- Mahalakshmi Iyer
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Mahalakshmi Iyer Genres Playback singing, Indian classical music, folk, Indipop Occupations Singer, playback singer Instruments Vocalist Years active 1998-present Mahalakshmi Iyer (also Mahalaxmi Iyer) is an Indian playback singer, best known for her Hindi and Tamil songs. She has sung over a thousand songs in many Indian languages, including Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Marathi, Bengali, Gujarati, Assamese, Kannada and Malayalam.[1]
Contents
Career
Mahalakshmi made her singing debut with Dus, which was Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy's debut as music directors in 1997, though the album released only in 1999. Later, she went on to work frequently with them. She then sang the track Ae Ajnabee with Udit Narayan for A R Rahman in Mani Ratnam's Dil Se (1998).
Since then she has sung over thousand songs in films, serials, jingles and original albums.[2] She was part of several successful soundtracks such as Mission Kashmir, Yaadein and Saathiya and worked with some of the biggest music composers like A. R. Rahman, Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy Anu Malik, Jatin-Lalit and more.
She has also sung for all of Yash Raj Films' biggest hits like Dhoom 2, Bunty Aur Babli, Salaam Namaste and Fanaa and most recent successful albums like Ta Ra Rum Pum and Jhoom Barabar Jhoom.
She was known for her performances in songs like "Kabhi Sham Dhale" from Sur: The Melody of Life (2002), "Har Taraf" from Rishtey (2002) and for hit songs like "Chup Chup Ke" from Bunty Aur Babli (2005), "Aaj Ki Raat" from Don: The Chase Begins Again (2006) and "Bol Na Halke Halke" from Jhoom Barabar Jhoom.
She also sang on the Academy Award winning song "Jai Ho" for A. R. Rahman in the film Slumdog Millionaire (2008). Specifically, she sang the Urdu words between the short "Jai Ho" chants, as well as portions of the verses (most of which were sung by Sukhwinder Singh).[3]
She has also rendered her voice to many private album remixes notably Aaja Piya Tohe Pyar and Baahon Mein Chali Aao, which was originally rendered by the legendary Lata Mangeshkar. Mahalakshmi has also recorded hundreds of commercial advertisements on television.
Personal life
Mahalakshmi comes from a musical family. Her mother is a Carnatic classical singer. She began learning Hindustani music at an early age as did her three sisters, Kalpana, Padmini and Shobha. Iyer grew up in Mumbai and is a graduate of St. Xavier's College, Mumbai, where she took up classes in Urdu to perfect her pronunciation and hide any traces of a Southern accent.[2]
Notable filmography
Year Song Film Language Music director Co-singer(s) 1997 "Suno Gaur Se Duniya Walo (Hindustani)" Dus Hindi Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy Udit Narayan, Shankar Mahadevan, Dominique Cerejo 1998 "Ae Ajnabee" Dil Se... Hindi A. R. Rahman Udit Narayan 1999 "Velli Malare" Jodi Tamil A. R. Rahman S. P. Balasubramanyam "Vanna Poonga" Jodi Tamil A. R. Rahman S. P. Balasubramanyam "Kurukku Siruthhavale" Mudhalvan Tamil A. R. Rahman Hariharan 2000 "So Jaa Chandaa" Mission Kashmir Hindi Loy Mendonsa Solo "Yaaro Yaarodi" Alaipayuthey Tamil A. R. Rahman Richa Sharma, Vaishali "Kandukonden Kandukonden" Kandukondain Kandukondain Tamil A. R. Rahman Hariharan "Ennavo Ennavo" Priyamanavale Tamil S. A. Rajkumar Hariharan 2001 "Hasde Hasde" Abhay Hindi Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy Kamal Haasan "Poove Vai Pesum" 12B Tamil Harris Jayaraj Harish Raghavendra "Mutham Mutham" 12B Tamil Harris Jayaraj KK "Siri Siri" Aalavandhan Tamil Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy Kamal Haasan "Yaadein Yaad Aati Hai" Yaadein Hindi Anu Malik Sunidhi Chauhan "Malai Kattru Vandhu" Vedham Tamil Vidhyasagar Hariharan 2002 "Har Taraf Tu Hi" Rishtey Hindi "Chalka Chalka Re" Saathiya Hindi A. R. Rahman Richa Sharma, Vaishali "Kabhie Sham Dhale" Sur: The Melody of Life Hindi M. M. Kreem Solo "Oohh Yeah" Yeh Kya Ho Raha Hai? Hindi Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy KK "Ghatothkacha Kalaadhara" Pammal K. Sambandam Tamil Deva Srinivas 2003 "Aao Milke Gaayein" Armaan Hindi Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy Udit Narayan, Amitabh Bachchan, Shankar Mahadevan "Main Gaaon" Armaan Hindi Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy Udit Narayan, Shaan "Nenjam Oru Murai" Vaseegara Tamil S. A. Rajkumar Srinivas "ABBG" Kuch Naa Kaho Hindi Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy Udit Narayan "Baat Meri Suniye" Kuch Naa Kaho Hindi Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy Shankar Mahadevan 2004 "Yeh Dhuaan" Charas Hindi Raju Singh Solo "Pyar Mein Sau Uljhane" Kyun! Ho Gaya Na... Hindi Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy Shankar Mahadevan, Vijay Prakash "Ishq Khudai" Rudraksh Hindi Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy Krishna, Shankar Mahadevan, Shweta Pandit 2005 "Chup Chup Ke" Bunty Aur Babli Hindi Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy Sonu Nigam "Tu Jahaan" Salaam Namaste Hindi Vishal-Shekhar Sonu Nigam "Jaaniya Ve" Dus Hindi Vishal-Shekhar Hariharan "Ee Nanna Kannaane" Abhi Kannada Gurukiran Udit Narayan "Koi Aisa Alam" Karam Hindi Vishal-Shekhar Sonu Nigam 2006 "Uyirilae" Vettaiyaadu Vilaiyaadu Tamil Harris Jayaraj Srinivas "Dil Laga Na" Dhoom 2 Hindi Pritam Jolly Mukherjee, Suzanne D'Mello, Sukhbir "Aaj Ki Raat" Don: The Chase Begins Again Hindi Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy Alisha Chinai, Sonu Nigam "Des Rangila" Fanaa Hindi Jatin-Lalit Solo "Chanda Chamke" Fanaa Hindi Jatin-Lalit Babul Supriyo "Rock N' Roll Soniye" Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna Hindi Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy Shaan, Shankar Mahadevan 2007 "Bol Na Halke Halke" Jhoom Barabar Jhoom Hindi Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy Rahat Fateh Ali Khan "Jhoom Barabar Jhoom" Jhoom Barabar Jhoom Hindi Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy Shankar Mahadevan, KK, Sukhwinder Singh "Mudhal Naal Indru" Unnale Unnale Tamil Harris Jayaraj KK, Pop Shalini "Baat Pakki" Just Married Hindi Pritam Shaan, Sukhwinder Singh "Yeko Yeno" Arasu Kannada Joshua Sridhar Solo "Jab Chhaye" Hattrick Hindi Pritam Solo "Zara Gungunalein" Laaga Chunari Mein Daag Hindi Shantanu Moitra Babul Supriyo "Tenu Leke" Salaam-E-Ishq Hindi Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy Sonu Nigam "Ta Ra Rum Pum" Ta Ra Rum Pum Hindi Vishal-Shekhar Shaan "Kannadaasa Kannadaasa" Thavam Tamil D. Imman Harish Raghavendra "Manasa" (Film Version) Munna Telugu Harris Jayaraj Naresh Iyer, Krish 2008 "Jai Ho" Slumdog Millionaire English A. R. Rahman Sukhwinder Singh, Vijay Prakash, Tanvi Shah "Oh Ho Sanam" Dasavathaaram Tamil Himesh Reshammiya Kamal Haasan "Falak Tak Chal" Tashan Hindi Vishal-Shekhar Udit Narayan "Pyar Ki Dastan" Luck by Chance Hindi Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy Amit Paul "Dheem Dheem" Accident Kannada V. Harikrishna Sonu Nigam 2010 "Sadka" I Hate Luv Storys Hindi Vishal-Shekhar Suraj Jagan "Tera Mera Pyar" Action Replayy Hindi Pritam Karthik, Antara Mitra "Charha De Rang" Yamla Pagla Deewana Hindi Nouman Javaid Ali Pervez Mehdi, Shweta Pandit, Rahul Seth 2011 "Laungda Lashkara" (orig&remix) Patiala House Hindi Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy Hard Kaur, Jassi Sidhu "Rola Pe Gaya" (orig&remix) Shankar Mahadevan, Hard Kaur, Earl "Mauka" (orig&remix) Aarakshan Raman Mahadevan, Tarun Sagar, Gaurav Gupta, Rehan Khan Awards and honors
- Alpha award for Best Playback, for Adhar
- Maharashtra Kala Niketan Award, for Suna Yeti Gharaat
References
- ^ ""I am known as Mahalukhimi in Assam and Mahalokhi in Calcutta. I have heard stories where they have asked people that when did this Assam native move to Bombay?" – Mahalaxmi Iyer". IndiaFM. March 14, 2007. http://www.indiafm.com/features/2007/03/14/2384/index.html. Retrieved 2008-12-27.
- ^ a b "'My day will come too!'". rediff.com. April 7, 2001. http://www.rediff.com/entertai/2001/apr/09maha.htm. Retrieved 2008-12-27.
- ^ Vij, Manish (2009-01-24). "Jai ho Rahman". Ultrabrown. http://www.ultrabrown.com/posts/jai-ho-rahman. Retrieved 2009-06-11.
External links
Categories:- Indian female singers
- Indian film singers
- Bollywood playback singers
- Kollywood playback singers
- Living people
- Tamil musicians
- Tamil singers
- Marathi-language singers
- Marathi playback singers
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