Actress Vidya Balan has paid a heartfelt tribute to the late musician M. S. Subbulakshmi on her 108th birth anniversary. On Monday, Vidya took to Instagram to share a series of pictures that capture her dressed as M. S. Subbulakshmi, offering a photographic homage to the legendary musician.
For this tribute, Vidya collaborated with costume designer Anu Parthasarathy to recreate some of M. S. Subbulakshmi's iconic looks. In her Instagram post, Vidya expressed her honour and joy in paying tribute to the 'Bharat Ratna' M. S. Subbulakshmi, who was celebrated as the 'Queen of Music' by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and the 'Nightingale of India' by Sarojini Naidu.
Vidya's caption 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). This is a humble homage by @anuparthasarathy and 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.”
The actress further elaborated that the photographic feature highlights four sarees that M.S. Amma wore and popularized between the 1960s and 1980s, representing her concert persona. Vidya noted that while the rich, vibrant sarees were a significant part of M.S. Amma’s appearance, the other half consisted of her simple accessory ensemble, including traditional kumkumam and vibhuti on her forehead, distinctive nose pins, and a jasmine-adorned bun.
Vidya expressed her gratitude, saying, “Many THANK YOU’s are due in the realization of this heartfelt endeavor. Thank you so much @sikkilmala ma’am (renowned flautist and granddaughter-in-law of M.S. Subbulakshmi) for your invaluable guidance and 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 seven years in seeing this through to fruition. Nandree Anu ma’am.”
M. S. Subbulakshmi was the first musician ever to be awarded the Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian honor. Born in Madurai, she was also the first Indian to perform at the United Nations General Assembly in 1966 and had a brief acting career in Tamil films.
(With IANS inputs)
