# Kavita Seth

Kavita Seth (born 14 September 1970) is an Indian singer, who is most known as a playback singer in Hindi cinema, as well as a performer of Ghazals and Sufi music, and leads a Sufi musical group, Karwaan Group. She is currently based in Mumbai, India.
She has won the Filmfare Award for Best Female Playback Singer twice: in 2010 for her classical Sufi rendition of "Iktara" of the film Wake Up Sid (2009) and in 2023 for "Rangisari" of the film Jugjugg Jeeyo (2022). She also won the Star Screen Award for Best Female Playback for the former, which was one of the biggest chartbusters in 2009.

## Early life

She was born in Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh in a middle class family of a bank officer.

## Career

Kavita specialises in Sufi-style singing although she also sings geet, ghazal and folk songs. Over the years she has performed at live shows at London, Birmingham, Scotland, Berlin, Oslo and Stockholm and places across India. It was at one of her performance at Muzaffar Ali's International Sufi Festival concert, in Delhi that director Satish Kaushik heard her and offered a song "Zindagi ko Maula", in his film, the Amisha Patel starrer, Vaada (2005), marking her debut as a playback singer. Subsequently, she moved to Mumbai, as this was followed by, "Mujhe Mat Roko" in Anurag Basu's Gangster (2006), for which she received praise.
Besides singing she also composes music. She has composed three songs in N. Chandra's film "Yeh Mera India" (2009). She has also released private albums, including, Woh Ek Lamha, Dil-e-Nadan both Sufi ghazal albums, followed by Sufi music albums, Sufiana (2008) and Hazrat. Her 2008 album Sufiana, composed of couplets of Sufi poet-mystic, Rumi was released at the 800-year-old Khaman Pir Ka Dargah in Lucknow.
In 2020, Kavita composed the soundtrack of the BBC TV series A Suitable Boy, while also giving vocals to the songs of Tabu's character in the show.
In 2023, Kavita contributed to the album of the movie Gulmohar - starring Sharmila Tagore.

## Filmography
### Playback singer

| Film | Year | Song name | Note |
| Vaada | 2005 | "Maula" | |
| Gangster | 2006 | "Mujhe Mat Roko" | |
| Wake Up Sid | 2009 | "Iktara" | Won- Filmfare Award for Best Female Playback Singer |
| Yeh Mera India | 2009 | "Aap Roothe Rahe" | Also Music Director |
| Yeh Mera India | 2009 | "Dil Mandir" | Also Music Director |
| Yeh Mera India | 2009 | "More Naina" | Also Music Director |
| Admission Open | 2010 | | |
| Isi Life Mein!... | 2010 | "Banno Anne" | |
| Raajneeti | 2010 | "Mora Piya (Trance Mix)" | |
| I Am | 2011 | "Baangur" | |
| Trishna | 2011 | "Raunakein" | |
| Trishna | 2011 | "Lagan lagi" | |
| Trishna | 2011 | "Khari Khari" | |
| Cocktail | 2012 | "Tumhi Ho Bandhu" | Nominated- Filmfare Award for Best Female Playback Singer Nominated- Mirchi Music Award for Female Vocalist of The Year |
| Cigarette Ki Tarah | 2012 | "Mujhko Khud Se" | Also Music Director |
| Bombay Talkies | 2013 | "Murabba (Duet)" | |
| Neerja | 2016 | "Jeete Hain Chal" | |
| Santheyalli Nintha Kabira | 2016 | "Navu premada huccharu" |
| Waiting | 2016 | "Zara Zara" | |
| Begum Jaan | 2017 | "Prem Mai Tohre" | |
| Maatr | 2017 | "Maa Aise Hi" | |
| A Suitable Boy | 2020 | "Lutf Woh Ishq Mein" | Web Series Also music director along with Alex Heffes and Anoushka Shankar |
| A Suitable Boy | 2020 | "Mehfil Barkhaast Hui" | Web Series Also music director along with Alex Heffes and Anoushka Shankar |
| A Suitable Boy | 2020 | "Na-Rawa Kahiye" | Web Series Also music director along with Alex Heffes and Anoushka Shankar |
| A Suitable Boy | 2020 | "Muddat Hui Hai" | Web Series Also music director along with Alex Heffes and Anoushka Shankar |
| A Suitable Boy | 2020 | "Dil-E-Nadaan" | Web Series Also music director along with Alex Heffes and Anoushka Shankar |
| A Suitable Boy | 2020 | "Love Has Run Its Course" | Web Series Also music director along with Alex Heffes and Anoushka Shankar |
| A Suitable Boy | 2020 | "Maan in Turmoil" | Web Series Also music director along with Alex Heffes and Anoushka Shankar |
| Jugjugg Jeeyo | 2022 | "Rangisari" | Also Music Director along with Kanishk Seth Won- Filmfare Award for Best Female Playback Singer |
| Double XL | 2022 | "Ki Jaana" | |
| Mr. & Mrs. Mahi | 2024 | "Ranjhaana" | |

### Music director

| Film | Year | Notes |
| Yeh Mera India | 2009 | |
| My Friend Pinto | 2011 | Along with Shamir Tandon |
| Cigarette ki Tarah | 2012 | |
| A Suitable Boy | 2020 | Web Series Also music director along with Alex Heffes and Anoushka Shankar |
| Jugjugg Jeeyo | 2022 | Along with Kanishk Seth |

## Personal life

She has two sons, Kavish Seth and Kanishk Seth, both of whom perform with her. Her husband K.K.Seth died of pancreatitis on 15 December 2011, aged 48.

## Albums

* Sufiana (2007)
* Kabirana Sufiana (2010)
* Bulleh Shah (2010)
* Khuda Wohi Hai (2011)
* Ek Din (2012)
* Trance With Khusrow (2014)
* Lagan Laagi Re (2021)