If versatility is the calling card of one of playback industry’s biggest stars S.P. Balasubrahmanyam, that quality was all too evident at a concert in the city last week.
The sprawling Old Port grounds was chock-a-block with fans straddling generations to listen to the mesmerising voice that is virtually synonymous with a period in Tamil/Telugu cinema — apart from the occasional foray into Hindi and Malayalam.
Balasubrahmanyam, who was reconnecting with fans in this city after a few years, began ‘Rhythm,’ a show hosted by 93.5 Suryan FM, with ‘Omkara nadanu...’, one of the semi-classical songs from ‘Sankarabharanam.’
In between complimenting his co-singers for their rendering of hits ranging from M.S. Viswanathan composition ‘Vizhiye kathai ezhudu...’ to the relatively recent ‘Yembuttu irukkuthu aasai...,’ SPB returned to essay a few from his own vast oeuvre of film songs.
The hits included ‘Dil Deewana..’ from ‘Maine Pyar Kiya’, a delightful rendition of ‘Then Sindhudhe Vaanam..’ and uptempo numbers like ‘Vandenda Paalkaaran..’ and the heady ‘Vaa macha vaa...’.
Over the course of a couple of hours, marred only by intermittent showers, Balasubrahmanyam revealed his love for emoting, the playful interplay with members of the orchestra, the duet singer or the audience, and his humane side.
“I have no problem singing in the rain...but it would be hard on the orchestra. And, spare a thought for the audience...I see children out there,” SPB said as he recommended a short break during a spell.
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Case rocks Assembly
The ATM fraud case had its resonance in the two-day session of the Legislative Assembly.
The All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam brought to the house the reports that appeared in a section of media linking one of the party legislators to the main accused, Chandruji, in the case.
He said the media reports were based on a photograph of the accused seen with the legislator that appeared on the social media.
The concerns expressed by the party prompted the Chief Minister to issue a clarification that police had not come to any conclusion in the case.
He also advised the media to refrain from making judgments when the investigation was on.
Contributed by M. Dinesh Varma and Rajesh B. Nair