New Delhi .SP Balasubrahmanyam was a veteran singer of Indian cinema, whose voice created a special identity among the audience for many decades. He died on 25 September 2020. On his death anniversary, his long musical journey and popular songs of Hindi cinema are being remembered. Especially in the 80s and 90s, his voice became a part of the songs of many popular films.
Born on 4 June 1946, Balasubramaniam studied engineering. However, his love for music brought him to the world of singing. After leaving studies, he started participating in music competitions. He started his career as a playback singer on 15 December 1966 with the Telugu film 'Sri Sri Sri Maryada Ramanna'.
Apart from Hindi, Balasubramaniam sang in many Indian languages including Telugu, Tamil, Kannada and Malayalam. His career lasted for nearly five decades. During this period he recorded more than 40 thousand songs in 16 Indian languages. He also holds the Guinness World Record for recording the most number of songs.
Records related to his singing were also special. He recorded 21 songs in Kannada, 19 in Tamil and 16 in Hindi in one day. He received the National Film Award six times for his excellent singing in different languages. He was awarded the Padma Shri in 2001 and the Padma Bhushan in 2011 for his contribution to cinema.
His journey in Hindi films started with 'Ek Duje Ke Liye' released in 1981. After this his voice was heard in the songs of many popular films. Her voice became especially popular in Salman Khan's films and songs from films like 'Maine Pyar Kiya', 'Hum Aapke Hain Koun' and 'Saajan' further increased her popularity.
'Aaja Shaam Hone Aayi' from 'Maine Pyar Kiya' is included in his famous performances. The lyrics of this song filmed on Salman Khan and Bhagyashree were written by Dev Kohli. He sang 'Dil Deewana' from this film with Lata Mangeshkar. The song was filmed on Salman Khan and Bhagyashree and its music was composed by Ram Laxman.
'Mere Rang Mein Rangne Wali' is also included in his memorable performances. 'Pehla Pehla Pyaar Hai' from 'Hum Aapke Hain Koun' was released in 1994 and featured Salman Khan and Madhuri Dixit.
'Bahut Pyaar Karte Hain' and 'Dekha Hai Pehli Baar' from 'Saajan' are also associated with his popular voice. In 'Dekha Hai Pehli Baar' he lent his voice to Alka Yagnik. He sang 'Saathiya Tune Kya Kiya' from the film 'Love' with Chitra. Its lyrics were written by Majrooh Sultanpuri and music was given by Anand-Milind.
He sang 'Hum Bane Tum Bane' from 'Ek Duje Ke Liye' with Lata Mangeshkar. Apart from this, 'Kabhi Tu Chhaliya Lagta Hai' from 'Paththar Ke Phool' was also included in his memorable performances. His voice was heard along with Lata Mangeshkar in this song and it was filmed on Raveena Tandon and Salman Khan. Through these songs, Balasubramaniam's voice will be remembered for a long time in the music history of Hindi cinema.