Female Playback Singers

One of the most respected and best-known playback singers in India, Lata Mangeshkar is popularly known as the Nightingale of India. Such has had a long career of more than 60 years and have been 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.

Known as Hindi cinema’s “Tragedy Queen,” Meena Kumari is remembered for her stellar performances in films such as Pakeezah and Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam. The four-time Filmfare-winning actor sank into alcoholism after her separation from her abusive husband, director Kamal Amrohi, and died of liver cirrhosis.

One of the greatest actors in Telugu and Tamil cinema, Savitri earned the titled of the "First Female Superstar of South Indian cinema" from her fans. The Rashtrapati Award- and Nandi Award-winning actor had also secretly married Tamil actor Gemini Ganesan, who was already married and involved in another affair.

Maggie Siff is best known as Tara Knowles from Sons of Anarchy and Rachel Katz from Mad Men. She was also part of the film The 5th Wave and the series Billions. She has promoted Betterment, a robo-advising service, and was part of the podcast You Must Remember This.

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.

Three-time Filmfare winner Nithya Menen is a sensation in South Indian films. Initially a child actor, she later aspired to be a journalist but eventually ended up gaining accolades with her roles in films such as Gunde Jaari Gallanthayyinde and Mynaa. She also appeared in the web series Breathe: Into the Shadows.

Though she initially aspired to be a singer, Raashi Khanna was also studious and later wished to become an IAS officer. She then worked as an ad copywriter for a while before making her film debut with Madras Café. She later soared to fame in the Tamil and Telugu film industries.

The veteran British actress who belongs to the Golden Age of Hollywood is known for her stellar roles in films like Miranda, Third Time Lucky and State Secret. Glynis Johns is also a singer, distinguished by her husky voice. She acted on the stage and the television. The daughter of actor, Mervyn Johns, has a son from her first marriage.

Olivia Olson is an American singer-songwriter and actress. She made her film debut at the age of 10, playing Joanna Anderson in the film, Love Actually, in which she was seen singing All I Want for Christmas Is You; her skills as a singer was praised and Olson landed several voice roles in TV series, such as Phineas and Ferb.

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.  

Padmini Kolhapure was 15 when she won a Filmfare for Insaf Ka Tarazu. Born to a musician father, she had begun acting and singing in films since childhood and later soared to fame with films such as Prem Rog. She was dragged into a controversy for kissing Prince Charles on the cheeks.

Gemma Jones is an English actress best known for playing Madam Poppy Pomfrey in the popular Harry Potter film series. A talented actress, Jones won the prestigious British Academy Television Award for playing Mary in the critically acclaimed television film, Marvellous.

Ashlee Nicole DeLoach, popularly known as Nikki DeLoach, is an American actress best known for playing Lacey Hamilton in the popular teen comedy-drama TV series, Awkward. Before establishing herself as an actress, DeLoach was part of the All-New Mickey Mouse Club, which also included future stars like Ryan Gosling, Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake, Keri Russell, and Christina Aguilera.

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.   

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.

Kavya Madhavan made her film debut with Malayalam film Chandranudikkunna Dikhil as a ninth-grader. The Kerala State Film Award-winning actor later soared to fame with films such as Gaddama. She owns a charitable foundation and a textile shop. She has also released a collection of memoirs.

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.

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.

Usha Mangeshkar belongs to the iconic Mangeshkar musical family of India and is the second-youngest child of Pandit Deenanath Mangeshkar. She, and her famous siblings, Lata and Asha, once rocked the Hindi playback scene. Her song Mai Toh Aarti from Jai Santoshi Maa earned her a Filmfare nomination.

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.

Born to an Indian Navy officer in the Soviet Union, Swathi Reddy was initially named Svetlana but changed her name later. Starting her career as a TV host at 17, she later stepped into acting and eventually won a Filmfare for her role in the Telugu film Ashta Chamma.

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.