Be it through his singing, dubbing work, films, or humanitarian work, SP Balasubrahmanyam has influenced everyone across generations in some way or the other. Four musicians from Malayalam cinema — Nadirsha, Jakes Bejoy, Kailas Menon, and Niranj Suresh — talk about what made S P Balasubrahmanyam special in their eyes
Nadirsha, actor, filmmaker, composer
We haven’t had enough of him. This is so unexpected. He was still active and his voice evergreen. In Hindi, he was on par with someone like Mohammed Rafi. It’s a big loss for Hindi cinema. Personally speaking, his song ‘Shankara’ was the one I sang in all my stage shows, for years. I started singing on stage in the 7th grade, and it was with ‘Shankara’ that I always began. I wished to have him sing a track in a film of mine. I once tried to get him for a Tamil film I had worked on, but he was abroad at the time. Another speciality of his was that he was as good at fast numbers as he was with melodies. Both were equally wonderful. No one has his level of energy. He was a true Bhava Gayakan.
Kailas Menon, composer
I got to work with him in 2007 for an ad. I was 21 or 22 at the time, and when the track didn’t come out well, he would ask, “Can we do one more take, sir?” I was surprised that he called me sir. He didn’t have to. He was respectful of all and treated everyone with courtesy. It was in the 90s that I noticed his work, through the songs composed by AR Rahman. I particularly liked ‘Anjali Anjali’ and ‘Kadhal Rojave’. It was after going to Chennai that I got to explore the work he did with Ilaiyaraaja.
Niranj Suresh, singer
He was the most versatile of all the singers I’ve seen, someone who has been an influence on my singing style to an extent. I also liked the performer aspect of his. He was also a good actor. He was an all-rounder that way. One song that made an impact was ‘Engheyum Eppodhum’. Even if you take a recent track, like from Petta, the anu pallavi portion of it was really something. He had an incredible range, with an extraordinary ability to do highs and lows with equal finesse.
Jakes Bejoy, composer
SPB was a legend in every sense. His was a wonderful, well-lived journey. His work will endure for hundreds of years. Though I did not get a chance to work with him, I’ve heard that he was a very down-to-earth human being. I particularly loved his ‘Kappaleri Poyaachu’, ‘Kattukkulle Manasukkulle’, and ‘Sundari Kannaal Oru Sethi’ in particular. And one can’t imagine a Rajinikanth film without his voice backing some of the scenes. The songs in Padayappa, Muthu, and Arunachalam were all fantastic, especially ‘Oruvan Oruvan Muthalali’ which embodied heroism. There won’t be another voice like him.