P. Susheela
Born 13 November 1935 · Andhra Pradesh
Recorded over 17,000 songs in multiple Indian languages, recognized by Guinness and Asia Book of Records.
🔔 Add birthday reminderPulapaka Suseela is an Indian playback singer associated with the South Indian cinema for over six decades and is referred to as the "Evergreen Nightingale of Indian cinema". She is one of the best-known playback singers in India. She has been recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records as well as by the Asia Book of Records for performing a record number of songs in different Indian languages. She is also the recipient of five National Film Award for Best Female Playback Singer and the first woman playback singer to receive the national award.
✨ A detail that surprised us
P. Susheela holds a Guinness World Record for recording nearly 17,695 songs in multiple Indian languages, a feat unmatched by any other singer.
1. In 1951, P. Susheela recorded her debut song for the Telugu film "Kannatalli," marking the start of a career that would span over six decades with more than 17,000 recorded songs across Indian languages.
2. 🌟 In 1969, she became the first female playback singer to win the National Film Award for Best Female Playback Singer for the Tamil film "Uyarndha Manidhan," with the song "Naalai Intha Velai."
3. By the late 1960s and 1970s, she was the dominant female voice in Tamil cinema, singing classic hits for films like "Pava Manippu," "Palum Pazhamum," and "Uthama Puthiran," cementing her place in South Indian cinema.
4. 🎼 Trained under violin maestro Dwaram Venkataswamy Naidu at Maharaja’s Music College, Vizianagaram, she earned a first-class diploma from Andhra University, blending classical rigor with cinematic appeal.
5. Susheela’s voice is noted for its crystal-clear diction and precision in over a dozen languages including Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, Hindi, Sanskrit, and even foreign languages like English.
6. 🎤 In 1961, she sang all six songs for the Tamil-dubbed version of "Mughal-e-Azam" titled "Akbar," a rare instance where Tamil songs of a Hindi blockbuster became memorable despite the film’s commercial failure in Tamil Nadu.
7. Her family was musically inclined: her brother Ramachandra Rao sang Kannada evergreen "Doni Sagali," and her niece Sandhya Jayakrishna debuted with A. R. Rahman in "Iruvar."
8. ❓ How did P. Susheela maintain vocal clarity and emotional depth across thousands of songs in so many languages over sixty years without formal training in each language?
Awards & Honours
- 🏅Padma Bhushan
🔍 One thing most people don't know
In 1969, P. Susheela won the National Film Award for Best Female Playback Singer for "Naalai Intha Velai," becoming the very first woman to receive this honor in India’s national film awards history.
🖼️ Through the Years
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📅 The Journey
🗝️ Discoveries
🎥 Speeches & Recordings
Legendary Singer P Susheela Exclusive Interview | Ugadi Special | Vanitha Tv
YouTube📖 Curated Sources
🌱 What changed because of them
P. Susheela’s extensive body of work reshaped the soundscape of South Indian cinema, influencing generations of playback singers who followed. Her pioneering achievement as the first woman to win the National Film Award for playback singing paved the way for greater recognition of female vocalists in Indian cinema. Music institutions and film industries in Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and beyond continue to honor her style of precise diction and emotive singing.
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