Late in the Nineties, on a balmy day, Charan offered to drop his father, popular singer SP Balasubramanyam, at Ilaiyaraaja’s studios for a song recording. “It’s so vivid in my mind. My father was learning the track when Ilaiyaraaja uncle walked in. I was just sitting in a corner when Raaja noticed me. “Oh, you are back from the US? What are you planning to do in life?”, to which I mumbled something about setting up a business.”
And then, Ilaiyaraaja asked him the inevitable – “Do you sing?”
A nervous Charan again mumbled something about singing occasionally, without realising what was in store for him. “Nalla naal lam pakkam venam (Let’s not wait for a good today). Today you will sing.”
With those words, ‘chauffeur’ Charan became ‘singer’ Charan.
“It was supposed to be a male duet between Ilaiyaraaja and SPB. He isolated a couple of lines in that song and made me sing. When I went to the booth, both these people were standing right next to me…imagine my plight,” he recalls with a guffaw, about his debut ‘Unnakoruthi’ track from Punniyavathi. Thankfully, the two noticed his nervousness and left him alone in the booth to sing what would become a memorable debut.
Singer SP Charan | Photo Credit: Thamodharan B
Charan has henceforth become a much sought-after singer, teaming up with major Tamil music composers. But his biggest draw today – he admits rather candidly – is the fact that he sings most of his late legendary father’s songs with Ilaiyaraaja on many stages. “With Appa not being there and with Ilaiyaraaja kind of approving me singing his songs, I feel more confident.”
What’s in vogue?
Charan’s voice might be familiar now, but a younger version of him did not want to do anything with music. Armed with an education in the US, Charan arrived back in Chennai to make inroads as a film producer. “I never wanted to get into singing. Appa was flying high then, and it was detrimental for any singer to match his music standards and the kind of professionalism he brought to his craft. For me, to be in that space, was nerve-wracking,” he reveals.
If singing was by accident, production was a path he consciously chose – the result of which was films Chennai 600028 and Aaranya Kaandam, among others. Beyond their critical acclaim, were these projects commercially viable? “No. They were purely passion projects and done because the story idea excited us. All we were concerned about back then was when we would start shooting. It’s not that I spent lavishly, but I never worked on post-production processes, revenues, numbers and market avenues. If I had to rework them now, I would approach them with different budgets.”
With the advent of OTT platforms, would he reconsider production? “Not at all. I’ve had enough. When I was a producer, I was the boss; I did not want to approach top stars or technicians and end up compromising on content. I cannot do that now. With OTT platforms, you need a big name; like, for music, you would have to opt for a name that is trending now, while I would rather go to Yuvan or Raja or Vidyasagar. I’m so not suitable for the film industry now as a producer.”
A file picture of SPB performing | Photo Credit: SRIRAM MA
What Charan is currently more comfortable doing is digging into the plethora of songs that his father has left behind and presenting them at concerts. He is also getting his own share of tracks – ‘Sarkarey Solliruchu’ from Lenin Pandian being the latest – but fans still expect him to fill the void left behind by SPB. “When Appa was around, people said that I sounded like the SPB of the Seventies. And now, when I sing, people exclaim that I sound exactly like him. Someone said that they are not missing him as I have replaced him. I don’t think I will ever get a separate space for myself.”
But it’s not something that bothers him greatly now. Because, as he puts it, “my voice is my voice.” There are times when he feels otherwise. “Sometimes, when I sing on stage, I hear myself in the monitors and think: ‘God, I sound just like dad.’ I’m made my peace with it now.”
SPB 80: What to expect
Charan is putting together ‘SPB 80’, a grand tribute show in Chennai on June 14. Featuring professional singers like Vijay Yesudas, Karthik, Saindhavi and Shweta Mohan, the event promises to celebrate all things SPB. Charan, himself, will be singing a few rare numbers. “I do not want it to be the run-of-the-mill show where we repeat the same tracks we sing on most stages,” says Charan, who is looking forward to crooning songs like ‘Solai Poovil’, ‘Vaan Nila’ and ‘Kadavul Amaithu.’ “I want it to be a journey through decades of SPB songs, where listeners turn nostalgic.”
‘SPB 80’ will take place on June 14 at Sir Mutha Venkatasubba Rao Concert Hall. For tickets, log on to District by Zomato
