SP Sailaja Remembers Brother SP Balasubrahmanyam’s Last Days

Singer SP Sailaja, who has lent her voice to numerous films and served as a judge on several music-related shows, spoke about her late brother SP Balasubrahmanyam in an interview. Reflecting on his passing, she expressed, "We never imagined that something like COVID-19 would come into our lives and take our brother away. It left an unfillable void in our family."

She recounted how SP Balasubrahmanyam struggled for 51 days, with daily updates about his health. "He would ask the hospital staff if he would be able to sing again after recovering. Even during that time, his thoughts were always about music. People around the world prayed for his recovery. Though he could not continue singing as we all wished, maybe it was better in a way that he left while still immersed in his music," she shared.

Sailaja revealed that her sister-in-law, SP Balasubrahmanyam's wife, was also affected by COVID-19 and stayed on a bed next to his. However, due to hospital restrictions, only their son Charan was allowed near them. Although her sister-in-law recovered, SP Balasubrahmanyam did not. "When we told her that he was gone, she couldn't accept it—she believed he would wake up. She took his loss harder than any of us, sinking into deep depression and suffering severe health setbacks," Sailaja said.