Bollywood mourns music maestro's demise

The news of singer SP Balasubrahmanyam's demise came as a major shock to the film industry and fans of the singer. The iconic singer passed away at a hospital in Chennai yesterday. After battling COVID-19 for 2 months, the 74-year-old singer tested negative on September 13, however, his condition deteriorated over the past few days. Members of the industry including Salman Khan, AR Rahman, Aamir Khan, Akshay Kumar and others took to their social media page to pay tribute to the legendary singer.

"Pratibhashaali gayak, madhurbhashi, bahut nek insan SP Balasubrahmanyam ji ke swargwas ki khabar sunke main bahut vyathit hun.Humne kayi gaane saath gaaye, kayi shows kiye. Sab baatein yaad aarahi hain. Ishwar unki aatma ko shanti de. Meri samvedanaayein unke pariwar ke saath hain," mourned veteran singer Lata Mangeshkar.

Music composer and singer A R Rahman also expressed his feelings on the loss of a legendary singer by tweeting "Devastated…"

"I'm deeply saddened to hear about the demise of Balasubrahmanyam ji. Just a few months back, I had interacted with him during a virtual concert in this lockdown. He seemed hale, hearty and his usual legendary self. Life is truly unpredictable. My thoughts and prayers are with his family," wrote Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar.

Ajay Devgn tweeted, "SP Balasubrahmanyam Sir's voice dominated my initial years of cinema. He, of course, had been a legend from long before. Sad Disappointed face to learn of his passing. Condolences to his family. #RIPSPB sir." On the other hand. Anil Kapoor penned a heartfelt post and wrote, "Great human being and an incredible singer... lucky to have had him dub for me... give his voice to my performances in my first Telugu and Kannada film... SP Balasubrahmanyam will be missed truly... my heartfelt condolences & prayers to the family..."

Aamir Khan wrote, "Deeply saddened to hear of the demise of Shri S P Balasubrahmanyam . My heartfelt condolences to the family. We have lost one of the most talented artistes of our times. Rest in Peace sir."

Salman shared a tweet that read, "Heartbroken to hear about #SPBalasubrahmanyam sir... you will forever live on in your undisputed legacy of music! condolence to the family #RIP"

Shruti Haasan lamented, "I'm deeply saddened by the loss of SP Balasubramanyam sir. Thank you for your artistry and your kind words. May the halls of heaven be filled with your resplendent voice. You were family and the loss is heartbreaking."

"It is the end of an era! Versatile musical genius passes away. SP Balasubramanyam succumbs to the terrible COVID-19 after a prolonged battle in the hospital. God give him peace. He will be missed by all," said veteran actor Hema Malini.

Nikhil Dwivedi expressed the grief and wrote, "The thing abt divine voices playback singing in Cinema.. It dsn't matter whose face is giving expression to it. They catapult u in a realm of melancholy or euphoria. #SPBalasubrahmanyam always managed to do that & reminded u of wht voices cud ve been like in heaven. Thank u #SBP!"

"An irreparable loss that has left a deep void...It was a blessing and an honour to have worked with SPB sir...learnt so much from him. Rest in peace Sir. Love you. My prayers and strength to the family...Om Shanti," singer-composer Shekhar Ravjiani said via Twitter.

"I'm very sad to hear about the demise of the legend SP Balasubramanyam guru. It is a huge loss to not just the film fraternity but also our nation. Our prayers and condolences are with the family. May his soul rest in peace," wrote comedian and actor Johnny Lever.

Riteish Deshmukh also wrote, "Hum bane tum bane ek duje ke liye! Thank you for this amazing music sir. With a heavy heart, I say 'saathiya yeh tune kya kiya?' Rest in glory sir. My condolences are with his family, loved ones and millions of fans all over the world."

"End of an era... Your voice will always remain in our hearts #SPBalasubraniam ji. The way you weaved magic with your music is unmatched. Rest in peace & my heartfelt condolences to the family in grief," Madhuri Dixit shared on Twitter.

"This is a tragic loss! The voice of Prem, who tugged at the strings of all hearts all over the world, is gone. SP Balasubramanyam is no more! I send my strength and love to his family to tide over this grief," tweeted Bhagyashree.

Actor Kamal Haasan, in an audio-visual message expressed his condolences over the loss. "There are very few great artists who receive accolades and fame that fittingly celebrates their talent, during their lifetime. S.P. Balasubrahmanyam was one of them. I had the privilege of having been the image on screen, to several songs that he has sung. In several languages, he has been the voice of four generations of heroes. His legacy will be remembered for seven generations to come," Haasan said.