Legendary singer M.S. Subbulakshmi’s voice is heard in almost every Telugu household.
Director Gautham Tinnanuri now plans a biopic on her. Sai Pallavi is reportedly ready to play the lead, with Geetha Arts’ Allu Aravind backing the project.
However, there are challenges. The filmmakers need consent from Subbulakshmi’s heirs, who were reportedly hesitant earlier.
Without approval, it may have to be fictionalized. Moreover, her life, though inspiring, had few dramatic twists, making it difficult to add cinematic elements, especially given her iconic status in Tamil Nadu.
M.S. Subbulakshmi is known as a legendary devotional singer in India.
She brought ancient Shankaracharya classics like Bhaja Govindam, and also Prativada Bhayankara Annan's Venkateswara Suprabhatam; as well as Puranic and Ithihasic verses Vishnu Sahasranamam, Lalitha Sahasranamam, and many others to the masses.
Beyond this, there were many interesting events in her life. She acted in the 1940s film Meera, playing the lead role, and later quit acting to devote herself entirely to music.
She was once praised by Jawaharlal Nehru, who said, “Who am I, a mere Prime Minister, before this Queen of Song?”
She also interacted with leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, who reportedly requested her to sing “Hari Tum Haro.”
Her marriage to Sadasivam, her transition toward complete spiritual devotion to God, her interactions with Puttaparthi Sai Baba, and the incident that led her to sing Venkateswara Suprabhatam (as mentioned by P.V.R.K. Prasad in his book) are among many such anecdotes.
However, weaving these episodes into an immersive narrative that gives an emotional feel like that of "Mahanati" is crucial; otherwise, it may end up like "NTR Kathanayakudu", where the protagonist’s successes and interactions with other legends dominate the storytelling.
We must see how the makers handle and overcome this challenge.
