Top 10 Female Singers In Malayalam

1. K. S. Chithra

This great singer is often known as the Nightingale of South India. Her career as a playback singer started in 1979 with a song composed by M.G Radhakrishnan. She received more than 150 awards, including six National Awards, fifteen Kerala State Film Awards, and one Bollywood Movie Award. She was also fortunate to work with many great music composers like Raveendran, Johnson, G.Devarajan, V. Dakshinamoorthy, A.R Rahman and M.Jayachandran. She was awarded the Padma Shri in 2001, Honorary Doctorate by Sathyabama University and National Excellence Award in 2001. There are more than a thousand songs to her credit in Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Hindi.

2. Sujatha Mohan

A contemporary of Chithra, this singer made her first attempt as a playback singer in 1975. The songs like, “Varamanjaladiya” from ‘Pranayavarnangal’, “Poo Pookkum Osai” from ‘Minsara Kanavu’, “Pudhu Vellai Mazhai” from ‘Roja’, and “Baasuri” from ‘Rathri Mazha’, brought her national recognition. She received several awards, including three Kerala State Film Awards, and three Tamil Nadu State Awards. She has also judged many Reality Shows, like Munch Star Singer, and Amrita TV Super Star Junior.

3. Shreya Ghoshal

Though, not a Keralite, Shreya Ghosal has been very active in the Malayalam film industry with more than sixty Malayalam songs to her credit. She has won more than 100 awards all over India, with three Asianet Film Awards, four Asiavision Awards, and eight South Indian Filmfare Awards. In Malayalam, she has worked with music directors like M.Jayachandran, Ilayaraja, Mohan Sithara, Bijibal, and Gopi Sunder. Some of her best Malayalam songs are, “Kaathirunnu” from Ennu Ninte Moideen, “Paattil ee paattil” from ‘Pranayam’, “Nilave Nilave” from ‘Chattakkari’, “Vijanathayil” from ‘How Old Are You’, and “Kaanamullal” from ‘Salt N Pepper’.

4. Shweta Mohan

Daughter of the famous singer Sujatha Mohan, Swetha is one of the celebrated young playback singers of Kerala. She won the Best Female Playback Singer Award in the 2007 Kerala State Film Awards Function for the song “Kolakkuzhal” of the movie ‘Nivedyam’. She has also sung many songs in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Hindi. Some of her famous songs are, “Yamuna” from ‘Ore Kadal’, “Shyam Hare” from ‘Arike’, “Enna Solla” from ‘Thanga Magan’, and “Innum Konjam Neram” from ‘Maryan’.

5. Manjari

She made her entry into playback singing with the song, “Thamarakuruvikku” composed by ‘Ilayaraja’, for the movie, Achuvinte Amma. She is basically a ghazal singer who performs various concerts in India and abroad. She received two Kerala State Film Awards in 2004 and 2006 for the songs, “Mukilin Makale”, and “Mullulla Murikkinmel”. She also got the Sahir and Adeeb International Award in 2016 for her contributions to ghazals and Urdu language.

6. Jyotsna Radhakrishnan

She has sung in more than 130 films and has a collection of around 200 album songs. The song “Sughamanee Nilavu” from the movie ‘Nammal’ gave her more attention. She currently sings in many stage shows and functions. She is a trained singer in Hindustani and Carnatic vocal style. Now, she also does a musical chat show, ‘Duet’, on Amrita TV.

7. Sithara

She is a trained Carnatic music vocalist, and also a ghazal singer. Her hit songs include, “Thiruvavaniraavu” from ‘Jacobinte Swargarajyam’, “Sharadaambaram” from ‘Ennu Ninte Moideen’, “Sadaa Paalaya” from ‘Mr. Fraud’, and “Enundodee” from ‘Celluloid’. She has also sung for many Tamil, Kannada, and Telugu films.

8. Vaikom Vijayalakshmi

She is a very talented playback singer, but unfortunately, she is blind. Many of her songs like, “Katte Katte” of ‘Celluloid’, “Ottakku Padunna” of ‘Nadan’, “Siva Sivaya Potri” of ‘Baahubali’, and “Kaikkottum Kandittilla” of ‘Oru Vadakkan Selfie’ brought her nationwide recognition. The veteran music director, ‘M. Jayachandran’ brought her to the field of playback singing.

9. Rajalakshmy

Her entry into playback singing was through the film ‘Aswaroodan’. But the 2010 film ‘Janakan’, brought home to her, the Kerala State Film Award for the Best Female Playback Singer. She was a contestant in the music contest, ‘Hamsadwany’, on Dooradarshan channel. Her songs include, “Doore Doore” from ‘Geethaanjali’, “Nalla Maampoopaadam” from ‘Orkkuka Vallappozhum’, “Malarvaaka Kompathu” from ‘Ennum Eppozhum’, etc.

10. Mridula Warrier

She came up as a playback singer through the many reality shows in which she had participated, like, ‘Sapthaswarangal’, ‘Gandharvasangeetham’, and ‘Idea Star Singer’. She got the Kerala State Special Jury Award for the Song “Malaroliye” from the movie, ‘Kalimannu’. She is a trained Carnatic and Hindustani classical singer.