Hyderabad: Music director Midhun Mukundan, known for his work in films like Garuda Gamana Rishabha Vahana, Tobi, and the upcoming Bazooka with Malayalam superstar Mammootty, reflected on his cherished memories with the legendary SP Balasubrahmanyam (SPB) during an interview with ETV Bharat. As the music world commemorates SPB's fourth death anniversary today September 25, Mukundan shared that the iconic singer's last Kannada song was recorded under his direction.
Recalling the experience, Mukundan expressed disbelief at SPB's passing, noting it was his and Kannada superstar Puneeth Rajkumar's dream to work with SPB. Going back in time when Mukundan was busy composing for Puneeth's film Maya Bazaar, they were having discussions about a specific intro dance number, which led to the suggestion of SPB as the vocalist, a prospect that thrilled Puneeth. Puneeth, who had long admired SPB, had always dreamed of collaborating with him.
After reaching out to SPB's manager, Mukundan was elated to learn that the legendary singer had agreed to lend his voice to the track. The song from Maya Bazaar was recorded at SPB's studio in Hyderabad via an online system. Midhun was speechless after hearing SPB's raw voice, which remained as fresh as in Roja, without the slightest quiver of age in his voice.
However, as the work on the song progressed, one or two corrections were needed. Then despite feeling hesitant to request corrections from such a senior artist, Mukundan prioritised professionalism and communicated the needed changes through SPB's manager. Midhun vividly remembered receiving a call from SPB while he was having tea, feeling overwhelmed.
He narrates that SPB approached the conversation with kindness, inquiring about the corrections. Two days later, he sent two voice tracks, one modified based on Midhun's feedback, and another one adding his own contributions. Both tracks left Midhun amazed, as each was exceptional, leading to confusion as to which one to use. He ultimately combined elements from both. He noted that Balasubrahmanyam's singing felt like an act, perfectly syncing with the song's visuals, marking it as a landmark in his career.
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