Chitra Iyer

2022-05-23T13:18:04Z

122.171.98.86:

{{Short description|Indian Musician}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2018}}
{{Use Indian English|date=May 2018}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name = Chitra Iyer
| image = Dirctor Lenin Rajendran with the cast of Malayalam film Ratri Mazha of Indian Panaorama at presentation on 24.11.2007 at Panji Goa.jpg
| caption = Iyer with Director Lenin Rajendran and all other cast of Malayalam film ''Ratri Mazha'' at Indian Panaorama during presentation on 24.11.2007 at Panji Goa
| image_size =
| birth_name =
| alias =
| birth_date =
| birth_place = Karunagappally [[Kerala]], [[India]]
| death_date =
| instrument =
| genre = [[Playback singer|Playback singing]]
| occupation = Singer, television host, Actor
| years_active = 2000–present
| website =
}}

'''Chitra Iyer''' (also credited as '''Chitra Sivaraman''') is an Indian [[playback singer]] who has worked in Indian and Italian films across five different industries primarily in [[Malayalam]].

A resident of [[Bangalore]], Chitra worked extensively with [[A. R. Rahman]] during the early 2000s on his Tamil films, while also having an alternate career as a television host and actress on Malayalam television.<ref name="bbc">{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/music/tracks/find/asiannetwork/2017/09/17/2PM|title=Find a track - Asian Network - BBC Music|website=bbc.co.uk|accessdate=2017-11-02|archive-date=1 January 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180101034122/https://www.bbc.co.uk/music/tracks/find/asiannetwork/2017/09/17/2PM|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="tribuneindia">{{cite web|url=http://www.tribuneindia.com/2005/20050411/cth2.htm|title=The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - Chandigarh Stories|website=tribuneindia.com|accessdate=2017-11-02}}</ref>

==Career==
Early in her career, Chitra Iyer attempted to reach out to composer [[A. R. Rahman]] to work with him, but found it difficult as she was based out of [[Bangalore]]. In 2000, Rahman initiated contact with Chitra and invited her to come to Chennai with a demo cassette of her work, with Chitra recording a series of Tamil and Malayalam songs.<ref name="cs">{{cite web|url=http://www.thehindu.com/thehindu/fr/2004/01/02/stories/2004010201401400.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041120111121/http://www.thehindu.com/thehindu/fr/2004/01/02/stories/2004010201401400.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=2004-11-20|website=[[The Hindu]]|title=When fortune met talent...|date=2004-01-02|accessdate=2017-11-02}}</ref> On the day of her visit to Chennai, Rahman immediately heard the songs and hired her to record for the song "Athini Sithini" for the film ''[[Thenali]]'' (2000) during the same evening. She subsequently continued to work for other composers in Tamil cinema including [[Karthik Raja]], [[Yuvan Shankar Raja]], [[Bharathwaj]] and [[Vidyasagar (composer)|Vidyasagar]] under her post-marriage name of Chitra Sivaraman. Furthermore, apart from in her mother tongue of Tamil, Chitra continued to sing playback for Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam and Hindi films.<ref name="cs"/>

In the Malayalam entertainment industry, she had an alternate career as an anchor of a Malayalam singing show, ''Jeeva's Sapta Swarangal'' and hosted it under her maiden name, Chitra Iyer. Having done her education in Kerala, she had a good foundation in the Malayalam language, with her work on the show leading to further opportunities to sing for films.<ref name="cs"/>

==Personal life==
Chitra Iyer is married to former Air Force pilot Vinod Sivaraman since 12 July 1989. The pair met at the insistence of their parents at Chennai Gymkhana Club in early 1989, and have since had two daughters Aditi and Anjali.<ref name="blogspot">{{cite web|url=https://shevlinsebastian.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/|website=shevlinsebastian.blogspot.co.uk|title=shevlin's world: July 2013|accessdate=2017-11-02}}</ref> In recent years, alongside her television commitments, Chitra has worked as the founder and trustee of the Society for Elephant Welfare in Kerala.<ref name="sew-india">{{cite web|url=http://www.sew-india.org/about-us.php|website=sew-india.org|title=Society for Elephant Welfare|accessdate=2017-11-02|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170808073947/http://www.sew-india.org/about-us.php|archive-date=8 August 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref> She has also promoted farming with the state, supporting a project launched by her mother Rohini Iyer.<ref name="mathrubhumi">{{cite web|url=http://www.mathrubhumi.com/tv/ReadMore/9719/rohini-ayyar-agri/E|title=Mathrubhumi: ReadMore -'Rohini Iyer earns income through varied farming'|website=mathrubhumi.com|accessdate=2017-11-02|archive-date=7 November 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171107003749/http://www.mathrubhumi.com/tv/ReadMore/9719/rohini-ayyar-agri/E|url-status=dead}}</ref> Likewise, she launched a software company, Darkhorse Productions, in 2013 alongside her daughters Aditi and Anjali Sivaraman.<ref name="indiancompany">{{cite web|url=https://www.indiancompany.info/company/darkhorse-productions-private-limited/|title=DARKHORSE PRODUCTIONS PRIVATE LIMITED|website=Indian Company Info|accessdate=2017-11-02}}</ref>

==Notable discography==
;Tamil
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="background:#f5f5f5;"
|-
! Year !! Song title !! Film !! Music Director !! Notes
|-
| 2000 || "Athini Sithini" || ''[[Thenali]]'' || A. R. Rahman ||
|-
| 2001 || "Athan Varuvaga" || ''[[Dumm Dumm Dumm]]'' || [[Karthik Raja]] ||
|-
| 2001 || "Adi Nenthikkitten" || ''[[Star (2001 film)|Star]]'' || A. R. Rahman ||
|-
| 2001 || "Thozha Thozha" || ''[[Pandavar Bhoomi]]'' || [[Bharathwaj]] ||
|-
| 2001 || "Colour Colour" || ''[[Manadhai Thirudivittai]]'' || [[Yuvan Shankar Raja]] ||
|-
| 2001 || "Panjaangam Paarakadhe" || ''[[Thavasi]]'' || [[Vidyasagar (composer)|Vidyasagar]] ||
|-
| 2002 || "Neruppu Koothadikudhu" || ''[[Thulluvadho Ilamai]]'' || Yuvan Shankar Raja ||
|-
| 2002 || "Dhuan Dhuan Sa" || ''[[16 December (film)|16 December]]'' || Karthik Raja ||
|-
| 2003 || "Vasiyakaara" || ''[[Pudhiya Geethai]]'' || Yuvan Shankar Raja ||
|-
| 2003 || "Ale Ale" || ''[[Boys (2003 film)|Boys]]'' || A. R. Rahman ||
|-
| 2003 || "Asathura" || ''[[Enakku 20 Unakku 18]]'' || A. R. Rahman ||
|-
| 2004 || "Anarkali" || ''[[Kangalal Kaidhu Sei]]'' || A. R. Rahman ||
|-
| 2004 || "Bommalattam" || ''[[Bose (film)|Bose]]'' || Yuvan Shankar Raja ||
|}
;Malayalam
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="background:#f5f5f5;"
|-
! Year !! Song title !! Film !! Music Director
|-
|1996||Kunjikattin||Naalamkettile Nalla Thampimar||SP Venkatesh
|-
|1998||Aadharam Madhuram||Gramapanchayath||rowspan=2|[[Berny Ignatius]]
|-
|1998||Thankamani Tharamay||Kudumba Varthakkal
|-
|2001||Kalakalam Padum||Korappam the Great||[[Balabhaskar]]
|-
|2002||Raavinte Devahridayam||[[Mazhathullikilukkam]]||[[Suresh Peters]]
|-
|2002||Kaatoram Kadaloram||Rowspan=2|Sisiram||rowspan=2|[[Berny Ignatius]]
|-
|2002||Pakkala
|-
|2003||Ishtamallada||[[Swapnakoodu]]||[[Mohan Sithara]]
|-
|2003||Chundatu chettipoo||[[Chronic Bachelor]]||[[Deepak Dev]]
|-
|2003||Nalkani Aayalo||rowspan=2|Ottakambi Nadam||rowspan=2|[[Ramesh Narayan]]
|-
|2003||Oru Swapnam
|-
|2004||Valentine Valentine||Yout festival||rowspan=2|M. Jayachandran
|-
|2004||Maatupetti||[[Mayilattam]]
|-
|2004||Paalathil Thallithali||rowspan=2|[[Udayam (2004 film)|Udayam]]||Rowspan=2|[[Mohan Sithara]]
|-
|2004||Rithame
|-
|2005||Oru Swapnam||rowspan=2|December||rowspan=2|[[Jassie Gift]]
|-
|2005||Kadamthadi
|-
|2006||Kusumavadana||[[Madhuchandralekha]]||rowspan=2|M. Jayachandran
|-
|2006||Kaadukulirana||[[Bada Dosth]]
|-
|2007||Sneham Kondoru ||rowspan=2|Sooryakireedam||rowspan=2|Bennet
|-
|2007||Sneham Kondoru (slow)
|-
|2011||Maanmizhi ||rowspan=2|Metro||rowspan=2|[[Shaan Rahman]]
|-
|2011||Maanmizhi (Remix)
|-
|2013||Hey Ethuvazhi||[[Arikil Oraal]]||[[Gopi Sundar]]
|}

==Television==
*Sapthaswarangal (Asianet) as Host
*[[Star Singer|Idea Star singer 2006]] (Asianet) as Judge
*Voice of Kerala (Surya TV) as Judge
*Sangeetha Mahayudham (Surya TV) as Team Captain
*[[Malayalee House]] (Surya TV) as Contestant
*Super Star Global (Amrita TV) as Judge

She has also performed in a few [[Mauritius]] Television shows as Performer
;TV serials - [[Malayalam]]
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year !! Title!!Channel!! Role !! Notes
|-
|2002 ||Venalmazha ||[[Surya TV]]|| {{n/a}}||Singer - Thalirayi song
|-
|2013 ||[[Kumkumapoovu]] ||[[Asianet (TV channel)|Asianet]]|| Jithan's friend||Super hit
|-
|2015-2016 ||Eeran Nilavu ||[[Flowers (TV channel)]] || Vidyabharathi||
|-
|2018–2019||Gauri ||[[Surya TV]]|| Yamini||
|}

==Filmography==
* Athira X C (Malayalam) - telefilm
*2007 - [[Rathri Mazha]] (Malayalam)
*2009 - [[Makante Achan]] (Malayalam) as Herself
*2010 - [[Kaaryasthan]] (Malayalam) as Herself
*2011 - [[Makaramanju]] (Malayalam) as Rukku Bai
*2012 - [[Casanovva]] (Malayalam)
*2012 - [[Unnam]] (Malayalam) as Padma
*2012 - [[Arike]] (Malayalam) as Kalpan's chitta
*2018 - [[B.Tech (film)|B.Tech]] (Malayalam) as Priya's mother
*2021 - [[Mohan Kumar Fans]] as Herself
*2022 - [[Jana Gana Mana (2022 film)|Jana Gana Mana]] as Swetha Gupta
*2022 - [[Meri Awas Suno]] as Prof. Renuka Varma

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*{{IMDb name|1442746}}
*{{facebook|chitraiyerofficial}}

{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Iyer, Chitra}}
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Indian women playback singers]]
[[Category:Tamil playback singers]]
[[Category:Kannada playback singers]]
[[Category:Telugu playback singers]]
[[Category:Singers from Chennai]]
[[Category:Tamil singers]]
[[Category:21st-century Indian women singers]]
[[Category:21st-century Indian singers]]
[[Category:Women musicians from Tamil Nadu]]
[[Category:Year of birth missing (living people)]]
[[Category:Actresses in Malayalam television]]
[[Category:Actresses in Malayalam cinema]]

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Chitra Iyer