S P Balasubramaniam, The Voice Of Salman Khan

After Maine Pyar  Kiya made Salman Khan an overnight star he   insisted  on SPB  as his voice, although  in  Mumbai they said SPB  sounded too  South Indian to be Khan’s voice. Salman didn’t care. He insisted  on SPB for  some  projects before letting him go  in favour  of  more North Indian voices.  A  dekko and suno at the best songs  SPB sang for Salman.

1.     Ate jate  hanste  gaate(Maine Pyar Kiya): Blatantly  lifted  from Stevie Wonder’s I just called to say I love you and uplifted by  SPB and Lataji,  the track bleeds romance.

2.     Mere rang mein rangne wali(Maine Pyar Kiya): Soft tender subdued,  this love ballad epitomizes  Salman’s definition of romance. He  likes it  suggested, insinuated rather than in-your-face.

3.     Dil  deke dard-e-mohabbat liya hai(Maine  Pyar Kiya): A duet with Lataji “inspired” by a Lata-Mukesh duet Hum toh tere aashiq hai from the  Jeetendra starrer Farz.Director Sooraj Barjatya wanted  the song to be a tribute to the  old number .

4.     Na  jaa na jaa(Patthar Ke Phool): Like Maine Pyar Kiya, in Salman’s sophomore  project SPB  sang  all the  vocals  for Salman. Admittedly the songs  by Raamlaxman were mediocre .But SPB  elevated this solo to something special. His duet with Lataji Kabhi tu chhalia  lagta hai paying a tribute to  all the greats  of  Hindi cinema  was  also a treat because of  the singing.

5.     Saathiya tu nay kya kiya(Love): This Ilaiyaraja  classic remains the best song that Salman has ever sung on screen. Credited  to Anand-Milind the glorious tracks were  all rehashes of  the original Tamil film Premam, all   rendered to perfection  by SPB and the  evocative Chithra who sang  for Salman.

6.     Pehla  pehla  pyar hai(Hum…Aapke Hain Koun):  Out  of the 14 tracks  in this  musical  blockbuster  only one was  a solo for  SPB.In  Pehla pehla pyar hai  he captures  all the hesitancy and  uncertainty of  first love. There is  an incomparable freshness to the  singing. No wonder this is Salman’s favourite  song sung by him on screen.

7.     Hawa mein kya hai( Jaagruti):  A little-known  soundtrack by  Anand-Milind saw Salman reuniting with his  favourite ghost voice SPB   for this dewy gentle  ballad  with  Chithra. The  film flopped. Its music was forgotten.  But this  song should not be relegated  to the  trashcan.