Kavita Krishnamurti, Playback Singer
Playback Singer

Kavita Krishnamurti

Born 25 January 1958 · Delhi

Recorded over 52,000 songs in 45 Indian languages, winning four Filmfare Best Female Playback Singer Awards.

Kavita Krishnamurthy, is an Indian playback and classical singer. She has recorded 52,000 numerous songs in 45 various Indian languages including Hindi, Bengali, Kannada, Rajasthani, Bhojpuri, Telugu, Odia, Marathi, English, Urdu, Tamil, Malayalam, Gujarati, Nepali, Assamese, Konkani, Punjabi and other languages. She is the recipient of four Filmfare Best Female Playback Singer Awards, and the Padmashri which she received in 2005. She was awarded a Doctorate for her contributions to Indian music by Bangalore-based Jain University in 2015.

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A detail that
surprised us

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Kavita Krishnamurthy has recorded approximately 52,000 songs in 45 different Indian languages, including rare ones like Konkani and Nepali.

The Story

1
In 1971, at age 13, Kavita Krishnamurthy recorded her first song for the Bengali film Shriman Prithviraj alongside Lata Mangeshkar, marking an early entry into Indian cinema’s playback world.
2
🌟 Moving to Bombay at 14, she balanced studies at St. Xavier's College with breaking into Bollywood, where a chance meeting with Ranu Mukherjee led to introductions to Hemant Kumar and Manna Dey, fueling her early career in jingles and live performances.
3In 1976, Kavita recorded a remake of the classic “Aayega Aanewala” under Vilayat Khan’s composition for the film Kadambari, a rare opportunity to reinterpret a 1949 Lata Mangeshkar hit, showcasing her classical training in a challenging setting.
4🎤 Between 1995 and 1997, she won Filmfare Best Female Playback Singer Awards three consecutive years, a testament to her dominance in Bollywood music during this period with hits like “Dola Re.”

🏅 Awards & Honours

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Padma Shri

🔍 One thing most people don't know

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At just eight years old, Kavita won a gold medal in a music competition, a sign of prodigious talent that hinted at her future in Indian classical and playback singing.

🖼️

Through the Years

6 photographs from the archives
Kavita Krishnamurthy attending the Mirchi Music Awards ceremony (2012).
Kavita Krishnamurthy attending the Mirchi Music Awards ceremony (2012).
2012
Kavita Krishnamurthy at GIMA's tribute event honoring Jagjit Singh (2012).
Kavita Krishnamurthy is a renowned Indian film playback singer in this portrait (2012).
Kavita Krishnamurthy at the 55th IFFI press conference celebrating 25 years of Taal in Goa (2024).
Kavita Krishnamurthy at the 55th IFFI press conference celebrating 25 years of Taal in Goa (2024).

🗓️ A Life in Moments

🕊️
Birth
Birth of Sharada Krishnamurthy
Born in New Delhi into a Tamil family, later known as Kavita Krishnamurthy.
1958
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Career
First recorded film song
Recorded a song for the Bengali film Shriman Prithviraj with Lata Mangeshkar.
1971
⚡
Career
Recorded ‘Aayega Aanewala’ remake
Sang the remake of the classic song for the film Kadambari under Vilayat Khan's composition.
1976
🏅
Award
First Filmfare Best Female Playback Award
Won her first Filmfare Award, beginning a streak of three consecutive wins.
1995
🌟
Other
Marriage to L. Subramaniam
Married noted violinist L. Subramaniam and settled in Bengaluru.
1999
🏅
Award
Awarded Padma Shri
Received one of India’s prestigious civilian honors for contributions to music.
2005
🏅
Award
Honorary Doctorate from Jain University
Conferred Doctorate Honoris Causa for her contributions to Indian music.
2015
More moments to come...
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🗝️Discoveries

Swipe to uncover hidden stories
01 / 05
🔍LESSER KNOWN

Kavita's early Bollywood break came through advertisement jingles, a less glamorous but crucial platform where she honed her vocal skills before major film songs.

02 / 05
🏆ACHIEVEMENT

She recorded a remake of the iconic 1949 song “Aayega Aanewala” for the film Kadambari in 1976, a rare assignment to reinterpret a legendary Lata Mangeshkar number so early in her career.

03 / 05
🏆ACHIEVEMENT

Kavita Krishnamurthy is among the few playback singers awarded an honorary doctorate by Jain University in 2015, highlighting her dual recognition in academia and entertainment.

No quote recorded for Kavita Krishnamurti yet.

🎙️ Speeches & Recordings

These recordings preserve the legacy of Bharat's icons
Under what compulsion did singer Kavita Krishnamurthy have to marry the father of three children?
More from this archive
Under what compulsion did singer Kavita Krishnamurthy have to marry the father of three children?
01
Under what compulsion did singer Kavita Krishnamurthy have to marry the father of three children?
Kavita Krishnamurti और L Subrahmaniam ने Javed Akhtar, Pancham Da, Lata Mangeshkar के राज खोले! GITN
02
Kavita Krishnamurti और L Subrahmaniam ने Javed Akhtar, Pancham Da, Lata Mangeshkar के राज खोले! GITN
Voice, Virtue & Vision: Kavita Krishnamurti Subramaniam on Music, Journey & Legacy | She Shakti 2025
03
Voice, Virtue & Vision: Kavita Krishnamurti Subramaniam on Music, Journey & Legacy | She Shakti 2025
There's No Better Friend than Music: Kavita Krishnamurti | Follo.in
04
There's No Better Friend than Music: Kavita Krishnamurti | Follo.in
Kavita Krishnamurti interview with Veena (Dhanak TV USA)
05
Kavita Krishnamurti interview with Veena (Dhanak TV USA)
kavita krishnamurti & udit narayan 🥰 #uditnarayan #kavitakrishnamurti #viral
06
kavita krishnamurti & udit narayan 🥰 #uditnarayan #kavitakrishnamurti #viral
Why Tu Hi Re Haunted Kavita Krishnamurti? | AR Rahman, Bombay | Drops Rahman Music Sheets
07
Why Tu Hi Re Haunted Kavita Krishnamurti? | AR Rahman, Bombay | Drops Rahman Music Sheets

🌱 What changed because of them

Kavita Krishnamurthy expanded the horizons of Indian playback singing by mastering a vast diversity of languages and genres, influencing the acceptance of multilingual versatility in the industry. Her collaborations with classical maestros and film composers bridged traditional and popular music worlds, inspiring both institutions like Jain University to honor her and young singers to pursue classical training alongside commercial success.

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💭 Memories & Tributes

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