Sripathi Panditaradhyula Balasubrahmanyam ; born 4 June 1946) is an Indian playback singer, actor, music director,voice actor and film producer. He is sometimes referred to as S. P. B. or Balu. He won the National Film Award for Best Male Playback Singer six times. He won the Nandi Awards 25 times from Government of Andhra Pradesh.
He has sung over 40,000 songs in various Indian languages. He is the only playback singer in India to have won National Film Awards across four languages. He has also won a Filmfare Award, three Filmfare Awards South and numerous state awards from Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. He is a recipient of civilian awards such as Padmashri (2001) and Padma Bhushan (2011) from the government of India.
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Early life and background
Balasubrahmanyam developed an interest towards music at an early age, studied notations and learned to play instruments such as the harmonium and flute on his own while listening to his father. His father wanted him to become an engineer, which brought him to Anantapur, where he enrolled for the Engineering course at JNTU College of Engineering Anantapur. Later he discontinued the course due to typhoid, and then joined as an Associate Member of the Institution of Engineers, Chennai. Meanwhile, he also pursued his hobby and won awards at many singing competitions. In 1964, he won the first prize in a music competition for amateur singers organised by the Madras-based Telugu Cultural Organisation, and earned his first opportunity from music director S. P. Kodandapani.Balasubrahmanyam was born to S. P. Sambamurthy in Konetammapeta of Madras Presidency, present day Nellore district in Andhra Pradesh. Balasubrahmanyam's father was a Harikathaartist who had also acted in plays. He has two brothers and five sisters. He is the elder brother of singer S.P. Sailaja.He is married to Savitri and has two children, Pallavi and S. P. B. Charan who is a playback singer and film producer as well.
After dropping out of engineering, Balasubrahmayam used to regularly visit music composers seeking for opportunities to sing. The first song that he sang for an audition was, "Nilave Ennidam Nerungadhe", a melody rendered by veteran playback singer P. B. Srinivas. It was P. B. Srinivas who used to write and give him some multi-lingual verses in Telugu, Tamil, Hindi, Kannada, Malayalam, Sanskrit, English and Urdu.[8]
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Playback singing career
Balasubrahmanyam has sung more than 40,000 songs in different Indian languages.
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Early career: 1960s
Before becoming a cinema singer, Balasubrahmanyam was the leader of a light music troupe composed of Anirutta (on the harmonium), Ilaiyaraaja (on guitar and later on harmonium), Baskar (on percussion), and Gangai Amaran (on guitar). Balasubrahmanyam made his debut as a playback singer on 15 December 1966 with Sri Sri Sri Maryada Ramanna,a Telugu film scored by his mentor, S. P. Kodandapani.He was selected as the best singer in a singing competition which was judged by S. P. Kodandapani and the legendary singer Ghantasala.Balasubrahmanyam was selected as the best singer. He recorded his first non-Telugu song in the Kannada movie Nakkare Ade Swarga for the song "Kanasido Nanasido" with P. Susheela in 1967.
He recorded his first Tamil song in the 1969 film Shanthi Nilaiyam starring Gemini Ganesan and the song is " Eyarkai ennum illaya kanni". He sang "Aayiram Nilavae Vaa" for M.G.R in the Tamil film Aadimai Pennwhich released first before Shanthi nilayam could release. He was introduced to Malayalam film industry by R. K. Shekhar in the film Yogamullava. In 1969 he sang "Ee Kadalum Marukadalum" from the film Kadalppalam in Malayalam.
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Prominence in south: 1970s
He received his first National Film Award for Best Male Playback Singer in 1980 for the Telugu film Shankarabharanam, a film directed by K. Vishwanath. In 1976, he recorded up to 23 songs, including 15 duets with P. Susheela in a single day. For Kannada composer Upendra Kumar, Balasubrahmanyam recorded 16 songs in just 6 hours. Again for Ram Laxman, he recorded six songs in 4 hours in Mumbai. Between three recording theatres in Mumbai, he sang 17 songs in a day for Anand-Milind.
He is the first recipient of the "Ghantasala National Award" named after the famous and legendary singer Ghantasala Venkateswara Rao, and whom Balasubrahmanyam admires a lot. He has often referred to himself as "Ekalavya Sishya" (untutored disciple) of Ghantasala
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Bollywood entry: 1980s
Balasubrahmanyam's first break in Hindi films was Ek Duje Ke Liye (1981), for which he received the National Film Award for Best Male Playback Singer.He was playback singer for Bollywoodactor Salman Khan in most of his movies from 1989 to 1995.For example, in movies like Hum Aapke Hain Koun..! and Andaz Apna Apna, all songs pictured on Salman Khan are sung by him. They were very well received and remembered even to this day due to his voice's apt setting with Salman Khan.
In the 1990s he worked with composers like Vidyasagar, M. M. Keeravani, S. A. Rajkumar, but his association with A.R.Rahman turned out be a major success.
The song "Umandu Ghumandu" from the Kannada film Ganayogi Panchakshari Gavayi (1995) was based on Hindustani classical music, for which he received his 4th National Film Award for Best Male Playback Singer.
Actor
As an actor he played in films like Pakkinti Ammayi, Parvathaalu Paanakalu, Pelli Varamandi, Kalyanathasava, Malle Pandiri, Raja Hamsa, Keladi Kanmani, Minsara Kanavu, Manathil Uruthi Vendum, Thiruda Thiruda, Kanmani, Sigaram, Maya, Avvai Shanmugi, Ratchagan, Nandhini, Kadhalan, Prema Maha Yedabidargi, Maya Bazaar. He received the Nandi Award for Best Supporting Actor for the Telugu movie Pavithra Bandham (1996) from the Government of Andhra Pradesh.
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Music composer
He has composed music for around 40 films and albums like Seethamma Pelli, Bharyamani, Sandarbha, Bangaru Chilaka, Mayuri, Ramanna Shyamanna, Ksherasaagara, Devaralle Dane,Belliyappa Bangarappa beside few films like Muddina Maava, Sigaram, Unnai Charanadaithaen, Padamati Sandhya Ragam in Telugu, Hindi Tamil and Kannada languages. He also owns a production company called Kodandapani Film Circuits (now Captain cine creations) and produces film under this banner. Films like Subha Sankalpam, Bhamane Satya Bhamane were produced by him.
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Television career
He began a Tamil serial with actress Lakshmi called En Jannal Vandha directed by K. Balachander. He hosts many music shows in Telugu television including Paadutha Theeyaga on E-TV,Paadalani Undi on MAA TV, a very popular Kannada show called Ede Thumbi Haaduvenu on E-TV Kannada, and the Tamil shows Ennodu Paattu Paadungal on Jaya TV and Vaanampaadi onKalaignar TV. He also anchors a music show called Sunada Vinodini on TTD Channel. He is a judge on ETV Telugu's Paduta Teeyaga. This is a semi-classical music competition airing on Monday evenings.
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Voice actor
Balasubrahmanyam accidentally became a dubbing artist with Kamal Hassan's film Manmadha Leela, the dubbed version of Manmadha Leelai.[28] He has also provided voice-overs for various artists, including Kamal Haasan, Rajinikanth, Salman Khan, K. Bhagyaraj, Mohan, Anil Kapoor, Girish Karnad, Gemini Ganesan, Arjun Sarja, Nagesh, Karthik and Raghuvaran in various languages. He was assigned as the default dubbing artist for Kamal Hassan in Telugu dubbed versions of Tamil films and vice versa. For the Telugu version of Dasavathaaram he gave voice to 7 characters (including the female character) out of 10 characters played by Kamal Hassan.He was awarded Best Dubbing Artist for the films Annamayya and Sri Sai Mahima.
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