
songs through the various channels of the media world. This restricts the
researcher to draw any boundary for the study of songs within a particular
period. With these limitations, a modest attempt has been made to study the
impact of Tamil Film Songs on the Identity Formation of College Youth in
Chennai.

1.6.7 Methodology and Tools of Analysis

1.6.7.1 Sample

Chennai is the capital of Tamil Nadu in South India. The district city is
one of the metropolis of India and serves as the gateway of the culture of
South India. In spite of being the capital of a Tamil speaking State, it has
emerged as a cosmopolitan city playing an important role in the historical,

 
 
 
 
 38

cultural and intellectual development of India, representing still the distinct

components of the highest form of Dravidian civilisation. In addition, it holds
out an interesting flare of South Indian architecture, music, dance, drama,
sculpture and other arts and crafts. Chennai district has 14 assembly
constituencies and nine corporation zones.

The total number of samples chosen were 1,300. The respondents were
students chosen from 15 colleges of Chennai namely, Gurunanak College,
Ambedkar College, Loyola College, Loyola College of Engineering, Stella
Maris College, Presidency College, Jain College, St.Joseph’s College, MGR
Janakiammal College, Queen Marys College, Bhrathi Arts College, Christ
College, SIGA Polytechnic, Madras Christian College and SRM Engineering
College. Random sampling technique was used covering the entire city and
sampling was taken from four directions of the city namely North, South, East,
West and Central part of the district to have an even geographical distribution.

1.6.7.2 Research Design

Both qualitative and quantitative data were used for the empirical
analysis of the ‘Impact of Tamil Film Songs on The Identity Formation of
College Youth in Chennai’. A questionnaire has been prepared to find out the
personal data, media habits, impact of Tamil film songs and personal attitude
towards Tamil film songs. An in-depth interview with students was used to
probe into link between Tamil film songs and identity formation of youth.

1.6.7.3 Description of Tools and Techniques

The following tools have been used for the purpose of data collection.

 Interview Schedule

 In-depth Interview

 Focus Group Discussion

 
 
 
 
 39

Personally administered tools have brought the researcher directly in

contact with the respondents. This created an ambience of mutual trust and
removed all fears and prejudices between the researcher and the respondents.
Tool construction was prepared with care so that all students would be able to
grasp the meaning and answer it.

1.6.7.4 Interview Schedule

The interview schedule has altogether five parts.

Part-I was used to elicit personal information as well as the family background
of the respondents.

Part - II deals with respondent’s personal, social and media habits.

Part-III was used to collect data on the respondent’s personal interest towards
Tamil film songs which include:

 Types of songs liked by the respondents

 Lyricists

 Choice of Music Director

 Male and Female singers preferred by them

 The source through which they listen to Tamil film songs

Part- IV was used to collect data on the impact of Tamil film songs on the
respondents.

They include the impact of Tamil film songs on their:

 Life styles

 Personality

 Social Behaviour
 
 
 
 
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 Social Awareness

 Personal Relationships

 Social Relationships

 Negative Thinking

 Values

 Attitude towards Life

This part also was used to collect data on the respondent’s personal
attitude towards film songs.

Part-V was used to collect data on the alternatives proposed by the

respondents. The data expected was descriptive in nature which was
systematically collated and carefully interpreted.

A pilot study was conducted with 100 students from Chennai after
which the interview schedule was modified based on the experience and
outcome of the same.

1.6.7.5 In-depth Interview

The data from 12 students were collected through in-depth interview.

The students were chosen from 6 colleges, three from private run colleges and
three from Government run colleges. The purpose was to understand in detail
about the impact the film songs have on students and their role in identity
formation of students.

1.6.7.6 Focus Group Discussion

Focus group discussion was conducted to understand the views of

students over Tamil film songs and their role in identity formation. In each

 
 
 
 
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discussion, eight students participated. Four such sessions were held and the
students were drawn from six colleges in Chennai.

1.6.7.7 Collection of Data

The researcher personally visited the colleges chosen for the study and
collected the required data. The interview schedule took an average of 20
minutes per individual youth. The in-depth interview went up to two hours
each. Of the fifteen colleges chosen for the sample, twelve colleges are run by
private organisation and three are run by State Government. Five colleges are
run only for girls and three are run only for boys. Seven colleges are run for
both boys and girls. In-depth interviews were conducted with twelve students,
six boys and six girls drawn from three Government and three private colleges
in the city. Focus Group Discussions were conducted for boys and girls coming
from six colleges from city. In each FGD, eight students participated and four
discussions were conducted. The in-depth interviews and Focus Group
Discussions were audio recorded which were later transcribed for the purpose
of analysis and interpretation.

1.6.7.8 Analysis of Data

The data obtained for the study were both quantitative and qualitative in
nature. Put together, the analysis is attempted to bring out the impact of Tamil
film songs on the identity formation of college youth in Chennai. Qualitative
interpretation was done through narrative analysis which creatively combined
methods for precision and validity. Quantitative analysis of data was done
through Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) by the researcher. For
processing of data, the responses were examined carefully. After screening the
answer sheets 1266 scripts were available for final analysis.

 
 
 
 
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The following statistical techniques were used for the analysis :

 Descriptive Statistics

 Pearson’s Coefficient Correlation

 ANOVA

 Friedman Test

 Chi-square Analysis (using Cross Tabulation)

 Regression Analysis

1.7 CHAPTERISATION OF THE THESIS

The First Chapter ‘An Overview of Tamil Film Songs and the
Status of Youth’ discusses about the concept of Communication, identity,
identity formation, media, film songs and their role in identity formation
among youth. It also deals with the theoretical understanding of the concept of
identity formation of Erik Erikson, theoretical framework for the study and the
relevant literature. It also brings together the objectives, research questions and
the methodology used in the study.

The Second Chapter ‘Youth in Perspective and the Impact of Media

on Youth’ deals with definition and description of adolescence and their
cognitive, moral and faith development and the importance and significance of
identity formation in the light of Erik Erikson’s psychosocial theory.

The Third Chapter ‘Popular Lyricists of Tamil Film Songs and

Identity Formation of Youth’ traces the changing trends of Tamil cinema and
their songs during the past seven decades from 1930 to 2000, the role and
influence of media, in particular, the Tamil film songs in shaping the identity
development of college youth.

 
 
 
 
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The Fourth Chapter ‘Data Analysis and Interpretations’ deals with

the data analysis and interpretation

The Fifth chapter ‘Summary and Conclusions’ deals with the

summary and conclusions followed by suggestions and recommendations.

1.8 CONCLUSION

This chapter has discussed the power of film songs and their role in the
life of people, an historical overview of Tamil film songs, the status of youth in
India and the youth and Tamil film songs. The chapter also deals in detail with
theoretical perspective on the key concepts in relation to the present study. The
concept of identity formation of youth and Tamil film songs have been
discussed. The need and scope of the study and the problem have been stated.
The research questions, the main objectives and the limitations of the study
have been listed.