Actor Vidya Balan paid a photographic tribute to the legendary singer M S Subbulakshmi on her 108th birth anniversary on Monday.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Vidya re-created some of the iconic looks of the ‘Nightingale of India’ and for that, she teamed up with costume designer Anu Parthasarathy.
Vidya expressed her deep admiration for Subbulakshmi not just through photos, but also in words.
She took to Instagram and shared a video featuring her in different looks.
Along with the post, she shared a note, which read, “On her 108th birth anniversary, I feel honoured and overjoyed to be able to pay a photographic tribute to “BHARAT RATNA ” M.S.Subbulakshmi (M.S.Amma), famously referred to as The ‘Queen of Music’ by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and as the ‘Nightingale of India’ by Sarojini Naidu.”
“This is a humble homage by @anuparthasarathy & me to the legend M.S.Subbulakshmi – The Original Style icon, who carried off with great aplomb, an appearance that was a study in simplicity , adding to the allure of her mellifluous voice. This feature showcases four sarees that M.S.Amma wore & popularised between the 60’s & the 80’s and is a portrayal of M.S.Amma’s concert persona. If the rich, vibrant and unique sarees were one half of M.S.Amma’s appearance, the other half was the simple accessory ensemble including the traditional kumkumam and vibhuti on her forehead, the 2 distinctive nose pins on either side , and the mallipoo(jasmine) adorned kondai(bun),” she added.
Vidya also expressed how it her long cherished dream to play M.S.Amma and also thanked M.S.Amma’s granddaughter-in-law Sikkil Mala Chandrashekhar for the guidance.
“Many a THANK YOU’s are due in the realization of this heartfelt endeavour. Thank you so much @sikkilmala ma’am (renowned flautist and granddaughter-in-law of M.S.Subbulakshmi ) for your invaluable guidance & insights . And how can i thank you enough @anuparthasarathy for coming up with the idea of doing this when i expressed my long cherished dream to play M.S.Amma .I appreciate your passion for detail and your patience over 7 years in seeing this through to fruition …Nandree Anu ma’am,” Vidya continued.
Vidya left fans and industry members impressed with her interesting tribute to the late singer.
Neena Gupta wrote, “Wow, you look so beautiful like her.”
Sobhita commented, “This is simply fantastic!! Wow.”
One of the users wrote, “Wow! Your expressions and the way you are dressed… the whole demeanour is just completely MS Amma! Am so happy that I could contribute with my mom’s cherished tanpura to bring this amazing project to fruition!”
Subbulkashmi was the first musician to receive both the Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian recognition, and the Ramon Magsaysay Award. The singer, a disciple of her mother Shanmugavadivu, began training in Carnatic music at the age of ten. She was also the first Indian artist to appear before the United Nations General Assembly in 1966.
Meanwhile, on the acting front, Vidya is all set to reprise her iconic character of Manjulika in ‘Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3’.-ANI