Take probably 10 blockbuster Telugu film numbers from the late 70s to the early 2000s and it’s very likely that at least eight of those ten songs would have been sung by the late S P Balasubrahmanyam. Those were different times when the industry was yet to open up to the common man and was in the hands of a few talented, powerful people who never let their control slip. SPB’s monopoly and ability to keep himself relevant in the film industry for five decades speaks volumes about his talent, but on the flipside, his many opportunities were a result of the closeted nature of Tollywood in the yesteryear era.
Though singers like Karthik, Rajesh, Udit Narayan, KK, Hariharan have had their chunk of popularity among Telugu film music lovers in the next generation, they shared the limelight with many other up-and-coming singers. Any chance of a singer monopoly didn’t seem possible when the avenues to tap into talent have multiplied manifold, thanks to YouTube, television reality shows and the digital space. Yet, the surge in popularity for Sid Sriram after Inkem Inkem Kaavale in Geetha Govindam was almost unthinkable. No Telugu film album could exist without his name henceforth.
His honey-soaked voice continues to earn millions of views for audio company channels on YouTube. Hushaaru, Alaa Vaikunthapuramu Lo, 30 Rojullo Preminchadam Ela, Choosi Choodangane, S R Kalyana Mandapam, Solo Brathuke So Better, Vakeel Saab, Nisabdham, Raahu, Falaknama Das, Suryakantham, Dear Comrade and we aren’t even halfway there in coming up with an accurate number of films he’s crooned for, through this dream phase and how the films immensely benefited out it. Neeli Neeli Akasam song was one of the important reasons for a film like 30 Rojullo Preminchadam Ela to sustain its craze for a year at least.
Sid Sriram’s vocal abilities apart, the singer has made glaring mistakes with his Telugu pronunciation in recent times but that hasn’t done anything to dent his popularity at all. This herd mentality is one reason that local singing talent continues to be ignored big time in Telugu films. There are similar trends in other industries too, like the dominance of Arijit Singh in Hindi which hasn’t given promising young musical talents a level-playing field. In the times of Kishore Kumar or a Mohammed Rafi or a Ghantasala or an SPB, these things were quite understandable, when the industry wasn’t as welcoming for new talent and settled for regular, safe combinations. It’s disappointing that such a trend has to resurface in 2021.