Even as Alaipayuthey completes 25 years of its release, Kadhal Sadugudu, one of the romantic tracks from the film, rendered in the voice of singer SP Charan, continues to feel as fresh as ever. With the same familiarity and a wide smile on his face, akin to his late father and legendary singer SP Balasubrahmanyam, Charan walked into the hall and settled on a couch to speak to CE ahead of ‘An Evening to Remember – Evergreen SPB’, a charity concert honouring the late singer, who passed away in 2020. With maternal roots in ooru, Charan spent most of his childhood summers travelling with cousins and soaking in the greener, quieter city. “Those days, the city was pleasant, with not much traffic. We used to visit the Symphony Theatre on MG Road to watch movies,” he shares.
Notably, Charan’s musical journey has been anything but linear. Though his father’s music had its share of influence, he admits that growing up, Western pop held greater sway in his life. “In our generation, we had Michael Jackson, Wham! and Janet Jackson. That music was the go-to when you hung out with friends. Indian music was always present, but often in the background,” the 54-year-old singer explains.
It was only after moving to the US that nostalgia quietly reoriented his listening, leading him to discover the music that has always been beside him all along. “That missing-home aspect crept in. Albums like Ilaiyaraaja’s How To Name It? and Nothing But Wind became my warm blanket,” he notes.
Ironically, it was a friend who wasn’t musically trained who truly opened his ears to his father’s genius. “That’s when I started listening to it intricately. Until then, he was just Appa,” he says, adding, “You don’t realise he’s a legend when he’s your dad.” After listening to SPB’s craft, life wasn’t the same for Charan, as he notes that there was no going back from it. Among his most cherished experiences with his dad is the song Ayyayo from Aadukalam, a film that won six awards at the 58th National Film Awards, sung separately by the father-son duo. “Initially, I didn’t understand the concept,” Charan laughs, adding, “I didn’t want to overdub Appa’s voice and I was sceptical because this had never been done before. But once I heard the song, I decided to just go with the flow. If you listen to it carefully, there are places where we sing it differently. But, in the end, it turned out into a beautiful blend, and for that I’m truly grateful to GV Prakash (music director) and Vetrimaaran (director).”
Carrying a legendary surname, however, hasn’t always been easy for Charan. “I was carrying that burden for quite some time,” he confesses. The pressure even made him forget the joy of music. “Later, I realised that if I truly wanted to be sincere, I needed to start enjoying his music first. Today, I enjoy singing my appa’s songs more than my own. As long as my appa’s fans are happy, I’m happy.”
The shift came when he returned to his father’s simple advice to focus on one’s own work. “He always advised me to be true, honest and do my best. He never kept me away from cinema or production; instead, he kept reminding me to be sincere in whatever I do and not dilly-dally. Success or failure didn’t matter to him. He would say, ‘I’m there for you’,” Charan fondly remembers, adding, “Sincerity, he taught me, isn’t something that you achieve in a day, it’s something you have to work on every day.”
Talking further, he comments on today’s fast-paced, algorithm-driven music industry, calling it a mere evolution. “The audience is getting younger. Their attention span is very short; even a 10-second reel feels too long today. Music has become more tone-oriented than melody or lyrics, but trends change and I believe it will eventually return to melodies and meaning. Sometimes it can feel jarring, but then you play an Ilaiyaraaja or an SPB song and you’re refreshed again,” he signs off with a smile.