As millions of fans across the globe who waited for recovery news on playback singer SP Balasubrahmanyam’s health lost hope today as he passed away.
An emotional Bharathiraja who broke down several times was speaking to the media outside the MGM Hospital in Chennai where the singer has been hospitalised since August 5.
“In some situations, words won’t come. When I am emotional, I cannot speak. I don’t know how to share this sorrow. We have all prayed and we expected him to come back. But that was not to be. There is a power above and beyond… we are nothing in front of nature. I still have a small sliver of hope. He is a wonderful artist and human being. We have been good friends for over 50 years,” he said, unable to control his tears.
On Thursday night, actor and politician Kamal Haasan had visited the MGM Hospital. Speaking to the media, Kamal confirmed that SPB was doing poorly.
SP Balasubrahmanyam tested positive for COVID-19 in early August following which the singer was admitted to the hospital. While he initially displayed only mild symptoms, his condition soon turned serious and he was placed on ventilator and ECMO support. SPB’s son, SP Charan has been sharing regular updates on his father’s condition from the hospital to keep the fans informed. His last update was shared on September 22, in which he had said, “Dad continues the steady progress towards getting better.”
On Thursday, about 50 days since SPB was first admitted on August 5, MGM Healthcare put out a bulletin that said the singer’s condition had taken a turn for the worse. “His condition in the last 24 hours has deteriorated further warranting maximal life support and he is extremely critical. The team of experts at MGM Healthcare are closely monitoring his health condition,” it read.
Only early this month, on September 7, Charan had shared that his father had tested negative for COVID-19 and that he was on the way to recovery. The news of SPB’s health continues to be closely followed by scores of his fans spread across the world. The Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan awardee last shared a video message before being admitted to the hospital in August in which he had asked fans not to worry.
