S. P. Charan


Sripathi Panditharadhyula Charan, credited as S. P. Charan, is an Indian playback singer and actor who works predominantly works in Tamil cinema and Telugu cinema.
He is the son of the singer S. P. Balasubrahmanyam. He first worked as a playback singer in Tamil and Telugu. He made his acting debut in Maha Edabidangi and is best known for his performance in the Saroja. He has established the film production company Capital Film Works, and produced Chennai 600028, Aaranya Kaandam and others.

Early life

Sripathi Panditaradhyula Charan was born to the singer S. P. Balasubrahmanyam and his wife Savitri in a Telugu family. He was raised in Chennai, India. He studied at Asan Memorial School, Chennai, where actor Ajith Kumar also studied and was a school friend. He received a bachelor's degree in Business Administration from Pace University in New York, United States in 1994 and completed a two-year course in film and television.

Career

Charan began working as a playback singer in 1997 with "Deepangal Pesum" from Devathai, with music composed by Ilaiyaraaja. About being the son of an icon, he stated: "my voice sounds so much like appa, people might not want to use a similar voice. When SPB himself is rocking, why would composers need his clone?". He has sung for composers M. M. Keeravani, A. R. Rahman and Devi Sri Prasad. Charan's most popular songs include "Nagila Nagila" from Alai Payuthey, "Mellaga" from Varsham, "Nenu Nenuga Lene" from Manmadhudu, "I Love you Shailaja" from Mazhai, "Please Sir" from Boys, "Maaja Maaja" from Sillunu Oru Kaadhal, "Oru Nanban Irundhal" from Enakku 20 Unakku 18, "O Shanti" from Vaaranam Aayiram, "Nee Naan" from Mankatha. In 2010, he recorded a song in Kadhal 2 Kalyanam, composed by Yuvan Shankar Raja. He also recorded alongside his father for the first time in Aadukalam, for which they both won the Vijay Award for Best Male Playback Singer.
Charan first acted with his father in a film called Maha Yedabidangi, directed by K. S. L. Swamy, but the film was not released. Balachander's son Kailasam approached him to act in the television show Oonjal, produced by K. Balachander and directed by Sundar K. Vijayan. It was followed by Radan's Annamalai. He also starred in a TV serial named Bommaigal in Tamil and Akka Chellulu in Telugu. His first release was the Kannada film Hudugigagi in 2003, directed by B. Manjunath. In 2008, he played one of the lead roles in Venkat Prabhu's Saroja. On his performance, Sify wrote: "S.P.B Charan as Jagapathy Babu suits the role and is fantastic". He acted in Va, in which he played Shiva's prospective brother-in-law. He acted in two Tamil films Vanavarayan Vallavarayan and Vizhithiru.

Other works

Charan established the film production company Capital Film Works, in 2002. Their first production was Unnai Charanadainthen, in which Charan played the lead role, alongside his friend Venkat Prabhu. The film, which notably featured musical score by Charan's father, Balasubrahmanyam, received four Tamil Nadu State Film Awards. Charan revealed that he decided to produce the film after hearing Samuthirakani's narration. He further produced the Jayam Ravi-starrer Mazhai, a remake of the Telugu film Varsham, which was a failure at the box office. His next production was Venkat Prabhu's directorial debut Chennai 600028, featured eleven newcomers in the lead and became one of the year's most successful Tamil films. In 2011, his sixth production Aaranya Kaandam, was released to critical acclaim and became noted for getting 52 cuts by the regional Central Board of Film Certification. Although it did not achieve the expected box office success, Charan won a National Film Award as a producer of the film. His next production was Thirudan Police, by another debutant, Caarthick Raju.
SP Charan designed and produced SPB50 concert tour with his father SP Balasubrahmanyam and was felicitated for his 50 years of journey in the industry. The concert tour held in Toronto, Russia, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Singapore, Dubai and few places in the United States like Seattle, Los Angeles, New Jersey. Other singers like KS Chithra, Kalpana Raghavendra, SP Sailaja were part of the series.
Starting from Dubai expo 2020, SP Charan has been part of Ilayaraaja's shows and has accompanied him in various other shows that has been conducted in United Kingdom, the USA, Australia, Singapore, Malaysia, Muscat and in various cities in India including Yuva Dasara Mysore 2024.
As a tribute to his father, he toured "Simply SPB" in 2023 and performed in various venues across the United States in many of the same venues where his father had performed before. Singers SP Sailaja, Sai Vignesh and Srisha were part of the series. An event in the series also happened in Bangalore, where singers in the Kannada industry, including Rajesh Krishnan, VijayaPrakash, Anuradha Bhat, also performed.
In June 2025, on the occasion of Lal Salam movie release in OTT platform Sun Nxt, the music director AR Rahman published in his social media handles that, SP Charan's song 'Ena senji Ena senji ena valaccha" will be part of this release version.
In 2025, he has been part of stage shows performed by music director Deva in India and Australia along with Srikanth Deva, Anuradha Sriram.

Personal life

In 1996, he and childhood friends Venkat Prabhu and Premgi Amaren set up a music band called Next Generation, which also had Yugendran and Thaman as members.
Charan underwent a weight loss in late 2010. In response to speculation, he stated it was in response to becoming health-conscious.

Filmography

Film

As actor

As producer

As dubbing artist

Television

Discography

Tamil

Telugu

Hindi

Kannada

Malayalam

Independent songs

YearSongAlbumComposerLanguageNotes
2025Vaanindru - Kural 11The Thirukkural 1330LydianNadhaswaramTamil
2025Gana Gana GanapathySaregamaM EsakkiappanTeluguMukesh Mohammed
2025Gana Gana GanapathySaregamaM EsakkiappanTamilMukesh Mohammed
2025Kalyana VaibhogameySymonpeter ChevuriTeluguSireesha Baghavatula
2025Manthralaya mahanSriramanTamil
2025Guru Raghavendraaya NamahSriramanTelugu
2024The Ayodhya anthemHomecomingDarbuka SivaTeluguReleased on account of Ayodhya Ram Pranaprathistha
2024Jillellamudi AmmaTangilra Ravindra kumarTelugu
2022Saadhinchanu"Desh seva ki kasam"Vijay PrakashTeluguVijay Prakash, Sunitha, Bombay Jayshri
2022Thelugintamma VelingintammaKrishna TharangaluMadhavapeddi SureshTeluguGopika Purnima
2022Enna MeeraRavi VisvanathanBaduga
2022Naa MadiloC NA RE Geetha RaaginiSai MadhukarTeluguC Narayana Reddy lyrics. JAn 2022 release
2021Sri Guru Datta SaranamJai Guru DattaSanthi SriTeluguS.P Shailaja, Phani Narayana
2021Etela RajenderVidya Sagar NagavelliTelugu
2021PramidainaaRaagaSudhaSurendra DaraTelugu
2021Christian marriagePeace in ChristJohnson VictorTelugu
2021Ninadinchu Hrudaya RavaliDeena DevarajanTeluguTribute to S.P.B
2021Endhan Nenjelam Unadhu NinaivugalDeena DevarajanTamilTribute to S.P.B
2021Ammayemo Aakaasam lekkaOohala PallakiMurthy NookalaTelugu
2021Jai JawanSubhodhayam MediaTamil
2021Gaanapatyudanu NenuNaada YogamuParthu NemaniTelugu
2020Nemali KantamVayyaramKrishna TejaTelugu
2020సెల్యూట్S. P. BalasubrahmanyamTelugu
2020Tarala Tarala TaranginiSri Madhavapeddi SureshchandraTelugu
2020KALAGANTI KALAGANTIJONAH SAMUELTelugu
2018Naadha NaadhaMaartin ManayaniMalayalam
2018Naadha VarooMaartin ManayaniMalayalam
2017Kula PichodniChristmas KoilaYP.JadsonTelugu
2014Entha BagyavanthuluDhanyosmiTeluguS P Pallavi
2016Spirit of ChennaiC.GirinathTamilProduced by Vikram
2013Ellam SaiK S DeekshithTamil
2013Nalo TolisarigaNalo TolisarigaM S Naveen KumarTelugu
2013Priyathama IlaNalo TolisarigaM S Naveen KumarTelugu
2012Baarayya Sri GuruveKannada
2012Settu Putta DatukuntuOm Om AyappaN Surya PrakashTelugu
2012Enni metlu enni metluOm Om AyappaN Surya PrakashTelugu
2010Nee enge en thaaiyePlanet GalattaPremgi amarenTamilMurali Krishna, Praveen KL, Gangai Amaren,
TantaTubeTV.com
2008Singapore Thaadi mamaBeautyJaiTamilPushpavanam Kuppusamy, Harish Ragavendra
20081 4 3 KadalikkuLover's SpecialJaiTamilShalini
2005Anbennum MandiramDeiva thaai - Divine MotherGangai amarenTamilGita Cassette
2003Annai NeeyumAmma The MotherGangai amarenTamilYugendran, Venkat Prabhu
2002O Sai Maa SaiShirdi PuravasaTeluguAditya Music
2002Malligai PoovilKamban oru KannileDevan EkambaranTamilSony Music Entertainment, Devan Ekambaram
2002UnakkagaveKamban oru KannileDevan EkambaranTamilSheel
2002Flight 283Kamban oru KannileDevan EkambaranTamilDevan ekambaram
2002Lost on My WayKamban oru KannileDevan EkambaranTamilDevan ekambaram
2002ThirumagalKamban oru KannileDevan EkambaranTamil
2001Sandanala DevaraduSri Varamahalakshmi NarasimhaTelugu