S. P. Sailaja
Sailaja in 1999
Background information
Origin	Andhra Pradesh, India
Genres	playback singing, Indian classical
Occupations	Singer, voice actor
Years active	1978–2003

Sripathi Panditaradhyula Sailaja (Telugu: శ్రీపతి పండితారాధ్యుల శైలజ) is an Indian singer. She has lent her voice to Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam and Kannada films. She has sung about 5000 songs to date.

Early life[link]

She was born in Konetammapeta in the Nellore district of Andhra Pradesh . Her father SP Sambamurthy was a well-known exponent of Harikatha and her brother S. P. Balasubrahmanyam is a prolific singer in Telugu, Tamil, Hindi, Kannada, Malayalam and many other languages.

Career[link]

Voice acting[link]

Sailaja has occasionally worked as a voice actor and spoken dubbing for various artistes including Tabu, Sonali Bendre and Sridevi among others.

Acting[link]

Sailaja has acted in a single film Saagara Sangamam, a Telugu venture directed by K. Viswanath, in which she played the role of a classical dancer; it was later dubbed into Tamil as Salangai Oli.

Personal life[link]

She is married to Subhalekha Sudhakar, a Tollywood actor. The couple have a son, Sreekar.

Besides a playback singer, she is also a classical dancer.

Filmography[link]

Actress[link]

Playback singer[link]

• Unnai Charanadainthaen (2003)
• Mrugaraaju (2001)
• Aawaragaadu (2000)
• Annamayya (1997)
• Subha Sankalpam (1995)
• Aagraham (1993)
• Siva Shakthi (1991)
• Pelli Pusthakam (1991)
• Appula Appa Rao (1991)
• Suthradharulu (1990)
• Kokila (1989)
• Raja Chinna Roja (1989)
• Swara Kalpana (1989)
• Bava Marudula Sawal (1988)
• Rudra Veena (1988)
• Swayam Krushi (1987)
• Sri Kanaka Mahalakshmi Recording Dance Troupe (1987)
• Magadheerudu (1986)
• Padamati Sandhya Ragam (1986)
• Mr. Bharath (1986)
• Sirivennela (1986)
• Thazhuvaatha Kaigal (1986)
• Sur Sangam (1985)
• Jackie (1985)
• Swathi (1985)
• Swathi Muthyam (1985)
• Mayuri (1984)
• Janani Janmabhoomi (1984)
• Rendu Jella Sita (1983)
• Saagara Sangamam (1983)
• Sitaara (1983)
• Subhalekha (1982)
• Aagaaya Gangai (1982)
• Seethakoka Chilaka (1981)
• Vamsa Vriksham (1980)
• Mosagadu (1980)
• Sankarabharanam (1979)
• Mana Voori Pandavulu (1978)
• Pranam Kareedu (1978)
• Shivaranjani (1978)

Dubbing artist[link]

• Vasantha Kokila (for Sridevi) (1983)
• Guna (for Rekha) (1991)
• Ninne Pelladutha (for Tabu) (1996)
• Aavida Maa Aavide (for Tabu) (1998)
• Murari (for Sonali Bendre) (2001)

External links[link]

• Sailaja S. P. at the Internet Movie Database

S. P. Balasubrahmanyam
Background information
Birth name	Sripathi Panditaradhyula Balasubrahmanyam
Born	(1946-06-04) 4 June 1946 (age 66) Konetammapeta, Nagari Mandal, Andhra Pradesh, India
Origin	Andhra Pradesh, India
Genres	Playback singing
Occupations	Singer, actor, music director, film producer
Years active	1965–present

Sripathi Panditaradhyula Balasubrahmanyam ( pronunciation (help·info); Telugu: శ్రీపతి పండితారాధ్యుల బాలసుబ్రహ్మణ్యం; 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 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.^[1]

Early life and background[link]

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Balasubrahmanyam was born to S. P. Sambamurthy in Konetammapeta of Madras Presidency, present day Nellore district in Andhra Pradesh in a Brahmin Family.^[2] Balasubrahmanyam's father was a Harikatha artist who had also acted in plays.^[3] He has two brothers and five sisters. He is the elder brother of singer S.P. Sailaja.^[4] He is married to Savitri and has two children, Pallavi^[5] and S. P. B. Charan who is a playback singer and film producer as well.^[6][7]

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.

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]

Playback singing Career[link]

Balasubrahmanyam has sung more than 40,000 songs in different Indian languages.^[9][10] He holds the record of having sung the most number of songs for any male playback singer in the world.^[11]

Early career: 1960s[link]

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).^[12] Balasubrahmanyam made his debut as a playback singer on 15 December 1966 with Sri Sri Sri Maryada Ramanna,^[13] a Telugu film scored by his mentor, S. P. Kodandapani.^[14] He was selected as the best singer in a singing competition which was judged by S. P. Kodandapani and the legendary singer Ghantasala.^[15][16] Balasubrahmanyam was selected as the best singer.^[17] 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. His sang "Aayiram Nilavae Vaa" for M.G.R in the Tamil film Aadimai Penn. 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.^[18]

Prominence in South: 1970s[link]

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.^[19]

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^[20]

Bollywood entry: 1980s[link]

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.^[11] He was playback singer for Bollywood actor Salman Khan in most of his movies from 1989 to 1995.^[21][22]

1990s[link]

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.^[23]

Association with composers[link]

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M. S. Viswanathan used S.P.B's voice in the 1970s various Tamil movies. Under his composition S.P.B got opportunities to sing for senior actors like M. G. Ramachandran, Sivaji Ganesan and Gemini Ganesan during this period. SPB recorder numerous duet numbers with P. Susheela, Vani Jayaram and L. R. Eswari.

Balasubrahmanyam recorded many songs with K. V. Mahadevan throughout the 1970s, mostly in Telugu. The duo worked in a film called Shankarabharanam in 1979 which was based on carnatic music. He got his first National Film Award through this film.

Balasubrahmanyam's association with Ilaiyaraaja began in the late 1970s when the latter made his cinematic debut. Balasubrahmanyam began to record more songs in Tamil especially for Ilaiyaraaja. The Ilaiyaraaja-S.P.B-S. Janaki trio was considered to be highly successful in the Tamil film industry from the late 1970s and throughout the 1980s. The trio went on to work in Telugu films based on classical music like Saagara Sangamam (1983), for which both Ilaiayaraaja and S.P.B won National Film Awards, Swathi Muthyam (1986) and Rudraveena (1988) which again fetched National Awards for Ilaiyaraaja and S.P.B ^[23]

Balasubramanyam's association with Hamsalekha began after the latter's successful venture premalokha in Kannada. Balasubramanyam sung most number of songs for Hamsalekha in Kannada. He also got National Award for the song 'Umandu Gumundu' of the movie Ganayogi Pachakshari Gavayi composed by Hamsalekha.

Balasubrahmanyam recorded two songs for A. R. Rahman in his debut film Roja. He had a long time association with Rahman right from Roja, the latter's debut film. Other popular songs include "July Maadham" from Pudhiya Mugam, which also marked the debut of singer Anupama, "Mannoothu Manthayilae" from Kizhakku Cheemayile which was a folk number and he almost sang all songs in the musical love story Duet and "Thanga Thaamarai" from Minsara Kanavu which fetched his sixth and latest of his National Film Award for Best Male Playback Singer till date.

Non-singing career[link]

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Actor[link]

As an actor he played roles in films like Pakkinti Ammayi, Parvathaalu Paanakalu, Pelli Varahandi, Kalyanathasava, Malle Pandiri, Raja Hamsa, Minsara Kanavu, Manathil Uruthi Vendum, Thiruda Thiruda, Keladi Kanmani, Sigaram, Maya, Avvai Shanmugi, Ratchagan, Nandhini, Kadhalan, Prema Maha Yedabidargi, Maya Bazaar. He has performed character roles in more than 45 films including Tamil, Telugu, and Kannada. He received Nandi Award for Best Supporting Actor for the Telugu movie Pavithra Bandham (1996) from the Government of Andhra Pradesh.

Music composer[link]

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.

Television career[link]

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 Kannada show called Ede Thumbi Haaduvenu on E-TV Kannada, and the Tamil shows Ennodu Paattu Paadungal on Jaya TV^[24] and Vaanampaadi on Kalaignar TV.^[24] He also anchors a music show called Sunada Vinodini on TTD Channel.

Voice actor[link]

Balasubrahmanyam accidentally became a dubbing artist with Kamal Hassan's film Manmadha Leela, the dubbed version of Manmadha Leelai.^[25] 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.^[26] He was awarded Best Dubbing Artist for the films Annamayya and Sri Sai Mahima.

Awards and honors[link]

Filmography[link]

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As actor[link]

Television career[link]

As music composer[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

• S. P. Balasubrahmanyam at the Internet Movie Database