From the motivational ‘Oruvan Oruvan Mudhalali’ and ‘Rakkamma’ which garnered international acclaim, to songs as recent as ‘Marana Mass’ from Petta, Superstar Rajinikanth and legendary singer SP Balasubrahmanyam have teamed up for numerous songs. SPB has rendered his voice for many of Rajinikanth’s intro numbers which continue to remain popular among fans. The first single, ‘Annaatthe Annaatthe’ from Rajinikanth’s upcoming film Annaatthe comes as a bittersweet surprise for fans. A posthumous release, the song ‘Annaatthe Annaatthe’ is the last collaboration between the actor-playback singer duo.  

Much like Rajinikanth’s intro songs from his previous outings, ‘Annaatthe Annaatthe’ which was released on Monday, October 4, features motivational verses as well as lines praising the superstar’s persona and style. Set against the backdrop of a village festival, Rajinikanth is seen in a veshti and shirt. Towards the end of the song, the makers also feature a glimpse of Rajinikanth’s dance as a part of the lyrical video.  

Rajinikanth took to Twitter to share an emotional note, celebrating singer SPB's work. “During the filming of the song that SPB, the man who lived as my voice for 45 years, sung in Annaatthe, I never imagined that it would be the last song he would sing for me. My dear SPB will live on forever through his sweet voice," Rajinikanth wrote on Monday. 

Pan-Indian artist SPB, who was a household name in Tamil Nadu, passed away last year on September 25 due to COVID-19 complications. In a career spanning over 50 years, SPB has sung around 40,000 songs in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam and Hindi.  

Watch the first single from Annaatthe here:

Helmed by director Siva, the ensemble cast of the film also includes Meena, Khushboo, Nayanthara, Keerthy Suresh, Jackie Shroff, Jagapathi Babu, Prakash Raj, among others. The much-anticipated movie will be released in theatres on November 4, marking the festival of Deepavali.