Famous Indian Playback Singers

National Award-winning singer Shreya Ghoshal grew up in Rajasthan and later moved to Mumbai, where her electrical engineer father was posted. After gaining attention with the talent show Sa Re Ga Ma, the classically trained artist was catapulted to fame with her playback singing in Devdas, and never looked back.

One of the most respected and best-known playback singers in India, Lata Mangeshkar is popularly known as the Nightingale of India. She had a long career of more than 60 years and was honoured with India's highest civilian award Bharat Ratna..

Starting her training in singing at age 4, Neha Kakkar later participated in Indian Idol but was eliminated before she could make her mark on the show. She later soared to fame with the track Second Hand Jawaani from Cocktail and never looked back. She has also performed in minor roles.

Arijit Singh is an Indian music composer and singer. Dubbed the king of playback singing, Singh has received six Filmfare Awards and a National Award in his illustrious career so far. Also known for his humanitarian work, Arijit Singh is credited with founding a non-governmental organization named Let There Be Light which aims at helping the Below Poverty Line community.

A man of many talents, Kishore Kumar was an Indian actor, filmmaker, writer, music director, lyricist, and playback singer. One of the most popular Indian singers of his generation, Kishore Kumar sang in different genres and multiple Indian languages. In 1997, the Kishore Kumar Award was initiated for his contributions to Hindi cinema. Despite marrying four times, he remained a loner.

Himesh Reshammiya is an Indian playback singer, songwriter, music director, actor, and producer. Although he is often criticized for his nasal singing style, Himesh Reshammiya is also one of the most recognized singers in India. Over the years, he has won many prestigious awards, such as Filmfare Award, Star Screen Award, Zee Cine Awards, and Star Guild Award.

S. P. Balasubrahmanyam was an Indian playback singer, music director, actor, television presenter, film producer, and voice-over artist. Widely regarded as one of the most gifted singers of his generation, Balasubrahmanyam received six National Film Awards in an illustrious singing career that spanned more than five decades. He was posthumously honored with the Padma Vibhushan, India’s second-highest civilian award.

Kanika Kapoor is an Indian singer who achieved popularity after the release of her song Baby Doll from the movie Ragini MMS 2. She then went on to record some of the most popular Hindi songs like Lovely. Over the years, she has won many prestigious awards like Brit Asia TV Music Awards, BIG Star Entertainment Award, and Filmfare Award.

Padma Shri- and Padma Bhushan-winning legendary Indian singer K. S. Chithra is also a 6-time National Award winner. Trained in Carnatic music, she earned a government music scholarship. A star in the South Indian music scene, she also gained recognition with her Hindi tracks such as Kehna Hi Kya.  

Yuvan Shankar Raja is a music composer and singer-songwriter. He is credited with introducing hip-hop to the Tamil music industry and became one of the most sought-after Tamil composers in 2000s. In 2006, he won the Cyprus International Film Festival Award, becoming the first Indian composer to win the award. He has also won other awards like Filmfare Awards South.

Adnan Sami is an Indian musician, singer, pianist, and music composer. Best known for his skills as a piano player, Sami was named the world's fastest keyboard player by Keyboard magazine. He is also widely regarded as the first person to have played Indian classical music on the piano. In 2020, he was awarded India's fourth-highest civilian award, Padma Shri. 

M.M. Keeravaani is an Indian playback singer, film composer, and lyricist. One of the most respected and decorated music directors in the Telugu film industry, Keeravani is the recipient of 11 Nandi Awards, eight Filmfare Awards, and a National Film Award. Over the years, he has composed music for successful and popular movies like Baahubali.

Mika Singh is an Indian singer, rapper, and performer. Apart from contributing to the soundtrack of many popular films like Singh Is Kinng and Jab We Met, Singh has released many solo albums as well. He has also performed live at popular venues like The O2 Arena.

Born in Chennai, to a Carnatic music teacher mother, Sid Sriram later moved to the US with his family. The talented singer-songwriter is a Berklee College of Music alumnus and is known for his skills mixing pop/soul and Indian classical elements. His Indian playback credits include Adiye from the film Kadal.

Born to legendary playback singer Udit Narayan, Aditya Narayan began accompanying his father to music studios and soared to fame with his award-winning track Chhota Baccha as a child artist. He grew up to sing and act in a few films, but has been most popular as the host of SaReGaMaPa.

Fort Kochi-born K.J. Yesudas is a major figure of Indian Malyali music. Known as Dasettan to his followers, the singer is an eight-time National Award winner and has the prestigious Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan, and Padma Vibhushan in his kitty. He has also acted in a few regional films.

A musical prodigy, Sunidhi Chauhan had started performing at events at age 4. Discovered by actor Tabassum, she quit school and plunged into a full-fledged music career, winning several reality shows. She then soared to fame with her playback singing in Mast and now has three Filmfare awards in her kitty.

Known for ruling the Bollywood playback scene in the 1990s, Udit Narayan has 4 National Awards in his kitty. Initially a singer on a Kathmandu radio station, he later moved to Mumbai. He soared to fame with the track Papa Kehte Hain and later scored many hits with singer Alka Yagnik.

National Award-winning actor and singer Kalabhavan Mani was born into a family with modest means and later quit school after tenth grade. He once even worked as a autorickshaw driver and later began his entertainment career as a mimicry artist. Vasanthiyum Lakshmiyum Pinne Njaanum remains his most-loved film.

Amit Kumar is an Indian music composer, playback singer, and actor. Amit Kumar, who has organized several live orchestra shows, is also credited with establishing a music production company called Kumar Brothers Music. Amit Kumar is also renowned for his association with one of the greatest composers of the Indian film industry, R. D. Burman.

The daughter of music magnate Gulshan Kumar, who launched T-Series, Tulsi Kumar began her playback singing career with the movie Aksar. She later gained fame with hit tracks such as Sanam Re and Soch Na Sake. She is now married to a Delhi businessman and has a son.

Amit Trivedi is an Indian singer, music director, and lyricist. He is best known for his work in the 2009 romantic black comedy film Dev.D, which earned him many prestigious awards like the National Film Award for Best Music Direction. Trivedi has also won several other awards, such as Filmfare Awards, Global Indian Music Academy Awards, and Mirchi Music Awards.

Known for blending Indian classical music with contemporary undertones, Indian music director, composer, and record producer, Pritam Chakraborty is also a well-known singer and instrumentalist.  Beginning his career with ad jingles, he later partnered with Jeet Ganguly to compose music for Hindi films before going solo. He has won numerous awards for his work, concurrently helping budding musicians through his organization JAM8.

Anuradha Paudwal is an Indian playback singer who has contributed to the soundtrack of many Hindi, Tamil, Kannada, Bengali, and Marathi films. She is the recipient of several prestigious awards, such as Filmfare Awards and a National Film Award for Best Female Playback Singer. In 2017, Anuradha Paudwal was honored with India's fourth-highest civilian award, Padma Shri.

Chinmayi Sripada is an Indian singer, voice actor, radio jockey, and TV presenter who works predominantly in the South Indian film and TV industry. Chinmayi is also credited with founding Blue Elephant, a translation services company, for which she serves as the CEO. Also known for her activism, Chinmayi Sripada has been an important figure in India's Me Too movement.

National Award- and Filmfare-winning singer Monali Thakur is best known for her hit tracks such as Moh Moh Ke Dhaage and Sawaar Loon. She first gained fame with Indian Idol 2 and later also acted in movies such as Lakshmi. She later secretly married a Swiss restaurateur she met on a trip.

Vyjayanthimala is an Indian actress and dancer who played a major role in the Hindi film industry during the 1950s and 1960s. One of the most popular actresses of all time, Vyjayanthimala is also known for her contribution to South Indian movies. She is the recipient of several awards, including Filmfare Awards and Lifetime Achievement Awards at International film festivals.   

Born to parents who ran a music troupe in Kanpur, Ankit Tiwari began his musical career singing jingles. He later soared to fame with Bollywood tracks such as Sunn Raha Hai and Galliyan, proving himself as a both a talented singer and a skilled music director.

K. L. Saigal, the first superstar of Hindi cinema, was revered and idolised for his singing and acting styles. He gained-attention starring and singing in the Hindi film Puran Bhagat. He then starred in several films, most notably in the Hindi film Devdas. He was the first non-Bengali who was given consent by Rabindranath Tagore to sing the latter’s songs.  

Born to a theater artiste, Remya Nambeesan began her career as a child artist in films. As she grew up, she was typecast in roles of the village belle but turned around with the film Traffic. She has also gained fame for her singing in films such as Ivan Megharoopan and Bachelor Party.

Sona Mohapatra is an Indian music composer, singer, and lyricist. She is best known for recording remixes of popular songs by famous artists like David Bowie and INXS. Although she is known for her musical career, Sona Mohapatra achieved national recognition when she appeared in a TV show titled Satyamev Jayate, which was hosted by popular Bollywood actor Aamir Khan.

Known as the Queen of Indipop and India's Madonna, Alisha Chinai rocked the 1990s with her chartbusting hit Made in India. She also made headlines when she accused music director Anu Malik of sexual harassment. Kaate Nahin Katthe from the film Mr. India was one of her other big hits.

Internationally acclaimed playback singer, Sukhwinder Singh first came to limelight with Chaiyya Chaiyya, a duet from the Shahrukh Khan starrer Dil Se. Since then he has been working with numerous renowned composers, earning international fame with the song Jai Ho from the movie Slumdog Millionaire. He has also given voice to many Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Marathi songs and has released two studio albums.

Vijay Yesudas is an Indian actor and playback singer. One of the most popular singers of the Malayalam film industry, Yesudas has won several prestigious awards like Kerala State Film Awards, Filmfare Awards South, South Indian International Movie Awards, and Asianet Film Awards.

Manna Dey was a classical Indian vocalist, playback singer, musician, and music director. He is regarded as one of the most celebrated vocalists of the Hindi film industry. In a rich and extensive career spanning seven decades, he recorded more than 4,000 songs. He was honored with numerous prestigious awards, including the Padma Vibhusan and the Dadasaheb Phalke Award. 

Neha Bhasin first gained the spotlight when she became one of the five winners of the Channel V show Popstars, thus becoming part of India’s first all-girl pop band, Viva. She is also an avid dancer and is known for her Bollywood tracks such as Kuch Khaas Hai from Fashion.