From Dil Deewana To Saathiya Tune Kya Kiya

“A gentleman with a gentleman’s voice.” This is how fellow singer Hariharan describes SPB who after singing in multiple songs in various languages left us much too soon.

Through much of the 1990s, SPB was Salman Khan’s ghost-voice before the actor switched to trendier voices. Their association began with Sooraj Barjatya’s Maine Pyar Kiya.

1. Dil dewaana (Maine Pyar Kiya): Although the duet version of this chartbuster had more mass appeal, SPB’s solo version of the tune is uplifting, lyrical. The tune was originally composed by Raamlaxman for a film called Agent Vinod produced by the Rajshris. Since the tune remained unused, Sooraj grabbed it for his directorial debut. SPB won the Filmfare award for this song.
2. Tere mere beech mein (Ek Duuje Ke Liye): For Kamal Haasan’s Hindi debut, SPB was composer Laxmikant-Pyarelal’s chosen voice. Although Lataji sang most of the charming chartbusters of this soundtrack, SPB held his own with this melancholic rendition. It got SPB the National award.
3. Pehla pehla pyar hai (Hum…Aapke Hain Koun): SPG again for Salman’s solo sojourn into sonority, in this all-time blockbuster. Of course, Didi tera devar deewana was a much bigger hit. But that is more Lataji’s song and even SPB agreed on that. I once asked Salman why SPB was his preferred voice in spite of the distinct South Indian timbre he had quipped, “What is good enough for Kamal Haasan is good enough for me.”
4. Sach mere yaar hai (Sagar): For the soundtrack of this ode to Dimple Kapadia, the besotted director Ramesh Sippy chose Kishore Kumar for Rishi Kapoor and of course, SPB for Kamal Haasan. In this superb R D Burman composition about love’s heartaches, SPB had to act drunk and romantic at the same time. The bottle never felt more inspiring. The song was used in the series Raj-DK’s The Family Man.
5. Yun hi gaate raho (Sagar): SPB also had a duet with Kishore in Sagar which is a master-class in cordial jugalbandi. R D Burman briefed the two great singers to not consider the duet an opportunity for oneupmanship. And the two singers, fans of one another’s work, just killed it.
6. Saathiya tune kya kiya (Love): Salman Khan’s second film was a dud. But the song composed by Ilayaraja in Tamil and transcreated by Anand-Milind in Hindi survived the disaster. Revathi, who was Salman’s leading lady in Love, says the song haunts her career.
7. Bahot pyar karte hain (Sajan): Wedged among the surfeit of Nadeem Shravan’s chartbusters was this quaint solo for Salman Khan which stood its own. It later came to light that Nadeem Shravan were “inspired” by a Mehdi Hassan composition. Didn’t make a difference. SPB made it his own as only he could.