வலயன தரபபடலகளல தமழப பணபட / Tamil Culture in the Film Songs of Vaali

Tamil is one of the world’s oldest languages and stands as a witness to the rich cultural and historical legacy of the Tamil people and culture. Its antiqueness is evident through both internal and external verses of Sangam poetry. They trace back over three thousand years and remain surprising and inspiring to read and enjoy from Sangam literature. This literature offers profound insights into the cultural, social and literary achievements of the Tamil civilization and highlights its linguistic richness and sophisticated cultural norms. The Tamil people of the Sangam age exhibited harmony between language, culture and traditions that are still revered today. The term ‘culture’ in Tamil is ‘paṇpadu’ which refers to the enhancement and refinement of civilization. The development of Tamil society and its intellectual progress reflects the evolution of both knowledge and culture in the society. As civilizations advance, cultural practices, values and artistic expressions also evolve. Sangam texts reflect the growth of the Tamil culture. In present times, cinema is one of the key mediums for portraying Tamil culture. It is called ‘Tiraiyisai’ in Tamil. Many Tamil poets excelled in portraying Tamil sense and living through their songs. Poets like Vaali focus on Tamil society's cultural and moral values and they become key contributors to the cultural discourse. So, this paper explores how the works of the Tamil Poet Vaali reflect various aspects of Tamil identity, ethical values, social practices and cultural pride in the cine songs.