Sujatha Mohan

Last updated

Sujatha Mohan
Sujatha (cropped).jpg
Sujatha Mohan at a Live concert
Background information
Born (1963-03-31) 31 March 1963 (age 59) [1] [2]
Kochi, Kerala, India
Genres Playback
Occupation(s) Playback singer
Years active1974–present
Labels
Spouse
V. Krishna Mohan
(m. 1981)
Children Shweta Mohan
Relatives G. Venugopal (cousin)
Radhika Thilak (cousin)
Website sujathamohan.com

Sujatha Mohan (credited as Sujatha) is an Indian playback singer who is popular for singing in Malayalam, Tamil and Telugu movies. She has also sung for Kannada, Badaga, Hindi and Marathi and more languages movies. In a career spanning 48 years, she has recorded more than 20,000 [3] songs to date.

Contents

Personal life

Sujatha Mohan is the granddaughter of Parur T. K. Narayana Pillai, the first Chief Minister of the erstwhile Travancore-Cochin State after India gained Independence. Her father, the late Dr. Vijayendran died when she was two years old. She completed her graduation in Economics from the St. Teresa's College, Ernakulam. [4] She married Dr. V. Krishna Mohan on 9 May 1981. [5] Her only daughter, Shweta Mohan, is also a singer. Radhika Thilak and G. Venugopal are her cousins.

Career

Sujatha in 2021 Sujatha mohan on stage.jpg
Sujatha in 2021

Sujatha shot to fame in the seventies as Baby Sujatha, the schoolgirl who regularly used to sing with K. J. Yesudas in his stage shows all over the world. She recorded her first song, "Kannezhuthy Pottuthottu" when she was in the sixth standard. The song was composed by M. K. Arjunan for the 1975 Malayalam movie Tourist Bungalow. She recorded songs for Shyam in Kamam Krodham Moham and Salil Chowdhury in Aparadhi. Around this time, composer M. G. Radhakrishnan got her to record many non-film songs; the biggest hit among them was "Odakkuzhal Vili".

She debuted in Tamil through the song "Kaadhal Oviyam Kandein" from Kavikuyil (1977), tuned in Hameer Kalyani raga by Illayaraja, but it was not included in the film. Her first released song in Tamil was "Kalai Paniyil" from the Tamil film Gaayathri (1977), starring Sridevi and Rajinikanth with music by Ilaiyaraja. She sang for Ilaiyaraaja in Johnny , Kavikuyil and Ilamai Kolangal. After her marriage in 1981, she took a sabbatical from playback singing. She made a successful comeback in 1988 through Kadathanadan Ambadi, followed by the hit Chithram .

She used to sing ad jingles in the late 1980s for A. R. Rahman (such as the Premiere Cooker ad and the Tilda Rice ad). Then Rahman got her to sing "Pudhu Vellai Mazhai" from Mani Ratnam's 1992 film Roja , which became one of the biggest hit songs in India. The backing vocals for the song "Kadhal Roja" were also performed by Sujatha. She has had other hit songs, most of them with Rahman from films including Pudhiya Mugam (1992), Gentleman (1993), Jeans and Minsaara Kanavu (1997). She has also recorded some songs in Hindi, including "Dil Hai Sanam" (the Hindi version of "Thee Thee") from Chor Chor (Thiruda Thiruda), "Ishq Bina" from Taal , "Hai Jaana" from Pukar and "Ishwar Allah" from Earth , and provided backing vocals for the song "Tum Ho Meri Nigahom" from Kabhi Na Kabhi , all of them composed by A. R. Rahman. She has had many of her notable and successful songs under the musical direction of A. R. Rahman. Her husky voice has given her huge number of fans across.

She made a strong comeback in the Malayalam film industry in the mid-1990s and most of her notable Malayalam songs were composed by Vidyasagar. Most of her hit songs from Telugu are composed by Mani Sharma. She was also a judge in munch star singer junior, IDEA star singer, AIRTEL super singer (VIJAY TV).

Discography

Awards

Sujatha has received several awards and recognitions for her work in the South Indian film musical world. She has been awarded the Kalaimamani award by the Government of Indian state Tamil Nadu in 2021. She was also awarded Kerala, Tamil Nadu state awards.

Kerala State Film Awards

YearCategoryFilmSong
1996 Best Female Playback Singer Azhakiya Ravanan "Pranayamani Thooval"
1998 Pranayavarnangal "Varamanjaladiya"
2006 Rathri Mazha "Baasuri"

Tamil Nadu State Film Awards

YearCategoryFilm(s)Song(s)
1993 Best Female Playback Singer Pudhiya Mugam
Gentleman
"Netru Illatha Mathram"
"En Veetil Thottathil"
1996 Minsara Kanavu
Avvai Shanmugi
"Poo Pookum Osai"
"Rukku Rukku"
2001 Dhill "Un Samayil Arayil"

Kerala Film Critics Award

YearCategoryFilmSong
1991 [6] Best Female Playback Singer Kizhakkunarum Pakshi
Kankettu
"Kizhakkunarumpakshi"
"Gopeehrudayam"
2003 Vellithira
Kasthooriman
"Kudamulla Kadavil"
"Azhage"
2004Thudakkam"Amme Ennoru"
2005 Paranju Theeratha Visheshangal "Paadaanum"

South Indian International Movie Awards

YearCategoryFilmSong
2022 Best Female Playback Singer The Priest "Neelambale"

Asianet Film Awards

YearCategoryFilmSong
1998Best Female Playback Singer Pranayavarnangal "Varamanjaladiya"
2001 Soothradharan "Perariyaam"
2004 Mampazhakkalam "Kandu Kandu"

Other prominent awards & nominations

Malayalam album songs

TV shows

She has Judged several popular reality shows over South Indian television across Malayalam and Tamil languages.

As Judge
YearTitleChannelLanguageNotes
2008 Airtel Super Singer 2 STAR Vijay Tamil
2008–2009Munch Star singer junior Asianet Malayalam
2010–2011 Airtel Super Singer 3 STAR Vijay Tamil
2010–2012Munch Star singer junior 2 Asianet Malayalam
2013Indian Voice Mazhavil Manorama Malayalam
2013–2014 Airtel Super Singer 4 STAR Vijay Tamil
2013–2014Indian Voice season 2 Mazhavil Manorama Malayalam
2014Surya Singer Surya TV Malayalam
2016Super star junior 5 Amrita TV Malayalam
2017 Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Lil Champs Zee Tamizh Tamil
2018 Super 4 Mazhavil Manorama Malayalam
2018 Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Lil Champs season 2 Zee Tamil Tamil
2019–2020 Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Keralam Zee KeralamMalayalam
2019SA RE GA MA PA Seniors Season 2 Zee Tamil Tamil
2021–2022 Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Lil Champs Zee Keralam Malayalam
2022-presentstar singer junior season 3 Asianet Malayalam

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References

  1. "Happy Birthday Sujatha Mohan". The Times of India . 31 March 2020. Retrieved 8 November 2020.
  2. Nair, Lekshmi (1 April 2020). "അവൾ സന്തോഷിച്ചിരിക്കുകയാണ്! ചെറുമകളെ വീഡിയോയിൽ കാട്ടി സുജാത!". The Times of India - Samayam. Retrieved 8 November 2020.
  3. "Ten Interesting Facts About Sujatha Mohan, Judge Of Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Keralam". ZEE5 News. 8 November 2019. Retrieved 11 May 2021.
  4. "Ten Interesting Facts About Sujatha Mohan, Judge Of Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Keralam". Zee Keralam. 8 November 2019.
  5. "Married to a singer". The New Indian Express. 28 May 2012. Retrieved 17 January 2020.
  6. "Film Critics Award 1991". Archived from the original on 11 October 2020 via YouTube.