On MS Subbulakshmi’s 108th birth anniversary, actor Vidya Balan recreates her iconic style in a photo tribute

In 1951, MS Subbulakshmi made her way to Nalli Silks with a blue thread in hand, hoping to have a sari made of the same colour. The colour of the sari then specially woven for her, was so unique that it went on to be referred to as MS Blue. Till date, people walk into silk sari stores, referring to MS Blue, seeking out the exact same shade of inky, iridescent blue. 

In a tribute to the legendary Carnatic singer, whose voice, and sartorial sense has inspired generations since, actor Vidya Balan collaborated with Chennai-based costume designer Anu Parthasarthy, who has worked on several films across languages, for a photographic tribute to mark MS Subbulakshmi’s 108th birth anniversary.

“Growing up, my mom would play ‘Suprabhatam’ sung by her, first thing in the morning. My everyday still begins with her voice. For me, MS Subbulakshmi is a spiritual experience. Therefore, this has been a labour of love, and an honour to be able to pay tribute this way,” Vidya says. 

The idea for this project, titled A Recreation of Iconic Styles, began nearly seven years ago. “This came from a casual conversation I had with Vidya, where she was telling me how she would love to play the singer in a biopic, if the opportunity came up. I was also keen on doing something out of the box, and kept coming back to this conversation we had,” Anu recalls, of their creative journey. She had previously worked on Vidya’s costumes for Bhool Bhulaiyaa, and Guru. 

“I was able to visualise Vidya as a younger MS amma and began to work on the look. They both have similarly beautiful, pear-shaped faces. Vidya’s ability to embody a character completely, also made her the ideal choice for this,” she says.

Having met MS Subbulakshmi in the past, Anu recalls being mesmerised by her grace and poise. “Something that also struck me was how unique her sari drape was. It looked like a nine yards sari, but was actually six yards. Her saris were all in traditional, bright colours, and remain iconic to this day,” she says. 

While she got started with looking at images available online and in books, Anu credits renowned flautist Mala Chandrasekhar, the granddaughter-in-law of MS Subbulakshmi for her invaluable insights and guidance through the process of putting together four different looks for the photos, shot by Rohn Pingalay. 

“Many photos, for instance, were in black and white. But Mala ma’am helped me identify the right colours and shades for the saris. I learnt from her that the singer used to wear saris woven by Muthu Chettiar, a weaver from Madurai in the early days, and later, saris from Nalli Chinnasami Chetty,” she says. 

The creative journey involved meticulous research by Anu for the saris she wore during the Sixties and the Seventies.

From a number of saris that are considered favourites, four were chosen for the photo tribute, each significant in its own way. The iconic MS blue sari that Vidya wore was sourced from the original weaver Nalli Chinnasami Chetty in Chennai. While celebrated through the years, the uniqueness of the saris worn by the singer also meant having to go the custom route, to get it recreated. Anu says that Subhashini Srinivasan, proprietrix and design head, The S Studio Clothing coordinated the weaving process for the three other saris.

A unique colour combination, the magenta sari with an orange border was woven in the late Sixties, and worn by the singer for the 1968 Sadas at The Music Academy, Chennai, where she was honoured with the prestigious Sangita Kalanidhi award. For the recreation series, the sari was woven by D Srinivasan from Sri Balavinayagar Silks in Kanchipuram. 

The striking blue pearl square sari (muthu kattam sari), which as its name suggests, features pearl squares on the body. “Unlike today’s saris which have a broad zari or many lines of zari on the border, the saris of that period maintained a more simplistic style which added to its allure. This was a concert favourite,” Anu said, of the sari, which was recreated by weaver V Balakrishnan in Kanchipuram. 

Of the popular Ramar Pacchai (green) sari with a mustard yellow border which was recreated by weaver D Srinivasan, Anu recalls struggling to find the right shade, and going through several samples before zeroing in on the right colours. “Mala ma’am had a similar silk cotton sari, and gave me a piece of fabric from it which I used as a reference. This is a popular colour as well, something you can hear being asked for in sari shops. The original sari had a fascinating dual combination of sea-green and middle-sea blue with a mustard oil border colour,” Anu says, adding that two weavers were needed to operate the loom simultaneously to achieve these contrasting colours.

From the size of the ring on her left ring finger, the much loved mookuthi or nose studs she sported on her nose, her hair in a bun adorned with flowers, and the exact shade of kumkum on her forehead were other aspects of the look that they worked on. Her simple accessories complimented the vibrant, bright saris she used to wear.  “MS Subbulakshmi’s simple stage persona would always shine through, and we had to keep this in mind while recreating her looks,” says Anu. 

The photographic tribute and Vidya’s portrayal of MS Subbalakshmi is not merely a superficial imitation, but a deep appreciation for the singer’s artistry, the team that worked on this tribute said.