Dil Deewana: North’s love affair with SPB

“Is he a madrasi? How come he sings so well in Hindi? His name is so difficult to pronounce.” I remember overhearing this stereotypical conversation about the South among a group of friends outside a Nagpur theatre screening Maine Pyar Kiya in 1989. Nobody had expected a singer from the South to break linguistic and regional barriers so effortlessly. Yet, S.P. Balasubrahmanyam did just that. His voice went on to redefine an entire generation’s idea of romance in the Hindi mainstream.

The love story created new box office records and became one of the most talked-about films of Bollywood. While it introduced fresh faces, Salman Khan and Bhagyashree, the film’s true heartbeat was the voice behind its unforgettable songs. Tracks such as ‘Dil deewana’, ‘Mere rang mein rangnewali’, and ‘Aaja shaam hone aayi’ became anthems for young lovers, echoing everywhere from college canteens to wedding sangeets.

Director Sooraj Barjatya and music directors Raam-Laxman were looking for a singer whose voice embodied innocence and youthful charm to suit the young hero in the film. SPB’s singing didn’t just complement Salman Khan’s debut, it transformed Prem (Salman’s name in the film) into the quintessential romantic hero of the era. SPB-Salman combo continued to flourish as the singer delivered many more hit numbers for the actor in films such as Hum Aapke Hain Kaun, Saajan, Love and Patthar Ke Phool.

Much before Maine Pyar Kiya, SPB had already endeared himself to listeners up North through his songs in Ek Duuje Ke Liye (1981), starring Kamal Haasan and Rati Agnihotri. The film’s music, composed by Laxmikant-Pyarelal, gave SPB the opportunity to showcase his versatility in a new terrain. Songs such as ‘Tere mere beech mein’, ‘Mere jeevan saathi’, ‘Hum tum dono jab mil jayenge’, and ‘Hum bane tum bane’ struck a deep chord with audiences, especially those who had experienced the bittersweet ache of love and separation. He again sang for Kamal in Ramesh Sippy’s Saagar.

For SPB, singing in Hindi films was more than just widening his reach, it was like stepping into a space once occupied by his idol, Mohammed Rafi. He often recalled how, as a college student, he would stop outside a record shop, just to hear Rafi’s ‘Deewana hua badal’. That song, he said, was his gateway into the world of playback singing.

Years later, on a music reality show, SPB explained what had struck him most about that Rafi song was his exemplary voice modulation. He sang the line, ‘Ye dekh ke dil jhooma,’ and marvelled at how Rafi could bring an almost physical expression to the syllable ‘ma’. In the second portion ‘Le pyaar mein aangadayi’, SPB described how Rafi’s voice felt as though “the singer was leaning close, caressing the listener’s ear, singing with a smile”. Why only the heroine,” he quipped, “anybody would fall in love.”

This deep admiration wasn’t just nostalgia, it defined SPB’s own approach to playback. His ability to infuse songs with intimacy, warmth, and emotional nuance was a direct inheritance from Rafi’s school of singing. From his icon, he also imbibed the art of acting out the lyrics through the voice, delivering perfect intonation that made every song feel lived rather than performed.

SPB’s association with Hindi cinema, however, did not last long. Filmmakers and composers never fully explored the depth of his voice or his passion for the craft. Breaking into the industry’s upper echelons and sustaining one’s place there has never been easy. And for SPB, already an established artiste in the South, it may not have been necessary. Whatever the reason, his short but unforgettable stint in Hindi films remains etched in memory.