S P Balasubrahmanyam: An archive photo of the singer and Kamal Haasan. (courtesy: ikamalhaasan)
Strong points
- S P Balasubrahmanyam died in a hospital in Chennai
- Kamal Haasan visited the hospital a day before the singer’s death
- Kamal Haasan saw himself as the face of SPB’s voice
New Delhi:
S P Balasubrahmanyam was like his older brother, actor Kamal Haasan said after the iconic singer’s death on Friday. SPB, 74, died in Chennai hospital he was taken away after testing positive for COVID-19 on August 5. Despite testing negative for the virus earlier this month, Mr Balasubrahmanyam could not be removed from the ventilator and on Thursday was placed on maximum life support after his health deteriorated; Kamal Haasan visited the hospital on Thursday evening. Tributes from the film and music industry flooded social media after SPB’s death; Kamal Haasan, one of the three actors most closely associated with Mr. Balasubrahmanyam (the other two are Rajinikanth and Salman Khan), also spoke at a virtual press conference.
Explaining why he regarded SP Balasubrahmanyam as his brother, Kamal Haasan said: “It was not only because he was someone I regarded highly, but because he had been with me during my ups and downs. low. SPB was so emotional about me that even when you say nice things about me he starts to feel emotional and that’s one of the reasons why in case you want to make SPB cry, you just say to nice things about me and you will see him wipe away his tears. thank you for becoming an actor because that’s the kind of relationship we had. I pushed him to act and literally brought him in front the camera as an actor. “
Kamal Haasan explained how S P Balasubrahmanyam “molded his voice” to suit not only a particular hero, but also the character being played. When Mr. Haasan, a man in different hats, sang, SPB was always encouraging. “You did a good job. Let me just make some corrections,” he said.
Kamal Haasan has stated that he sees life and death as two chapters of the same book and that is why he sees SPB’s death as an extension of life itself. SPB will live on in his mind and his mind, the actor said.
S P Balasubrahmanyam was like Kamal Haasan’s PR agent because he always spoke about the actor at every opportunity. “I never thought I would develop such a deep bond with SPB,” Mr. Haasan said. Kamal Haasan’s face and SPB’s voice were so closely linked that producers and audiences alike have always demanded that SPB sing for him in every movie.
Look here:
After the death of S P Balasubrahmanyam, Kamal Haasan shared a piece of memories in the form of a video. Some of the photographs were from the duo’s early years in the industry, while others were relatively recent. Kamal Haasan paid homage to S P Balasubrahmanyam with these words: “It is my luck that I have long been the shadow image of the voice of SPB. His fame will live on for 7 generations.”
Here is what Kamal Haasan posted:
pic.twitter.com/9P4FGJSL4T
– Kamal Haasan (@ikamalhaasan) September 25, 2020
Kamal Haasan and S P Balasubrahmanyam have a long history. They have worked together in several films. SPB was the voice of Kamal Haasan in many pieces, some of which were Sorgham Madhuvile, Vaartha, Ore Jeevan, Orey Naal Unainaan, Aadungal, Manmatha Leelai, and Engeyum Eppodham among many others. A film by Kamal Haasan – Ek Duuje Ke Liye – also made his debut in Hindi and won him a National Award. SPB also doubled for Kamal Haasan in Telugu films including Dasavathaaram in which he voiced the seven characters played by the actor.
Last year, to celebrate both Kamal Haasan’s birthday and his 60th birthday in cinema, S P Balasubrahmanyam performed at a special concert titled “Kamalum Naanum” (Kamal and I).
In August, Kamal Haasan tweeted that for several years, SPB had been his voice and he had been the face of SPB.
– Kamal Haasan (@ikamalhaasan) Aug 16, 2020
S P Balasubrahmanyam, will be remembered for his vast body of work, which includes more than 40,000 songs in 16 languages. The legendary singer has won six national awards and has frequently collaborated with Ilaiyaraaja, AR Rahman and other music composers. He also received the Padma Shri and the Padma Bhushan. He is survived by his wife Savitri, his daughter Pallavi and his son S P B Charan, who is also a singer and producer.
