'Kolaveri' still remains a mystery. The song which has been derided by many reputed names in the film and music industry, is still running hot among the masses.On Monday, March 26 the song, sung by actor Dhanush, for the film '3', directed by his wife Aishwarya Rajinikanth Dhanush, had crossed the 50 million mark in number of hits on YouTube. Critics argue that 'Kolaveri Di' isn't actually a song at all; that it is just a meaningless arrangement of words intertwined together using noise in a very amateurish style.

“I can't stand the song. It evokes no sentiments in me and makes me think that people have started enjoying stupid things,” is singer Shaan's comment about the song.

And true enough, 21 year old Anirudh Ravichander, the music composer of '3', had composed the tune for the song in 10 minutes, when director Aishwarya Rajinikanth Dhanush asked for a light hearted song on a failed love. The lyrics were  written by Dhanush in 20 minutes. In half an hour, the record-breaking song was created by the duo. What is it that has contributed to the raging popularity of the song that has breached all borders - linguistic, political and geographical?

“When I was writing down the lyrics, I kept in mind all the English words that are used in the Tamil vocabulary. I just framed them into sentences and that's how I came up with this song,” Dhanush had explained about writing the lyrics that had created havoc amongst music listeners all around the world.

“What got the song such global appeal is its simplicity. The tune of the song could be hummed by anyone from anywhere in the world. Plus the words used can't get any simpler. Forget understanding the meaning when it comes to people who don't know Tamil – how many of us think about the meaning of 'Un dos tres..' sung by Ricky Martin while humming the song to ourselves, or the more recent 'Shamina mina...' by Shakira. What 'Kolaveri' has accomplished is to create the perfect blend of catchy tune and easy words that do not need to be understood to be enjoyed,” opines Shyam, a guitarist.

Yet there is more to 'Kolaveri' than the catchy tune and easily hummable words. The vocals in the song utilise the singing style of Tamil folk culture and the rhythm has been created using ancient folk instruments. Dhanush sings the song, baring the inadequate grasp he has on the English language, a fact that he never was embarrassed to speak about, out in the open. And that's where the true reason for 'Kolaveri' taking over the world lies.

Unlike the 'proud' Malayalis, Tamilians place their mother tongue and their culture above all others. Whatever has come to them from across the seas, have been effectively 'Tamilised' by them, whether it is music or  language. Malayalis still can't bear to think of hearing a rap song in Malayalam, but the Tamil people can and they have done it through a number of emerging talents. The love and persistence with their language has helped Tamil films match Hindi films in global reach, as the non-residential Tamil people still demand only Tamil films, wherever in the world they might be.