It is hard
to believe that S.P.Balasubramaniyam is no more! His demise has actually
created a vacuum marking the end of an era! Reportedly, he has rendered 41,230
songs in about 17 languages bagging National Award for Best Male Singer 6 times
in 4 languages –Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Hindi, a unique record created by
him which no other Indian playback singer has achieved so far!
Yet another
record creator in recording maximum songs in a day, reportedly- 21 songs in
Kannada, 18 songs in Tamil & 16 songs in Hindi! Reportedly, he has song
nearly 15,000 songs in Kannada, about 11,000 in Tamil & about 10,000 in
Telugu! Over 4000 songs in other languages including Hindi!
SPB received the state NTR National Award for
his contributions to Indian cinema. He was honoured with the Indian Film
Personality of the Year consisting of a Silver Peacock Medal. He was a
recipient of the Padma
Shri (2001) and Padma Bhushan (2011) from the Government of India.
SPB debuted
as a playback singer in Sri Sri Sri Maryada Rammana in 1966 under the auspices
of composer, P.Kodandapani in whose memory, SPB named his recording studio at
Chennai.
Though he
began singing for films from 1966, the biggest break for him was rendering
playback for the late matinee idol, M.G.R. in Adimai Penn in 1969, tuned in by
K.V.Mahadevan. (Aayiram Nilave Vaa, penned by Pulamaipithan). As a matter of
fact, SPB fell sick but M.G.R. opted to wait for about a month to get the song
recorded!
Interestingly, it was M.S.Viswanathan who made
him sing first along with L.R.Eswari in Hotel Rambha but the film was shelved
but MSV again gave him a break in Shanthi Nilayam(along with P.Susheela the
song, Iyarkai Yennum Ilaya Kanni..., penned by Kannadasan), letting him sing a
duet prior to Adimai Penn but Adimai Penn released first!
Both in
Adimai Penn and Shanthi Nilayam, P.Susheela was SPB’s co-singer and it is very
significant to mention that the duo has rendered 3000 duets in 6 languages,
which is certainly a record of sorts!
SPB’s first
song for Sivaji Ganesan was in Sumathi En Sundari (1971). Prior to recording
the song, Pottu Vaitha Mugamo, SPB met Sivaji and sought his blessings while
seeking suggestions as to how to go about singing for him! Sivaji simply said,
‘You sing in your own style, I shall adjust accordingly and act in the song sequence!’
Sivaji had remarked thus as it was a unwritten law that only TMS’s voice would
suit him!
SPB had high
regards for T.M.Soundarrajan and used to say, No one can sing like TMS in such
an unblemished manner!
He also
loved Mohammed Rafi and was his ardent fan!
Once when
Rafi came to Chennai for a recording, SPB who had just started his career, came
near Rafi touched his feet and ran away! Such was his passion and respect for
Rafi.
SPB was
always very humble and respected all. He was very soft spoken and enjoyed the
goodwill of all in the film industry!
Like the way
TMS was considered as the voice of both M.G.R. and Sivaji Ganesan, SPB was the
voice of both Kamal Hassan and Rajnikanth during the peak of their careers!
SPB was the
voice of Mohan too, affectionately referred to as Mike Mohan as he played a
singer in very many films! Mohan used to say that SPB was born to sing for him (Mohan!)
Sankarabharanam
(Telugu, 1980) was a milestone in SPB’s career which earned him his 1st
National Award! Though the film was based on classical music, SPB, who did not
have any formal training, was trained by Pugazhendi, K.V.Mahadevan’s trusted
lieutenant who trained SPB and the outcome was too well known!
K.Balachandar’s Maro Charitra (1978) was a landmark film in
Telugu and SPB rendered playback for Kamal Hassan in that, the film’s music
composed by M.S.Viswanathan. When L.V.Prasad bankrolled its remade in Hindi as
Ek Duje Ke Liye(1981), SPB sang songs for Kamal in that too, the film scored by
Lakshmikanth Pyarelal.
SPB reigned
supremacy at Bollywood for quite a while but he dominated the South Indian Film
industry for long!
His pairing
with Lata Mangeshkar gained him instant acceptance at Bollywood as he proved a
perfect match in rendering songs with her! He was the oice of Salman Khan for
long since the days of Maine Pyaar Kiya!
The silky
smooth voice with which he rendered his songs won him wide acclaims!
SPB has
given away his ancestral house at Nellore to Sankara Mutt which will soon be a
Vedha Paada Saalai.
His father,
Sri. Sambhamurthy, was a Harikadha Exponent and was an ardent devotee of Saint
Thyagaraja.
SPB turned a composer with Kanyakumari (Telugu, 1977) .
He turned an actor with K.Balachandar's Manadil Urudhi Vendum (Tamil,1987)>
He was also a producer as well as a
dubbing artiste and used to dub for Kamal Hassan in Telugu.
SPB was
humility personified and maintained the same grace and poise found in his
rendering for the screen in real life too!
Indeed it
was a God given gift that his voice remained youthful even past his 70s after
having had a chequered career in playback singing for over half a century!
Await his
song in Rajnikanth’s forthcoming film, Annathey tuned in by D.Imman which has
already been recorded!
SPB was a PR
person by attitude and would go great distances to help others while still
retaining and maintaining his modesty!
An era has
ended!
The singing
super star will sing no more but his immortal songs will live forever;
eventually, his memories too will linger in the minds of millions of his devout
fans forever!
The Master
is no more but his masterly songs will be heard all the more!
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