List of Mahalakshmi Iyer's featurings
AR Rahman, Shankar Mahadevan, Udit Narayan, K.K. & Sonu Nigam
The Success Story of Mahalakshmi Iyer
Introduction
Mahalakshmi Iyer is an Indian playback singer, songwriter, and live performer. She is best known for her collaborations with iconic music directors and singers like AR Rahman, Shankar Mahadevan, Udit Narayan, K.K., and Sonu Nigam. Born on November 11th 1977 in Chennai, she was exposed to music from a very young age. Her father was a Carnatic vocalist and teacher who introduced her to classical music.Early Life
Mahalakshmi began learning Carnatic music from her father at the age of six and also started learning Hindustani classical music from her cousin when she was seven. She later learnt western classical music from a local teacher. She was part of several cultural events in school for singing competitions, which made her realize her passion for singing. She was inspired by the works of K.S. Chithra and Asha Bhosle.Career
Mahalakshmi’s career began in 2000 when she sang a jingle for an advertisement. Soon after that she made her debut as a playback singer with the Tamil movie ‘Kannathil Muthamittal’. Her debut song ‘Oru Deivam Thantha Poovae’ went on to become a chartbuster and won her many accolades. In 2002 she debuted in Bollywood with the movie ‘Saathiya’ which starred Shah Rukh Khan and Rani Mukherjee in the lead roles. The song ‘Chhalka Chhalka Re’ became an instant hit and topped all major charts in India.Collaborations
Mahalakshmi has collaborated with some of the biggest names in the Indian music industry like AR Rahman, Shankar Mahadevan, Udit Narayan, K.K., and Sonu Nigam. She has sung for some of the biggest banners in Bollywood including Yash Raj Films and Dharma Productions. Some of her notable work includes songs like ‘Aye Udi Udi Udi’ from Saathiya (2002), ‘Om Shanti Om’ from Om Shanti Om (2007), ‘Yeh Ishq Hai’ from Jab We Met (2007) and ‘Tere Mast Mast Do Nain’ from Dabangg (2010).Live Performances
Apart from playback singing, Mahalakshmi has also performed live shows all over India as well as in countries like Singapore, Malaysia, Dubai, Sri Lanka, Mauritius and Canada. She has performed with many renowned musicians and singers like AR Rahman, Shankar Mahadevan, Sukhwinder Singh, Hariharan etc.Awards & Recognition
Mahalakshmi has received many awards over the years including the National Film Award for Best Female Playback Singer for her song ‘Oru Deivam Thantha Poovae’ from Kannathil Muthamittal (2002). She has also been nominated for various awards including Filmfare Awards South for Best Female Playback Singer for her song ‘Konji Konji’ from Ghajini (2005).Conclusion
Mahalakshmi Iyer is one of the most successful playback singers in India today. With her unique voice and powerful rendition of songs she has managed to create a niche for herself in the industry and is now a household name.