From being an engineering drop out to a celebrated singer-TV personality: Lesser known facts of SP Balasubramanyam

The demise of legendary playback singer SP Balasubrahmayam on Friday has left the entire nation mourning. However, the most celebrated singer always wanted to be an engineer. Here's a look at a few lesser known facts of the iconic singer.

(Photo: Instagram)

Sripathi Panditharadhyula Balasubramanyam wanted to become an engineer and it was his father Sambamurthy's dream, too. He enrolled in engineering at JNTU, Anantapur. However, he had to discontinue due to typhoid and later joined as an associate member of the Institute of Engineers, Chennai.

SPB has revealed in one of his last interviews that he was a singer by accident as he wanted to be an engineer. He never had a formal training in music but went on to win several music competitions before gaining an opportunity to sing in films.

He is popularly known as SPB but friends and family call him 'Mani'. Chakravarthy and KV Mahadevan are one of the very composers who called him 'Mani'. SPB disclosed that Chakravathy used to fondly call him 'Chinna'.

SPB is survived by wife SP Savitri, son SP Charan and SP Pallavi. Both his children are noted singers while SP Charan is known as an actor and producer as well. In an old interview, SP Charan has disclosed that his father is a child at heart and is a 'fun person to hang out with'.

On Ali's chat show Alitho Saradaga, SPB divulged that iconic composers Lakshmikant (from Lakshmikant-Pyarelal duo) was mighty impressed with his ability of learning a song quickly that he used to call Shankar Mahadevan and Hariharan (during their early days of career) to the studio so that they learn from him.

Smoking was an addiction that SPB couldn't give up even for a long time but he quit one fine day upon his darling daughter Pallavi's request.

SPB felt Kamal Hassan was like his younger brother and he was the only one from the film fraternity to be invited to unveil his father Sambamurthy's statue in Nellore in 2017. The ceremony had many dignitaries like Vice President of India Venkaiah Naidu, K Viswanath and others.

SPB has confessed on Ali tho Saradaga that he initially had a difficult time singing for Akkineni Nageswara Rao. Out of self-respect, SPB swore not to sing for Krishna Ghattamaneni after a feud. It lasted for quite some time and they reconciled later.