JOIN USRemembering S P Balasubrahmanyam: 4 Telugu-dubbed movies that prove he was a brilliant voice actor
Veteran playback singer and music composer S P Balasubrahmanyam passed away in Chennai on Friday, leaving his near and dear ones in a state of shock. An artist par excellence, he enjoyed a strong fan following across industries and many felt that he was a pan-India star in his own right. While almost everyone knows about his contribution to the music world, not many might know that he was a talented dubbing artiste who lent his voice to the Telugu versions of several popular Tamil films. Here is a look at five times 'Balu' dubbed for popular stars.
Dasavathaaram (Kamal Haasan, 2008)
Dasavathaaram, which featured Haasan in 10 roles, was arguably one of the biggest and most ambitious Tamil films of the year. SPB lent his voice to seven of the characters played by the 'Ulaga Nayagan', proving that he was a force to be reckoned with.
Kathanayakudu (Rajinikanth, 2008)
Rajinikanth played a key in Pasupathy's Kuselan, the Tamil remake of the Malayalam movie Katha Parayumpol and this gave fans a reason to rejoice. The film was simultaneously shot in Telugu as Kathanayakudu with Jagapathi Babu reprising Pasupathy's role from the Tamil version. Most of Rajini's scenes from the Kuselan were reused in Telugu with SPB serving as the dubbing artiste. Several fans felt that his voice did justice to Thalaivar's grand reel image, adding a new dimension to the film.
Iruvar (Mohanlal, 1997)
Iruvar, widely regarded as the finest film of ace filmmaker Mani Ratnam's career, had a strong cast headlined by Mollywood star Mohanlal and Prakash Raj. A critical and commercial success, it was dubbed in Telugu as Iddaru with 'Balu' doing the voice dubbing for the character played by 'Lalettan'. The film enjoys a decent fan following in the Telugu states despite the fact that its story had heavy Tamil nativity.
Bhamane Satyabhamane (Kamal Haasan, 1997)
Bhamane Satyabhamane was the Telugu-dubbed version of the Tamil comedy Avvai Shanmughi and featured Kamal Haasan in the role of a caring father who is forced to behave like a woman to be with his daughter. SPB captured the Sadma actor's unique mannerisms like a pro, leaving fans asking for more.