[1][2][3][4] Subbulakshmi (Kunjamma to her family) was born on 16 September 1916 in Madurai, Madras Presidency, to veena player Shanmukavadiver Ammal and Subramania Iyer.

Her musical interests were also shaped by regular interactions with Karaikudi Sambasiva Iyer, Mazhavarayanendal Subbarama Bhagavathar and Ariyakudi Ramanuja Iyengar.

[5] Subbulakshmi gave her first public performance, at the age of eleven, in the year 1927, in the 100-pillar hall inside the Rockfort Temple, Tiruchirappalli; with Mysore Chowdiah on the violin and Dakshinamurthy Pillai on the mridangam.

[9] The academy was known for its discriminating selection process, and they broke tradition by inviting a young girl as a key performer.

[7][10] By the age of seventeen, Subbulakshmi was giving concerts on her own, including major performances at the Madras Music Academy.

[11] In 1969 she was accompanied by Indian Railways Advisor SN Venkata Rao to Rameswaram, where she sang several songs in front of each idol in the Ramanathaswamy Temple.

[12] Ananda Vikatan favourably reviewed the film on 8 May 1938: We should always expect something from Subramaniam's direction – for instance depiction of social ills.

Veteran Marxist leader N. Sankaraiah, has described Sevasadanam as an "unusual film" for choosing the subject of marriages between young girls and old men (which had social sanction).

According to him, the film successfully broughtout the "sufferings of the girl" (Subbalakshmi) and the "mental agony of the aged husband" (F.G. Natesa Iyer).

In the climax, the aged husband, now a totally changed man, was shown as casting aside with utter contempt his 'sacred thread', which symbolises his Brahmin superiority.

"[14] MS Subbulakshmi also played the male role of Narada in Savitri (1941) to raise money for launching Kalki, her husband's nationalist Tamil weekly.

Her many famous renditions of bhajans include the chanting of Meenakshi Pancharatnam, Bhaja Govindam, Vishnu sahasranama (1000 names of Vishnu), Hari Tuma Haro and the Venkateswara Suprabhatam (musical hymns to awaken Lord Balaji early in the morning).

She made a 20-minute recording of "Venkatesa Suprabhatam" for HMV, the royalty from which goes to the Veda Patasala run by the Tirupati Tirumala Devasthanam.