People from Karnataka will never forget what SP Balasubrahmanyam once said: “People across the country adore me. But the love and respect I get from Karnataka is incomparable.”
SPB, as he is popularly known, reached the hearts of Kannadigas through innumerable hit film songs. But what made him a household name was a singing reality show that enjoys cult status today.
Music lovers celebrated his 75th birth anniversary last week. Many remembered SPB, donning the multiple hats of host, judge and mentor, doing a spectacularly successful music reality show called ‘Ede Thumbi Haaduvenu’.
The show — flagship of the ETV channel since its inception at the end of 2000 — is hailed for its longevity. Till its final season in 2016, ‘Ede Thumbi Haaduvenu’ found and nurtured many talents. Winners and performers of the show are professional singers today.
Curtains fell on ‘Ede Thumbi Haaduvenu’ soon after ETV was rebranded as Colors Kannada. Yet, its legacy lives on, say people who were part of the show. “It was a unique show,” says actor Vinaya Prasad, who hosted the first couple of editions.
“People would send many letters requesting songs from SPB. The format was very impressive. Every song’s origin and details about people who created it would be narrated by me. Balu (SPB) would further reveal interesting facts about it before singing,” she explains.
Apart from gaining confidence as an artiste, Vinaya learnt life lessons while working with SPB. “He wouldn’t preach but there was so much to learn just by observing him. He taught me that any problem can be handled with a pinch of humour,” she says.
The show evolved to accommodate singing enthusiasts, and scouted for talent. “We wanted to make the show interactive,” says KS Sridhar, former senior producer at ETV.
“We requested singer C Ashwath and music composer Rajan (of the Rajan-Nagendra duo) to select contestants from Bengaluru, Hubballi-Dharwad, Mysuru and Shivamogga. From submitting recorded cassettes to performing on stage, the youngsters went through multiple auditions,” recollects Sridhar.
Once the production shifted to Bengaluru from Ramoji Film City in Hyderabad, ETV decided to transform the show exclusively for children ranging between 8-12 years. This further increased the program’s popularity.
‘Ede Thumbi Haaduvenu’ refrained from melodrama and gimmicks, two features very common in today’s reality shows. “SPB was very particular about keeping the show ‘neat’. He made sure no child cried on the stage. He had the knack of giving serious feedback without hurting the participants,” notes Sridhar.
Canara Bank became a loyal sponsor of the event. “The bank developed a cultural identity in Karnataka through the show. Apart from the cash prizes, the bank opened accounts for all the contestants and added Rs 2,000 in them,” says Sridhar, now a full-time actor with memorable roles in ‘Sidlingu’ (2012) ‘Bachchan’ (2013) and ‘Raajakumara’ (2017).
Music composer B V Srinivas, who was an integral part of the show, says thorough backstage preparation was crucial. “I had to rehearse with the children and help them get their rhythms. SPB sir made sure they were completely comfortable on stage. He was totally against parents putting pressure on them,” he says.
The most lovable part of ‘Ede Thumbi Haaduvenu’ was the warmth between SPB and the little ones. His humorous conversations with them, now on YouTube, leave you smiling. Srinivas was also in awe of SPB’s discipline. “Very rarely would the shooting go beyond 7 pm because he was so organised,” he says.
Credit must also go to the orchestra team, comprising Venugopal Raju and Madhusudhan (tabla), Srinivas Achar and Caleb (guitar), Umesh (keyboard), Arun Kumar (drum), Praveen Godkindi and Rajesh (flute), Padmanabh Kamath (rhythm) and many more gifted musicians. The show's grand knockout rounds were staged across the state. Singing stalwarts like S Janaki, P Susheela and composers like Hamsalekha and Gurukiran were invited as guests on many occasions.
“Writer Jayanth Kaikini was also a refreshing presence. He had lots of interesting anecdotes to share with the children about the songs and lyrics,” says Sridhar.
Many professional singers like Anuradha Bhat, Sparsha RK, Chaitra H G, Malini Prasad, Ashwin Sharma and Aniruddha Shastry are indebted to the show. “It was a great platform for singing aspirants,” says Anuradha, one of the first big names to emerge out of the show.
“I remember approaching many music companies after that. It was great to sing with SPB sir. I was overwhelmed and broke into tears when I first met him,” she recollects.
The iconic ‘Ede Thumbi Haaduvenu,’ which ran without a break from 2000 to 2016, paved the way for today's popular Kannada music reality shows.