| Palani Bharathi | |
| Birth Place: | Karaikudi, Sivaganga, Tamil Nadu, India |
| Parents: | Sami Palaniappan, Kamala |
| Nationality: | Indian |
| Years Active: | 1991–present |
Palani Bharathi or Pazhani Bharathi (in Tamil pronounced as /paɭani baːɾaði/ or in Tamil pronounced as /paɻani baːɾaði/) is an Indian writer and lyricist who works in Tamil cinema.[1] [2] [3] [4]
Palani Bharathi was born in Karaikudi to Sami Palaniappan, a poet, and Kamala. He has a brother and four sisters. Palaniappan was an assistant of orator/writer Kundrakudi Adigal and follower of poet Bharathidasan. When Palaniappan moved to Madras (now Chennai) with his family in search of work, he got a job in the government newspaper Tamil Arasu. As a result, Bharathi studied and grew in Chennai. He initially studied at a municipal school, and later at Ganapathi Higher Secondary School till the twelfth grade. Aspiring to become a film editor, he tried joining the M.G.R. Government Film and Television Training Institute, to no avail.[5] [6]
Bharathi began his career by editing articles, mainly correcting factual errors, in publications including Neerottam and Porval. He later got a job in the Tamil Nadu Textbook Corporation, of checking and recording the account of volumes of books transported in vehicles from the book warehouse, with his salary being per day. Bharathi was not very interested in that job, which did not last for more than a month. Unlike his father, Bharathi liked listening to filmi songs, and aspired to become a film lyricist. He was eventually introduced to director Vikraman, and wrote a song for the film Perum Pulli (1991) which did not appear onscreen.[7] Bharathi later wrote some songs for Annai Vayal (1992); though the film was unsuccessful, the songs were well received and he received more offers. He achieved significant success writing all the songs for Ullathai Allitha (1996), and the 1995–1997 period is considered his "golden years", during which he wrote for over 100 films.
Bharathi prefers to write in simple, understandable language, taking inspiration from Kannadasan and Vaali. He explained, "Any literary piece is worth only if it reaches the audience and I keep it very simple. I don't believe in being verbose". He also said, "A song is no longer listened to for its meaning, it is mostly bought for the sake of rhythm and beat. Words go only to serve the musical purpose, not the semantic purpose". Palani Bharathi identifies himself as a "people's lyricist".[8]
Palani Bharathi wrote slanderous articles about Malathy Maitri, a founder of the feminist literary movement Anangu, and was eventually forced to write a public apology.[9]
| Year | Movie | Song(s) | Music Director | Note | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | |||||
| 1991 | Perum Pulli | "Ilamaiyin Vizhigalil" | S. A. Rajkumar | ||
| 1993 | Naan Pesa Ninaipathellam |
| Sirpy | ||
| 1993 | Gokulam |
| Sirpy | ||
| 1994 | Pudhiya Mannargal |
| A. R. Rahman | ||
| 1995 | Pavithra | "Eechambazham" | A. R. Rahman | ||
| 1995 | Murai Maman |
| Vidyasagar | ||
| 1996 | Ullathai Allitha |
| Sirpy | ||
| 1996 | Poove Unakkaga |
| S. A. Rajkumar | ||
| 1996 | Sengottai |
| Vidyasagar | ||
| 1997 | Surya Vamsam | "Kadhala Kadhala" | S. A. Rajkumar | ||
| 1997 | Janakiraman |
| Sirpy | ||
| 1997 | Arunachalam |
| Deva | ||
| 1997 | Poochudava |
| Sirpy | ||
| 1997 | Aravindhan |
| Yuvan Shankar Raja | ||
| 1997 | Mettukudi |
| Sirpy | ||
| 1997 | Nesam |
| Deva | ||
| 1997 | Once More | "Ooty Malai Beauty" | Deva | ||
| 1997 | Kadhalukku Mariyadhai |
| Ilaiyaraaja | Won Best Lyricist | |
| 1997 | Raasi |
| Sirpy | ||
| 1997 | Ullaasam |
| Karthik Raja | ||
| 1997 | Kaalamellam Kadhal Vaazhga |
| Deva | ||
| 1997 | Kathirunda Kadhal |
| Sirpy | ||
| 1998 | Unnidathil Ennai Koduthen | "Thottabedda Kuliru" | S. A. Rajkumar | ||
| 1998 | Moovendhar |
| Sirpy | ||
| 1998 | Desiya Geetham |
| Ilayaraaja | ||
| 1998 | Aval Varuvala |
| S. A. Rajkumar | ||
| 1998 | Ninaithen Vandhai |
| Deva | ||
| 1998 | Priyamudan |
| Deva | ||
| 1998 | Sandhippoma |
| Deva | ||
| 1999 | Endrendrum Kadhal |
| Manoj–Gyan | ||
| 1999 | Nenjinile | "Prime Minister" | Deva | ||
| 1999 | Poovellam Kettuppar |
| Yuvan Shankar Raja | ||
| 1999 | Thodarum | "Shock Adikkum" | Ilaiyaraaja | ||
| 1999 | Unnai Thedi |
| Deva | ||
| 1999 | Suyamvaram |
| 4 composers | ||
| 1999 | Unakkaga Ellam Unakkaga | "Vennila Veliye" | Yuvan Shankar Raja | ||
| 1999 | Thirupathi Ezhumalai Venkatesa | "Tirupathi Elumalai Venkatesa" | S. A. Rajkumar | ||
| 1999 | Sethu |
| Ilaiyaraaja | ||
| 2000s | |||||
| 2000 | Kannukkul Nilavu |
| Ilaiyaraaja | ||
| 2000 | Rajakali Amman | "Santhana Malligaiyil" | S. A. Rajkumar | ||
| 2001 | Star | "Adi Nenthikkitten" | A. R. Rahman | ||
| 2001 | Rishi |
| Yuvan Shankar Raja | ||
| 2001 | Friends |
| Ilaiyaraaja | ||
| 2001 | Nandha | "Mun Paniyaa" | Yuvan Shankar Raja | ||
| 2001 | Thaalikaatha Kaaliamman | "Sun TV" | Sirpy | ||
| 2001 | Kasi | "Punniyam Thedi Kasikku" | Ilaiyaraaja | ||
| 2001 | Badri |
| Ramana Gogula | ||
| 2002 | Azhagi |
| Ilaiyaraaja | ||
| 2002 | Ramanaa |
| Ilaiyaraaja | ||
| 2002 | Jaya |
| Bharani | ||
| 2003 | Parasuram |
| A. R. Rahman | ||
| 2003 | Jayam |
| R. P. Patnaik | ||
| 2003 | Kaadhal Kondein |
| Yuvan Shankar Raja | ||
| 2003 | Pithamagan |
| Ilaiyaraaja | ||
| 2004 | Udhaya | "Pookum Malarai" | A. R. Rahman | ||
| 2004 | Perazhagan | "Ambuli Mama" | Yuvan Shankar Raja | ||
| 2004 | Thendral | "Aazhakkadalu" | Vidyasagar | ||
| 2005 | Maayavi |
| Devi Sri Prasad | ||
| 2005 | Sachein | "Dai Dai Dai Kattikkoda" | Devi Sri Prasad | ||
| 2005 | Chidambarathil Oru Appasamy | "Anaithu Vidungal" | Ilaiyaraaja | ||
| 2007 | Naan Avanillai | "Then Kudicha" | Vijay Antony | ||
| 2008 | Nesi | Sirpy | |||
| 2009 | Vannathupoochi | "Katril Katril" | Rehan | ||
| 2014 | Un Samayal Arayil |
| Ilaiyaraaja | ||
| 2015 | Dharani |
| Yensone Bakyanathan | ||
| 2022 | Maamanithan | Raja family | |||
| 2022 | Kantara (D) |
| B. Ajaneesh Loknath | ||
| 2001 | Aanandha Bhavan | Sun TV | Intha Vanathin Keezha Vazhum | Yuvan Shankar Raja | ||
| 2001 | Kavyanjali | Star Vijay | Pasathil Irandu Paravai | Aravind Siddhartha | ||
| 2003 | Kolangal | Sun TV | "Kolangal Kolangal Azhagana Kolangal" | D. Imman | ||
| "Poovil Oru Idhalaga Piranthirunthal" "Kanbathenna Kanavo Kanimazhalai Ninaivo" "Kalyana Karunyaam Nithya" "Vazhi Meethu Vizhi Vaithu Kaathirukindren" "Kanavil Karuvai Sumakindrom" "Vanam Pole Valimaikkonda" "Singara Tamizhe" | Kiran | |||||
| 2005 | Malargal | Sun TV | "Arisi Mavale Kolam Podu" | Vijay Antony | ||
| 2007 | Magal | Sun TV | "Aariraro Aariraro" | Rajhesh Vaidhya | ||
| 2008 | Bhuvaneswari | Sun TV | ||||
| 2012 | Sondha Bandham | Sun TV | "Vanathil Vennilavu" | Bunty & Sunitha Sarathy | ||
| 2015 | Kula Deivam | Sun TV | "Achuvellam Pacharasi Mavilakku" | Sanjeev Rathan |
| 1997 | Tamil Nadu State Film Award | Best Lyricist | For Kadhalukku Mariyadhai | [10] | ||
| 1998 | Kalaimamani | Film Personality | The highest civilian award in the state of Tamil Nadu, India | [11] | ||
| 2021 | Kaviko Award | [12] |