Saravanan Natarajan writes:
Bala then made a fetching mark playing Tukaram’s little daughter in the bilingual of the same name. Tukaram (1938/ Central Studios) had the famed Musiri Subramaniya Iyer in the title role, and in the Telugu version, CSR Anjaneyulu played the lead role. Her father arranged for a Tamil tutor to teach Bala at home. She also had an Anglo-Indian lady teach her English and another teacher to drill into her the rudiments of conversational Hindi!
And in Bhagyalakshmi (1943/ Sri Renuka Films), Bala made history when she sang for Kamala Kotnis on screen- I believe this was the first instance of playback singing in Telugu cinema. The song was ‘Thinne meedha sinnoda’, composed by Bhimavarapu Narasimha Rao.
All of 15, Bala looked ensconced snugly as a much sought after actress and singer in both Telugu and Tamil Cinema. Her songs in Chenchulakshmi (1943), again for Kamala Kotnis – the 2 solos ‘Kanipinchithiva Narasimha’ and ‘Yeri Yeri Naa Sarisamunulikane’ and her duet with T.A. Moti ‘Madhuramuga Yentho Madhuramuga’ found immense widespread appeal. She went to Bombay and learned the basics of Hindustani Music from none other than Vasant Desai. She studied Western Classical Music in Madras. The future looked only brighter. But destiny had other plans in store….
More out curiosity, Bala accompanied her cousins to the Guindy Races one summer day in 1944. At the Madras Race Club, they met other family friends who took them to the Venkatagiri Stand, owned by the Maharajah of Venkatagiri. And it was there that she was introduced to His Highness Sri Sri Sri Rajah Rao Pradyumna Krishna Mahipathi Surya Rao Bahadur, the 4th son of the Maharajah. He was given the title Maharajah Saheb Meharban-I-Dostan and was adopted by the childless Maharani of Kolanka and was now the Maharajah of Kolanka. He was a front-ranking Polo player- it was he who commissioned the famous Kolanka Cup – India’s foremost Polo trophy. It is said to be the tallest sports trophy in the world and made wholly of pure silver. Besides being an avid sportsman, he was a hunting enthusiast and owned prize-winning race horses.
The Maharajah was instantly attracted to the demure and beautiful girl who conversed in impeccable English. Enquiring about her later, he was intrigued to know of her talents and popularity. He lost no time in going to her house and sought her hand in marriage. Her family members were initially apprehensive, and not without reason. There was a huge age difference- Bala was but 15, while the Maharajah was 34. He was already married, with children. However, the magnificence of his personality eventually won the day, and Bala was soon married to the Maharajah of Kolanka. Did she like him? ‘Oh, he was so handsome, with large eyes!’ she said in an interview with her trademark guileless smile.
Bala was now far removed from Madras…she lived most of the year in a stately palace in the vast Kolanka Estate in East Godavari District. She gradually reduced her screen appearances- Radhika (1947/Sri Chatrapathi Pictures/Telugu) that was produced by her father and Bilhana (1948/Mubarak/Tamil) were perhaps the last such instances. Her husband did not take kindly to her forays in the tinsel town.
However, she did take up whatever singing offers that came her way during her biannual visits to Madras. Bhanumati was a great fan of Bala’s singing. Bala was related to Bhanumati’s husband Ramakrishna Rao and had even sung at their wedding. When Bhanumati and Ramakrishna embarked upon embarked upon their ambitious ‘Laila Majnu’ (1949/Bharani), Bhanumati cajoled Bala to sing and the song ‘Ela Pagaye’ in Telugu and its Tamil version ‘Veen pazhi thaano’ managed to defy the onslaught of the remaining songs sung by Bhanumati herself. Genius Composer C.R. Subburaman was said to be a great fan of Bala's voice. "It is truly unfortunate that he died so young!'' reflected Bala sadly in an interview.
Bala's enviable repertoire in Tamil includes songs of every genre, every mood. Perhaps her earlier stunt as an actress helped, for her songs are rich in expression. Some years back when I was in Chennai, a journalist friend wanted to write on Balasaraswati and I lent him my collection of her songs. And as we sat listening to some of them, we were amazed anew at the sheer variety of her numbers. “So why was she branded a mere lullaby singer?’ we were bewildered.
Want to lose yourself in religious fervour? Listen to Balasarswathi sing ‘Sri Jaya Saraswathi Devi thaaye’ (Bilhana) or the non-film devotional songs that she sang such as ‘Kaana Oraayiram kan vendum’ and ‘Aaduthu paar mayil aaduthu paar’.. (the latter is a particular favourite of mine as Bala utters my name ever so often in this song!)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qkdxSKyWJOg
For a glimpse of her soft romantic flourishes, listen to ‘O malaya maaruthame’, a fabulous duet with the renowned vocalist S. Rajam in the bilingual Manavathi (Music by Balantrapu Rajinikantha Rao). The song, like its Telugu equivalent (O malaya pavanama where Bala teams up with M.S. Ramarao) is a mesmerizing Malayamarutham. Or catch her stealing a treasured moment with Ghantasala in ‘Malarodu madhuramevum manam kaanum mohana ragam’ in Jayasimhan (T.V.Raju). How dreamy she sounds in ‘Kalaiyaadha aasai kanave’ (Rajarajan/KVM), and what a stark contrast she paints in the pathos version of the same song! The wistful ache that the night heralds finds exquisite delineation in ‘Paar muzhudhum irul parappum’ (Rajabhakthi/ Govindarajulu Naidu). The buoyant joys and hopes that a new found love brings in its wake tumble so tremulously in ‘Vaazhvu malarndhu manam veesiduthe’ (Nalla Kaalam/KVM). Also remember the mellow T.A. Moti- Bala duets ‘Maalai nila vara vendum’ (Thaai Ullam/V.Nagiah- A.Rama Rao), and ‘Kandukonden naane’(Kannin Manigal/S.V.Venkataraman).
Maalai nila vara vendum:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dlSO2VJvlJA
Malarodu madhuramevum: (NTR with a young Waheeda Rehman)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M3M399Ar6f0
Kandukkonden naane:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HwMGMGhIKW4
Kalaiyaadha aasai kanave:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhNw_4OS1fY
Bala has excelled in dance songs as well. Take two such songs in Devadas (CRS/MSV), for instance. ‘Sandhosham vendumendraal inge konjam ennai paaru kannaal ’ and ‘Paaramugam yenayya en swami’ – such diverse delights! My favourite ‘Thangam pongum meni undhan sondham ini’ (Tenaliraman /MSV-TKR) is a ceaseless wonder – hark at her hit a highpoint afresh in every repetition of ‘Thangam’! (I bought the DVD just to see this song, but to my disappointment, the song did not find place in the DVD version) ‘Kannai thaan parikkuthu kaipaadatha mullaipoo’ (Aasai Anna Arumai Thambi/KVM) is another bewitching dance number, with the mullaipoo changing to rojappoo and then to sevvandhi in each repetition of the pallavi. ‘Thudikkum vaalibame nodikkul poividume’ (Marma Veeran) , with its baila-ish interludes is a feet-tapping Veda composition.
Thudikkum Vaalibame (watch from 0.30 onwards)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSm32IYa_mc
Sandhosham venumendral:
https://youtu.be/jUnOmZTwYBk
Kannai thaan parikkuthu:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CqoBvx_jg_0
- To be continued...
Discusion at:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1018417744856618/permalink/1630255277006192/
Part 1 here:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1018417744856618/permalink/1629037280461325/
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