SPB was many years younger than Sivaji and the actor wanted to adapt. The veteran actor visited the song recording to observe SPB’s expressions so he could re-enact them during the song shoot. The song in Sumathi Enn Sundari (1971), in which SPB sang ‘Pottu Vaitha Mugamo’ for Sivaji Ganesan was a romantic duet. Parallel to the MGR anecdote is the one SPB shared with Sivaji Ganesan. The film and the song were runaway hits, and Telugu stars such as NT Ramarao (NTR) and A Nageshwara Rao (ANR) called SPB to sing for them as well. SPB’s voice made MGR look younger than his years. You’re a talented budding singer Balu, I will wait till you get better and come back!’ MGR’s decision catapulted SPB into the singing orbit of Tamil cinema. SPB recalled in another interview to this writer, that MGR had told him: “You would have informed your family and friends about this chance to sing for a hero like me, and now, if the song was released in someone else’s voice it would embarrass you. MGR waited three months for him to recover. SPB developed a brief illness and couldn’t attend the scheduled recording of the song ‘Aayiram Nilave Vaa’. The same year, SPB was called to sing for none other than MG Ramachandran (MGR) who asked the youngster to sing for him in his directorial venture Adimai Penn.

It was a pleasant coincidence that the song SPB used as his calling card from the film Ramu was also picturised on Gemini Ganesan and here he was singing playback for the same leading man! The song was ‘Iyarkai Ennum Ilayakanni’ from Shanthi Nilayam (1969) and it was a chartbuster. MSV gave him an opportunity to sing for the ‘King of Romance’ Gemini Ganesan.

SPB’s second song was in Kannada, an industry he came to dominate, along with Telugu and Tamil, later on. That a Telugu boy could sing in such impeccable Tamil was impressive enough to get SPB his third song in Tamil cinema with the reigning king of film-music MS Viswanathan (MSV). Legend has it that whenever any music director used to ask the young, fresh-out-of-college SPB to audition for a song, he would sing the mellow PB Sreenivas number ‘Nilave Ennidam Nerungaathey Nee Ninaikkum Idathil Naan Illai’ from Ramu (1966).

Spb tamil songs