Balamuralikrishna’s link with Kannada films started with G.V. Iyer’s Hamsageethe , which was one of his finest works. He had once told this correspondent, breaking into ‘Priye Charusheele’, that with this song he had captured the hearts of the audience and classical music lovers. “I used to hum the song quite often after the film was made in 1975,” the maestro had said. Earlier, his ‘Natavara Gangadhara’ in the film Swarna Gowri was a major hit.
G.V. Iyer had Balamuralikrishna in all his forthcoming films as music director — Adi Shankaracharya (1983), Madhvacharya (1986), Bhagavad Gita (1993), and Ramanujacharya (1989).
He went on to sing for Muttina Haara (1990) and the song ‘Devaru Hoseda Premada Daara’ composed by Hamsalekha. “That was a memorable recording,” says Hamsalekha. “Some of his improvisations were immediate, as the song was being recorded.”
