Vidya Balan paid tribute to the late classical singer M.S. Subbulakshmi on her 108th birth anniversary that was on Monday. She did a photoshoot wearing some of the saris that the singer would wear in her concerts. The photos have been shot by Rohn Pingalay.
In a series of photos that Vidya shared in a single video, she can be seen wearing different saris and donning poses. She seems to be singing along with the Tanpura as a motif in some photos. She wrote a long caption to talk of the singer’s legacy and said, “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.”
She added, “This is a humble homage by Anu Parthasarathy & 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.”
Speaking of the uniqueness of the style of the legendary artist, Vidya wrote, “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).”
Vidya revealed that it was her dream to portray the singer on-screen. “Many a Thank You’s are due in the realization of this heartfelt endeavour. Thank you so much Sikkil Mala Chandrashekhar ma’am (renowned flautist and granddaughter-in-law of M.S.Subbulakshmi ) for your invaluable guidance & insights. And how can I thank you enough Anu Parthasarathy 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”
On the work front, Vidya was last seen in Do Aur Do Pyaar, alongside Pratik Gandhi, Sendhil Ramamurthy and Ileana D’Cruz. She will be seen next in Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3, which also stars Kartik Aaryan, Tripti Dimri and Madhuri Dixit.