Legendary singer S.P.B. celebrates his 64th birthday today. We all grew up with his songs. We all know how great a singer he is, and today let's remember him some more:
S.P.B. is a singer with no limitation: He sang not just in south Indian languages Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, and Malayalam, and the national language Hindi, but he went on and sang in Oriya, Bhojpuri, Assamese, Punjabi, Tulu, and even in the language of the Ghonds (tribe of Madhya Pradesh)! No one else sang in so many different languages or the number of songs either; Balu holds the world record in the Guinness Book for highest number of songs.
S.P.B. got numerous awards: Andhra Pradesh government's Nandi Award for the Best Playback (male) singer has earned itself respect by being in his hands most number of times. Between 1978 and 2005, he won the award 18 times! He's even won the National Award for playback (male) 6 times! He's also been awarded the fourth highest Civilian Award of India, the PadmaSree (and most people can feel it's much less a measure of his talent)! He was felicitated with honorary doctorate degrees twice!
S.P.B. is not limited by talent: Balu is not an award-winner as a playback singer alone. He won the Nandi Awards for Best (male) Dubbing Artiste (Annamayya), Best Supporting Actor (Pavithra Bandham), and Best Music Director (Mayuri).
S.P.B. is not limited by voice: Balu sings "naturally" for any artiste, and is quite popular for his "best fitting voice" for NTR, Allu Ramalingayya, and even sang with feminine voice more than a few times - bits and pieces in Chantabbai, Aadade Aadhaaram, Pelli Koduku, etc. and full-length song in Madam.
And, above all these, S.P.B. is down to earth, and attributes all his success to the music directors who molded him as such a fine singer!
Balu is soon to be present at the TANA Convention 2009 (July 2-4, Chicago, USA), where he'd be felicitated with "viSishTa puraskaaram" ("An Award of Distinction").
We at TeluguCinema.Com wish the great singer on the occasion of his birthday and pray for his melody to be showered on us for years and years to come! (more...)
Happy birthday, Balu!
Happy birthday, Priyamani
There’s certainly more to Priyamani than her coveted National Award. The actress, a Tamilian raised in Bangalore, holds a distinct position none others in the competitive race today hold: being introduced by a doyen on cinema, Barathiraja, only to have her acting skills polished by Balu Mahendra. One of the most promising young directors, Ameer, and now, Mani Ratnam, only add glory to her elite list of associated directors.
She has been lucky with directors but that is not it all. Priyamani is among the handpicked actresses today to dub in her own voice. Having proven her prowess in many offbeat roles, Priyamani today stands to say she doesn’t necessarily belong to art house cinema. She can dabble in mainstream song-dance routines as well. If there was ‘Paruthiveeran’, there was also ‘Malaikkottai’. The tightrope walk kept intact.
The actress today is doing a role of her lifetime, in a bilingual, ‘Raavana’. There are stories about her planning to move to Bollywood as there are legends about her tacky sartorial senses. But there’s no denying that Priyamani is an actress of a kind.
Here’s wishing her, a very happy birthday! (more...)
Watch Drona Online!
Watch Drona, starring Nitin and Priyamani, online in our VIP Section by signing up for a VIP FREE Trial.
Also Check out complete list of movies that play in our VIP Section. (more...)
No Nag films for this year?
It is known news that Yuvasamrat Nagarjuna has a sentiment to release his films in the month of December. He has a strong belief that all his films released in December will be big hits.
After the film king was released in December there was news that he has signed up for a film with a new director and the movie will be hitting the floors in the month of May.
However, all that seems to be just a buzz as recently Nag was said to be sharing his thoughts and he mentioned that he has not been able to get even one good story so as of now, there is no movie that he has actually signed on.
This would mean that Nag fans have to be disappointed as they were all pumped up after the super success of his ‘King’. (more...)
Balakrishna retire from film industry?
According to sources Tollywood top actor Nandamuri Balakrishna is going to announce his retirement to film industry, to play active role in TDP. While, senior leaders in TDP who defers with party president N.Chandrababu Naidu are mounting pressure on Balakrishna to play active role in the party, B.K. fans are insisting him to continue in the film industry. However, Balakrishna is seriously analyzing the risk factors for announcing his retirement to film industry, where he is in quite comfortable place and risks involved in joining a defeated party, which has no scope till next five years.
However, Balakrishna is said to be preferring to work for the party in full pledged, so as he can finish his political apprentice during the five year gap, and take reins from Chandrababu before the next general elections. (more...)
Naga Chaitanya Film In Amritsar
Naga Chaitanya’s debut film is produced by Dil Raju and has Sri Venkateswara Creations as it's banner. The director Vasu Varma will be handling another new comer who happens to be yesteryear actress Radha's daughter. Anushka does a dance here and JD plays a villain. Mamta is lending her voice for a song composed by Sandeep Chowtha. The film is currently on in Amritsar. (more...)
Brahmanandam Disappoints
As has been suggested, Prayanam as a film has proved to be a good opportunity wasted. One has also to lament the under utilization of Brahmanandam’s talent in this film.
Now, one is reminded of how Sreenu Vytla had used the extremely versatile actor in films like Ready and King. As a matter-of-fact Ready would not have been a block-bluster without Brahmanandam.
Prayanam too could have been another Ready had Chandra Shekar Yeleti highlighted the actor’s role a bit more, but that did not happen. Had the director taken special care to bring out the comic scenarios between Brahmanandam and Manoj, then it would have been great fun. (more...)
Venkatesh's Namo Venkatesa
Namo Venkatesa is director Sreenu Vytla's forthcoming film featuring Victory Venkatesh and voluptuous beauty Trisha together for the second time after the tremendous success of their Aadavari Maatalaku Ardhale Verule (2007).
Produced by Giri of Sye fame and presented by D. Sureshbabu, this film is expected to be launched by the last week of June. Namo Venkatesa is said to be a complete family entertainer featuring Venky in a very fascinating role. More details are awaited.
Currently, Venkatesh is busy working for Kamal Haasan's ongoing bilingual Ee Nadu (Unnai Pol Oruvan in Tamil), a remake of the Hindi film A Wednesday. According to sources, Venkatesh's role as a top cop in Ee Nadu, directed by debutant Chakri, was redesigned to suit his image in Telugu. (more...)
Maheshbabu’s film progresses in Bangkok
Maheshbabu and Anushka are playing the lead in a film being directed by Trivikram Srinivas and produced by Singanamala Ramesh on the banner of Kanaka Ratna Movies. The shooting of the film is presently in progress at Bangkok. The first schedule of the film was completed in Bangkok and the second schedule was also launched in the same place since May 23. So far, canning of two songs and shooting of some key sequences were completed so far for the movie. After completion of this schedule, the unit would leave for Rajasthan in India for a few days of shooting. Later, the shooting would be wrapped up with the shooting of some more important scenes in Hyderabad. The producer is making efforts to release the film as a Sankranti gift. (more...)
Jagapathi babu as Chiranjeevi
Jagapathi babu is going to be presented as big star Chiranjeevi. That film is titled as “My Father Chiranjeevi” means big star is the tag line. Arun Prasad is directing this film. He has earlier given a hit to Pawan with the film “Tammudu”. Laughing lord association is going to produce this film.
Neelima is making her debut with this film. Atulith is playing a very key role. Jagapathi babu says that 70% of the film is completed. This is going to be a full time entertainer. Chakri has given melodious tunes to this film.
(more...)
Suhasini's long pending aspiration to be fulfilled
National award winning actress-director-producer-cinematographer Suhasini, wife of ace director Mani Ratnam, attracted first media attention a few decades ago as the first female student to graduate from the Madras Film institute. Later, she acted in more than 80 films in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam and stepped into direction, helming her first film Indira in 1996. It is heard that the actress is now getting ready to direct her second film, which will probably be in Kannada. While speaking to the media at The Bell Hotel after finishing the dubbing portions of her ongoing Kannada film Eradane Madhuve, Suhasini said that Dr. Vishnuvardhan, one of the most versatile, talented, stylish and popular actors in Kannada, has been persuading her to take up direction in Kannada since long and all these years she was giving the excuse that her son should grow up. In fact, I was waiting for my son to reach the University stage, Suhasini said. Asked on the probable date of taking up direction, Suhasini Mani Rathnam disclosed that the long pending aspiration might be fulfilled in 2010. In Eradane Madhuve (meaning 'second marriage'), directed by Dinesh Baboo, Suhasini is paired with versatile actor Ananth Nag. The duo came onscreen for the first time in K.V. Jayaram's Hosa Neeru in 80s. Later, they were seen together in Kodlu Ramakrishna's Swalpa Adjust Madkolli and Prakash Belawadi's Stumble. (more...)
