Balu bandwagon rolls on

The Hindu (AP edition), July 15, 2001

Thirty-five years and over 35,000 songs. Roly-poly, ever-smiling and genial. Humility personified. And the voice? It rolls on. Suresh Krishnamoorthy catches up with the evergreen singer, Padmashree Dr. Sripathi Panditharadhyula Balasubrahmanyam -- our very own S.P. Balu - on a recent visit to the city.

BALU'S BIO is as big as his persona. For over the years his stature in the singing firmament has only gone a few notches up what with the versatile singer himself playing the 'big brother' to budding singers.

Amiable and highly talented, as he's always, Balu says: "My entry into the world of playback singing was purely providential." All he wanted was an engineering degree. And he attended the JNTU College in Anantapur for a year also, before typhoid forced him to return home.

As fate would have it, he 'engineered' himself to be a singer, a good one at that. His tryst with singing began in 1966. And as times passed by he emerged sole heir apparent to the great Ghantasala. And this cherubic personality's versatility in singing not only in Telugu and Tamil but also in Kannada, Malayalam, Hindi, Tulu, Oriya, Assamese and Punjabi is second to none.

But what it takes to be a singer? The super singer quips in a snap: "A good voice, dedication and disciplined practice. That's all." No wonder, he had won the National Best Singer Award for his rendition for the film, 'Sankarabharanarn', in 1979. And again for in Hindi film, 'Ek Duje Ke Liye'.

Is it not essential for singers to go through training in classical music and 'ragas'? "Not necessarily. Take me for instance, I used to take part in music competitions in school. In one of those competitions, S. Janaki, a versatile singer herself, while giving away a prize told me that I had a good voice and could try playback singing."

"I didn't take it seriously then. But later, S.P. Kodandapani, music director, gave me my first break in 'Sri Sri Sri Maryada Ramanna'," recalls the irrepressible singer.

There was no looking back since then. He dominated the scene for decades before the present crop of young guns took over. But no regrets.

"It's good that so many youngsters are coming up now," he says earnestly. Is he game for the challenge to keep his voice intact? "I sing at least for about seven hours a day. Isn't that enough? I do pranayama, consisting of inhalation and exhalation".

Does Balu do any exercise to keep his mind and the body in condition? He leads into a big laugh. "Would I have put on so much weight if I had done exercises? As far as the mind is concerned, I think only about the good things in life and mean no harm to anyone".

But how does he keep his voice in good condition? "By drinking as many Cokes as I can and by eating ice-creams everyday without fail!" Some Coke for thought this!

The man yodels a laKishore Kumar so perfectly that you are stumped that it wasn't NTR who was singing 'Janani Janmabhoomishcha...' in 'Bobbilipuli or Chiru humming 'Vanavana velluvaye..' in 'Gangleader' but it was Balu the great only.

This Telugu bidda of S.P. Sambamurthy, a Harikatha exponent, is also good at histrionics and has acted in 45 movies in Tamil, Telugu and Kannada. A smart CBI officer in 'Donga Donga' or good-humoured papa in 'Premikudu' and 'Rakshakudu' and more - he played the characters with aplomb. Comedy being his forte, SPB excelled in a variety of roles with ease.

And then, can you stop the 'Balu bandwagon'? You bet it...you can't.