Krishnan Nair Shantakumari Chithra
The playback singer K. S. Chithra, who has sung some 15,000 songs in 15 languages and won the National Award six times, honoured with the Padma Bhushan in 2021.
Krishnan Nair Shanthakumari Chithra, known as K. S. Chithra, is one of India’s best-loved playback singers. She was named for the Padma Bhushan in 2021 in the field of art, from Kerala [1]. She had earlier received the Padma Shri in 2005 [2].
Fifteen languages
Chithra was born on 27 July 1963 [2]. She made her playback debut in 1979, singing first in Malayalam films before moving to other languages [2]. She has sung in 15 languages, about 15,000 songs in all [2].
Beyond film she has sung Carnatic classical, traditional and devotional music [2]. She was the first singer to perform in the British Parliament [2]. She runs a charitable trust to help musicians [2].
Honours
She has won the National Film Award for best female playback singer six times, a record, along with 34 state film awards, the Tamil Nadu government’s Kalaimamani title and international awards including an MTV award [2].
Sources
- [1] Padma Awards 2021: list of awardees — Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India. Accessed 24 October 2026.
- [2] Padma Awards 2021: citation for Krishnan Nair Shantakumari Chithra — Padma Awards, Government of India. Accessed 24 October 2026.
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