In a recent post on Instagram, Balachandra Menon shared a photograph of him clad in a pilot costume and asked the audience to name the film. “Not sure how many remember this pilot character and also this film of mine….. But this was the only Malayalam film song SPB sang for me, and I find it hard to believe that it’s been five years since he left us,” the filmmaker-actor wrote as the caption for the post. The film in reference is 1994’s Sukham Sukhakaram, directed by and starring Balachandra Menon. SP Balasubrahmanyam lent his voice to the film’s title track, ‘Sukhakaram’, alongside KS Chitra and a chorus of singers.
Ravindra Jain composed the film's music. Interestingly, the song features lyrics by legendary actor Thikkurissi Sukumaran Nair, as well as S Ramesan Nair and K Jayakumar. Sukham Sukhakaram also marked legendary Hindi actor Shammi Kapoor’s debut in Malayalam cinema. The film’s cast also includes Urvashi.
Sukham Sukhakaram is a family drama that centres on a strict patriarchal family and the conflict arising from the grandfather's absolute authority. It is also dubbed at the same time in Tamil, titled Ippadikku Kaadhal.
SP Balasubrahmanyam died on September 25, 2020, in Chennai, after a long battle with health complications following COVID-19. He is credited for more than 100 songs in Malayalam cinema.
