Singer Kalpana Biography: Age, Family, Songs, Bigg Boss Telugu & Latest News

Kalpana Raghavendar (born 8 May 1980), popularly known as Singer Kalpana, is an Indian playback singer who works mainly in Telugu and Tamil cinema. The daughter of singer-composer T. S. Raghavendra, she started singing at the age of five and, by 2013, had recorded about 1,500 songs and performed around 3,000 stage shows in India and abroad. She won the Malayalam singing show Star Singer season 5, took part in Bigg Boss Telugu season 1, and has won a Nandi Award and a Tamil Nadu State Film Award.

Singer Kalpana Latest News (October 2026)

• Back on stage and studies: In 2025, Kalpana said she was studying for a PhD and an LLB alongside her music career, and that she planned to keep singing. As of October 2026, she continues to perform at concerts and events.
• Recent film songs: Her most recent film songs include “Kodi Parakura Kaalam” from A. R. Rahman’s Tamil film Maamannan (2023) and “Telangana Tejam” from the Telugu film Keshava Chandra Ramavath (2024).
• Reality TV presence: After years as a judge on Super Singer and Star Singer, she appeared as a guest on Star Vijay’s Super Singer 10 in 2024.

Singer Kalpana Profile, Age and Wiki

Singer Kalpana Early Life and Family

Kalpana Raghavendar was born on 8 May 1980 in Chennai into a Tamil family steeped in music. Her father, T. S. Raghavendra, was a well-known playback singer, composer and actor in Tamil films, remembered by many viewers as Revathi’s father in Vaidehi Kathirunthal. Her mother, Sulochana, is also a singer. Her younger sister, Shekinah Shawn (born Prasanna Raghavendar), became an opera singer.

Kalpana trained in Carnatic music under Madurai T. Srinivasan, and in 2013 she was the lead performer at a tribute concert for her guru. Alongside music, she completed a Master of Computer Applications (MCA) degree and later took up further studies, including an MPhil.

Child Artist and First Songs

Kalpana’s career began when she was just five years old. As a child she appeared on screen in Vaidehi Kathirunthal (1984) and, at six, in Kamal Haasan’s Punnagai Mannan (1986), where she played a little girl in a store. Her first recording was a family song with P. Susheela, Mano, M. M. Srilekha and her sister Prasanna, composed by Saluri Vasu Rao.

Through the 1990s she sang a string of Tamil film songs, including “Poda Poda Punnaku” (En Rasavin Manasile, 1991), “Thennati Singam” (Pasumpon, 1995) and “Thirupachi Arivaala” (Taj Mahal, 1999).

Playback Career in Telugu and Tamil

As an adult, Kalpana began her full-time playback career with “Mangalagouriki” from the Telugu film Manoharam, composed by Mani Sharma. The early 2000s were her busiest years. In Telugu she sang for big films such as Kushi (“Premante Suluvu Kadhura”), Khadgam, Indra, Varsham (“Joole Joole”), Shankar Dada MBBS, Venky, Anji, Mass, Nuvvostanante Nenoddantana and Bhadra. Her energetic voice made her a favourite for folk-flavoured and dance numbers.

In Tamil, she recorded songs for Narasimma, Arasu, Mazhai, Maayavi, Aaru, Varalaru and Mynaa, among many others. She also sang in Malayalam, Kannada and even Assamese, recording “Mayabini Ratir Bukut” for the film Daag with Zubeen Garg.

Over her career she has worked with many of the greatest names in Indian film music, including M. S. Viswanathan, Ilaiyaraaja, A. R. Rahman, K. V. Mahadevan, S. P. Balasubrahmanyam and K. S. Chithra.

Award-Winning Songs

Kalpana won the Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Female Playback Singer for “Pogiren” from Jyotika’s comeback film 36 Vayadhinile (2015). She also won the Nandi Award for Best Female Playback Singer for the devotional song “Navamoorthulainatti” from Intinta Annamayya, a film on the saint-poet Annamacharya.

In the following years she sang “Jiguru Jiguru” in Rajini Murugan (2016), “Oyaa Oyaa” in Kaashmora (2016), “Kodi Parakura Kaalam” in A. R. Rahman’s Maamannan (2023) and “Telangana Tejam” in Keshava Chandra Ramavath (2024).

Star Singer Win and Television Career

In 2010, Kalpana entered Asianet’s Malayalam reality show Star Singer season 5 as a contestant, even though she was already an established playback singer. She went on to win the season, a result that made her a household name among Malayali audiences.

In 2017, she joined the first season of Bigg Boss Telugu on Star Maa, hosted by Jr NTR. She stayed in the house for four weeks, was evicted on Day 28 and finished 11th. The show introduced her to many viewers who knew her voice but not her face, something she has often joked about in interviews.

Since then she has been a regular judge on music shows. She judged Star Vijay’s Super Singer Junior (seasons 6, 7 and 8) and Airtel Super Singer season 8, Star Maa’s Super Singer, Zee Telugu’s Saregamapa Champions, and Asianet’s Star Singer season 8.

Selected Kalpana Raghavendar Songs

Singer Kalpana Personal Life

Kalpana is married and has a daughter. She keeps her family life largely private and is based in Hyderabad, where she has lived for several years while working across the Telugu and Tamil industries. She has said that her husband encourages her to keep learning, and in 2025 she was studying for a PhD and a law degree (LLB) while continuing to update her music.

Many fans know her best as a live performer. With around 3,000 concerts to her name, she has toured widely in India and abroad, often singing in several languages in a single show. For other Telugu voices on our site, read the biography of folk singer Mangli.

Why Singer Kalpana Stands Out

Few playback singers have had a career as long or as varied as Kalpana’s. She began as a five-year-old in her father’s world of film music, sang through the golden years of Telugu dance numbers in the early 2000s, won a reality show as an established professional, and became a familiar judge for a new generation of singers. Her ability to move between Carnatic-based devotional songs, folk numbers and high-energy item songs, in several languages, has kept her in demand for more than three decades.

Lesser-Known Facts

• She appeared as a child in Kamal Haasan’s Punnagai Mannan (1986).
• Her sister, Shekinah Shawn, is an opera singer.
• She holds a Master of Computer Applications (MCA) degree.
• She won Star Singer even though she was already a well-known playback singer.
• She has sung in Assamese, recording a song with Zubeen Garg.

Related Biographies

• Mangli – Telugu folk singer
• Jr NTR – host of Bigg Boss Telugu 1
• Sreemukhi – Telugu TV host
• Deepthi Sunaina – Bigg Boss Telugu 2 contestant

Singer Kalpana FAQs

How old is Singer Kalpana?

Kalpana Raghavendar was born on 8 May 1980, so she is 46 years old in 2026.

Who is Singer Kalpana’s father?

Her father is T. S. Raghavendra, a well-known Tamil playback singer, composer and actor.

How many songs has Kalpana Raghavendar sung?

By 2013 she had recorded about 1,500 songs and performed around 3,000 stage shows.

Did Singer Kalpana win Star Singer?

Yes. She won Star Singer season 5 on the Malayalam channel Asianet in 2010.

Was Singer Kalpana in Bigg Boss Telugu?

Yes. She took part in Bigg Boss Telugu season 1 (2017), hosted by Jr NTR, and was evicted on Day 28.

Which award did Kalpana win for Pogiren?

She won the Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Female Playback Singer for “Pogiren” from 36 Vayadhinile.

What was Kalpana Raghavendar’s first film song?

Her full-time playback career began with “Mangalagouriki” from the Telugu film Manoharam, composed by Mani Sharma.

Where was Singer Kalpana born?

She was born in Chennai, Tamil Nadu.

Sources

• Kalpana Raghavendar – Wikipedia
• T. S. Raghavendra – Wikipedia
• Who is Kalpana Raghavendar – The Statesman