Gearing up for Carnatic concert

The Hindu, November 18, 2001

"The character in the film was a personification of classical music. If something went wrong, people would have blamed me." But Pugazhenthi, the assistant music director, was adamant. He felt there was lot of drama to be performed in the songs and only SPB could deliver. "I took a lot of effort for the film. Time and luck were on my side." He won his first National Award for Best Playback Singer for the film in 1979.

It almost turned out to be a curse, "After 'Sankara Bharanam' everyone thought I could sing any song, but it was not so. There were many occasions where I could not do justice to the songs." 

For someone who sings classical in films –"actually light or semi classical" like he was born for it, SPB does not consider himself an exponent of Carnatic music. He's not ready for a full fledged concert yet, he says.

"If I seriously concentrate for a year or two I will be able to do a stage concert. I have to religiously train at least three days a week. Though not as busy as earlier, I am finding it very difficult to find time." His call-sheets may not be cluttered anymore, but the SPB of the future will be sitting cross legged on stage. "There are no second thoughts about it... I will definitely hold a Carnatic concert."

"But you can't learn just three or four keertanas and hold a concert. You should be able to innovate and that should be the capacity of the singer on stage. My intention is to be a regular singer like anyone else."

That, from someone who's won six National Awards and the Padma Shri this year. From a singer whose repertoire ranges from Indian folk to Western, Carnatic to Hindustani.

His 1995 National Award was for a Kannada film, 'Gaana Yogi Panchashari Gavai' (GYPG), with a classical Hindustani base. .'I sang four songs in GYPG of which two - 'Umang Gumand' and  'Gaana Vidhya Bahut Katin Hai'  were really 'katin' for me. The songs were in the Gharana of Dharwad style. I took six months running away from the film." 

He had about 15 years in the industry and a reputation for his soulful renditions when he was called to 'audition' for 'Ek Duje Ke Liye', which fetched him his second National Award in 1981. "The composers, Laxmikant-Pyarelal, were not comfortable with me to start with. But Balachander explained that the character portrayed by Kamal Hassan comes from the South and does not speak Hindi well. I knew the movie would be a success but never thought it would fetch me a National Award. Actually, I was surprised I didn't get a Filmfare Award for it. Kishoreji got it that year."

Though not a keen awards gatherer, who preferred taking things as they came, he had his share of disappointments. "The only time I was very sure of an award and didn't get it was for 'Annamaya', a Telugu movie." It still rankles him strong. 

Was he surprised by 'Minsara Kanavu', his last National Award in 1996? "I was surprised. I was surprised. Because my most favourite song in the film was "Vennilave Verinilave'. During the recording the music composer A.R. Rahman and director Rajiv Menon were insistent on a lazy crooning style like you just got up from bed. A labouriously lazy way of singing. It was not easy and I took quite some time to get into the groove for the song."

The one sore note in his 35-year career comes from 'Mayuri'. SPB had done the score for the original Telugu film. The Hindi version was done by Laxmikant-Pyarelal but the title song, which won the Swami Haridas Award for Best Classical Song, was recorded by SPB. "As its composer, I should have taken the award but L-P took the award."

SPB has scored music for more than 50 films despite a "lack of formal training". But he had a simple technique: "I would sing the songs and my assistants would write the notations. I had excellent assistants."

But the present day music scene is not for him. "I won't fit into it. I don't have any knowledge of Western music. My strains will be more on Hindustani or Classical mix. It should have beautiful situations and poignant lyrics. That is my definition of a film song."

He never tried to become a singer, never dreamt of becoming one: "I was a thin, tiny lad and my voice had just attained puberty then (late 60s). It just happened. When I go back 20-25 years I don't know how I could give such beautiful dimensions to my songs. I still wonder... I don't have the answers."