[1] In the wake of the World War II, under general evacuation orders by the British, his family left Burma, undertaking a long and hard journey on foot through the North-East India.

In India, first he moved to Shimla and soon blossomed into a cultural critic, when he started commenting on local carnatic music soirees.

A chance meeting with V K Narayana Menon, the then deputy director of All India Radio resulted in Subbudu's appointment as dance and music critic for the newspaper The Statesman.

In a career that spanned more than 50 years, Subbudu's acerbic wit and deep knowledge of music made many readers look forward to his views.

Madras Music Academy convened an emergency meeting to condemn Subbudu and reaffirm their faith in the greatness of Semmangudi.