This Thursday marks SP Balasubrahmanyam's 80th birth anniversary. The legendary singer is known for his works across languages in India. Interestingly, he also sang a track for the 1987 Mammootty starrer New Delhi, although it did not make it to the final cut. Directed by Joshiy from a Dennis Joseph screenplay, the film does not have any songs, but the makers recorded one with SPB.

Writer Dennis Joseph once shared his experience witnessing the recording session with SPB in an episode of the Safari channel program, Charithram Enniloode (History Through Me). "The film has no song, but we actually recorded a track for it, titled 'Thoomanjin Kuliril,' sung by SP Balasubrahmanyam with music by Shyam and lyrics by Shibu. We planned to use it as background music in a specific sequence," Dennis shared.

Dennis Joseph revealed that the song was recorded at Gemini Studios with a manual process, although digital recording was available at the time. He also disclosed that "the biggest recordist in South cinema, the legendary Koteswara Rao" was part of the session. "Big-name music directors and singers would wait to have Koteswara Rao onboard as their recordist, especially for important songs," Dennis said.

The screenwriter added that he attended the recording session for the song with lyricist Shibu due to the unavailability of Joshiy and producer Joy Thomas. "Shibu was with him to ensure that SPB got his lyrics right," the writer revealed before adding that Koteswara Rao would adjust the sound knobs even as he handled a large group of violinists. "He would sit in the console room and arrange each artist's chair positioning in such a detailed way," Dennis said.

After multiple takes, the writer asked Koteswara Rao's opinion of the song. "Then, one of his assistants told me that he has a hearing problem and told me to ask him louder. I did so, but Koteswara Rao made a gesture towards me and said, 'I do not know. I have not heard the song. I cannot hear'. I was stunned, left me slack-jawed."

Koteswara Rao was handling everything with the needle positioning on his sound recording instrument. "He told me, 'I do not judge by listening to the song.' What he told was true and that song's recording surpassed his whole previous work. Once, Chennai was home to such magnificent technicians," Dennis revealed.