“I was the shadow image of SP Balasubrahmanyam’s voice,” writes Kamal Haasan

SP Balasubrahmanyam: A file photo of the singer and Kamal Haasan. (courtesy: ikamalhaasan)

New Delhi:

SP Balasubrahmanyam was like his older brother, actor Kamal Haasan said after the iconic singer’s death on Friday. SPB, 74, died in the Chennai hospital where he had been taken after testing positive for COVID-19 on August 5. Despite testing negative for the virus earlier this month, Mr. maximum life support could not be removed after his health deteriorated; Kamal Haasan visited the hospital on Thursday night. 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 Balasubrahmanyam (the other two being Rajinikanth and Salman Khan), also addressed a virtual press conference.

Speaking about why he considered SP Balasubrahmanyam his brother, Kamal Haasan said: “It was not just because he was someone I considered very high, but because he had been with me during my ups and downs. SPB was so excited for me that Even when you say nice things about me, he starts to get excited and that’s one of the reasons why, in case you want to make SPB cry, you just say nice things about me and you will see him wipe his tears. The credit that he became an actor because that’s the kind of relationship we had. I pushed him to act and literally put him in front of the camera as an actor. “

Kamal Haasan explained how SP Balasubrahmanyam would “shape his voice” to suit not only a particular hero, but also the character played. When Mr. Haasan, a man in different hats, sang, SPB was always encouraging. “You have done a good job. Let me make some corrections,” it read.

Kamal Haasan said that he sees life and death as two chapters in the same book and that is why he thinks of SPB’s death as an extension of life itself. SPB will continue to live in your thoughts and mind, the actor said.

SP Balasubrahmanyam was like Kamal Haasan’s PR officer because he always spoke to the actor at every opportunity. “I never thought I would develop such a deep bond with SPB,” Haasan said. So intertwined were Kamal Haasan’s face and SPB’s voice that producers and audiences always demanded that SPB sing for him in every movie.

Look here:

After the death of SP Balasubrahmanyam, Kamal Haasan shared a lot of memories in video form. Some of the photos were from the duo’s early years in the industry, while others were relatively recent. Kamal Haasan paid tribute to SP Balasubrahmanyam with these words: “It is my good luck to have been the shadow image of SPB’s voice for a long time. His fame will live on for 7 generations.”

This is what Kamal Haasan posted:

pic.twitter.com/9P4FGJSL4T

– Kamal Haasan (@ikamalhaasan) September 25, 2020

Kamal Haasan and SP Balasubrahmanyam go back a long way. They worked together on various films. SPB was the voice of Kamal Haasan on many tracks, some of which were Sorgham Madhuvile, Vaartha, Ore Jeevan, Orey Naal Unainaan, Aadungal, Manmatha Leelai, Y Engeyum Eppodham Among many others. A film by Kamal Haasan – Ek Duuje Ke Liye – it was also SPB’s Hindi debut and earned him a National Award. SPB also dubbed Kamal Haasan in Telugu movies, including Dasavathaaram in which he expressed the seven characters played by the actor.

Last year, to celebrate both Kamal Haasan’s birthday and his 60 years in film, SP Balasubrahmanyam performed in 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) August 16, 2020

SP Balasubrahmanyam, will be remembered for his extensive work, which includes more than 40,000 songs in 16 languages. The legendary singer was the winner of six national awards and frequently collaborated with Ilaiyaraaja, AR Rahman and other musical composers. He also received the Padma Shri and the Padma Bhushan. He is survived by his wife Savitri, daughter Pallavi, and son SPB Charan, who is also a singer and producer.