MD Manoj’s passion for cinema and music has been expressed in several books

Manoj’s latest is a book on SP Balasubrahmanyam

The death of SP Balasubrahmanyam plunged the music world into deep grief. While people across the social spectrum expressed their profound grief at the loss, MD Manoj decided to pay his tribute to the legendary singer in a manner that would immortalise SPB’s life, career, music. Manoj began work on a compendium of articles. Six months after SPB’s death, in March 2021, the first edition of Padu Nilave: SPByude Jeevithavum Sangeethavum (Olive Books) was published.

This work, edited by Manoj, is replete with close analyses, intimate conversations, personal memories of noted lyricists, singers, critics and journalists, where evidence in the form of names, places and dates have been accumulated.

For Manoj, who has penned and edited around 30 books on music and cinema, this anthology is special. “This is a humble tribute to a great singer. I realised how much people loved SPB when I requested people from different spheres of life to write. Everyone took time off from their busy schedules to write for this book. This work will always remain special,” says Manoj, who surprisingly never aspired to be a writer.