It is now an open secret that legendary playback singer S P Balasubrahmanyam contracted Coronavirus after participating in a few episodes of a musical programme recorded by popular Telugu television channel ETV owned by media baron Ch Ramoji Rao in Hyderabad in the first week of August.
After returning from Hyderabad to Chennai, SPB developed symptoms of Coronavirus, which he had admitted in his mobile video recording after his admission in the hospital on August 5. And rest is known to everyone and the great singer passed away on Friday afternoon.
Many of the singers who took part in the programme also contracted the virus, but all of them recovered from the disease.
There could be many reasons for SPB’s death – may be his co-morbid conditions might have aggravated during the treatment for Covid-19.
But the fact remains that he died of Covid-19 ultimately, which he could not have got had he not come to Hyderabad to take part in the ETV programme. And this is the feeling everybody is getting right now.
That is why Ramoji Rao has come under attack from the SPB fans in the social media.
A section of this social media has gone to the extent of blaming Ramoji Rao wondering whether he had forced SPB to come to the recordings, though the latter had expressed his inability because of his age and condition.
“Since SPB had signed the contract for participating in the programme, Ramoji Rao had threatened to sue him if he did not honour the contract. Perhaps that was the reason why SPB had to come to Hyderabad for the recording,” a social media posting said.
It pointed out that even in the past, Ramoji Rao had troubled popular director Bapu and writer Ramana for some serial programmes and the issue was settled following involvement of some industry people.
A practising cardiologist from Hyderabad also shared similar thoughts in the social media stating that a senior citizen like Balasubrahmanyam should not been called to take part in the television music programme.
“Balu should not have obliged the contract. At least his family members should have prevented him from going to the programme because of his age and situation,” he observed.
Well, nobody knows the truth and there is no need to believe what is being circulated in the social media. But the fact remains that we had lost the SPB due to Coronavirus, which he had contracted after attending the programme!