# Anitha Karthikeyan

Anitha Karthikeyan (Tamil: அனிதா கார்த்திகேயன்) is an Indian Playback singer. She has sung more than 500 film songs mostly in south Indian languages including Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada. It was the song "Mannavane Mannavane" from the 2015 Tamil movie Puli which “has brought her to the limelight.” In the beginning, she sang more melodious and classical based tune songs, she later became known for fast track hit numbers. In 2010, she won the Vijay Music award in the popular mass song category for the song “Vaada Vaada Paiya” from Tamil film Kacheri Arambam. She is also known for singing Jingles for TV commercials. Besides, she has sung title track for different TV Serials including the “Achuvellam Pacharasi Mavilakku” for Kula Deivam (TV series). She has performed in numerous live concerts in India and abroad including in Ilaiyaraaja’s orchestras.

## Early life and education

Anitha Karthikeyan was born in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. She began her school education at the Saraswathi Vidyalaya School, Chennai. Simultaneously, she learned western music lessons and Hindustani classical music. She continued her higher education at Ethiraj College for Women, Chennai where she completed her BSc in computer science in 2003. She later graduated with MSc in information technology from M.O.P Vaishnav College for Women, Chennai in 2005. Since her childhood she was participating in different musical competitions. However, it was during her studies at Ethiraj College, she developed her singing skills.

## Singing career

After completing her higher education, she started her professional career as a software engineer in Chennai. When the Vijay TV's Super Singer Season 1 was announced in 2006, she became one of its contestants. She won the title "Viewer's Choice super singer" which introduced her to the music world, and changed her career as a playback singer. In 2007, she made her debut in the movie Marudhamalai by D. Imman, the music director. Under his musical composition, she sang various genres. She soon started singing under the compositions of different music directors in Tamil, Telugu and Kannada. She got a chance to meet music director Ilaiyaraaja when she became a part of backing vocals during one of his musical compositions for a Kannada movie. She later rendered classical hits in the Telugu movie Sri Rama Rajyam under the musical composition of laiyaraaja. She has sung 25 songs for Ilaiyaraaja alone. Some of Anitha's popular songs include “Putham Puthu Kaalai” (Megha), “Kattikida” (Kaaki Sattai), “Idhedho Bagunde” (Mirchi), “Loveaa” (Uttama Villain), “Senga Soola Kara” (Vaagai Sooda Vaa), “Shokku Sundari” (Ainthaam Padai) and “Amma Wake Me Up” (Vathikuchi).

## Discography

The discography of Anitha Karthikeyan includes
| Year | Film | Language | Songs | Music Director | Co-singers |
| 2007 | Marudhamalai | Tamil | Marudhamalai | D. Imman | D. Imman |
| 2007 | Marudhamalai | Tamil | Marudhamalai II | D. Imman | Madhu Balakrishnan |
| 2007 | Puli Varudhu | Tamil | Oru Murai | Srikanth Deva | Madhu Balakrishnan |
| 2009 | Odipolama | Tamil | Vaalu Paiyane | D. Imman | Ranjith |
| 2009 | Kannukulle | Tamil | Vaanambaadigal | Ilaiyaraaja | Priya, Surmukhi Raman |
| 2010 | Kacheri Arambam | Tamil | Vaada Vaada | D. Imman | M. L. R. Karthikeyan, Watta Bottles |
| 2010 | Thottupaar | Tamil | Seema Sirikki | Srikanth Deva | Jassie Gift |
| 2010 | Suryakaanti | Kannada | Swalpa Soundu | Ilaiyaraaja | Ilaiyaraja, Roshini, megha, Suvvi, Reshma, Neha |
| 2010 | Gaayam 2 | Telugu | Masaka Venaka | Ilaiyaraaja | |
| 2010 | Swayamvara | Kannada | Milky Baby | Manikanth Kadri | Balu Thangachan, Sindhuja Rajaram |
| 2010 | Prithvi | Kannada | Haagella Nee Nodabeda | Manikanth Kadri | Haricharan |
| 2011 | Vaagai Sooda Vaa | Tamil | Senga Soola Kaara | Ghibran | |
| 2011 | Sri Rama Rajyam | Tamil | Mangalam Ramunaku | Ilaiyaraaja | Chinmayi |
| 2011 | Sri Rama Rajyam | Telugu | Mangalam Ramunaku | Ilaiyaraaja | Keertana S K |
| 2011 | Ponnar Shankar | Tamil | Annanmar Kathai | Ilaiyaraaja | Madhu Balakrishnan, Hemambika |
| 2011 | Mr. Perfect | Telugu | Dhol Dhol Dhol Bhaaje (Ghallu Ghallu Mani) | Devi Sri Prasad | M. L. R. Karthikeyan |
| 2011 | Azhagarsamiyin Kuthirai | Tamil | Adiye Ivale | Ilaiyaraaja | Naresh Iyer |
| 2011 | Thambikottai | Tamil | Noorandu Vazhga | D. Imman | Thanjai Selvi, Snehan, Lenin Bharathi, Hemambika, Murugan, Iyyappan, Master Regan, Senthildass Velayutham |
| 2011 | Mankatha | Tamil | Vilaiyaadu Mankatha | Yuvan Shankar Raja | Suchitra, Premgi Amaren, Ranjith, Yuvan Shankar Raja |
| 2011 | Puli Vesham | Tamil | Top Glass | Srikanth Deva | Surmukhi Raman, M. L. R. Karthikeyan, Srikanth Deva |
| 2011 | Konjam Sirippu Konjam Kobam | Tamil | Valaivugalale | Sunil Xavier | |
| 2011 | Oththigai | Tamil | Machakkari | John Peter | Vijay Prakash |
| 2011 | Vellore Maavattam | Tamil | Kannala Parkurathum | Sundar C. Babu | |
| 2012 | Kalakalappu | Tamil | Ava Thirumbipaarthu | Vijay Ebenezer | Karthik |
| 2012 | Crazy Loka | Kannada | Naavu Aaramagiddare | Manikanth Kadri | Benny Dayal, Janani |
| 2012 | Saattai | Tamil | Adi Raangi | D. Imman | Santhosh Hariharan |
| 2012 | Prasad | Kannada | Ondu Aramane | Ilaiyaraaja | Ilaiyaraaja, Rita, Surmukhi Raman |
| 2012 | Kandathum Kanathathum | Tamil | Asukku Buskku Aasai Dosai Appala Vadai | Charlie V A | |
| 2012 | Sengathu Bhoomiyilae | Tamil | Oram Po Oram Po | Ilaiyaraaja | R. Prasanna, Priya Himesh, Haricharan |
| 2012 | Sengathu Bhoomiyilae | Tamil | Sikkikichu Sikkichu | Ilaiyaraaja | R.Prasanna, Priya, Haricharan |
| 2012 | Pandi Oliperukki Nilayam | Tamil | Kettukodi Urumimelam (remix) | Kavi Periya Thambi | M. L. R. Karthikeyan |
| 2012 | Daruvu | Telugu | Athiri Chirabara | Vijay Antony | Hemachandra |
| 2012 | Kazhugu | Tamil | Vaadi Vaadi | Yuvan Shankar Raja | Suvi Suresh, Pushpavanam Kuppusamy |
| 2013 | Mirchi | Telugu | Idhedho Bagundey | Devi Sri Prasad | Vijay Prakash |
| 2013 | Gundello Godari | Telugu | Ekkadundhi Naa Kod | Ilaiyaraaja | Mano |
| 2013 | Gundello Godari | Tamil | Enga Irukku En Kozhi | Ilaiyaraaja | Mano |
| 2013 | Sillunu Oru Sandhippu | Tamil | Adi Aathi | F. S. Faizal | Aalap Raju |
| 2013 | Iddarammayilatho | Telugu | Violin Song (girl just) | Devi Sri Prasad | |
| 2013 | Alex Pandian | Tamil | Naalu Pakkam | Devi Sri Prasad | Devi Sri Prasad |
| 2013 | Karuppampatti | Tamil | Kannamma Chinna Ponnamma | Kannan | Thilaga, Suchitra, Priya |
| 2013 | Vathikuchi | Tamil | Amma Wake Me Up | Ghibran | Shruthi Ravi, Shabir Sulthan |
| 2014 | Namo Bhootatma | Kannada | Paravasam Paravasam | Farhaan Roshan | Al Rufian |
| 2014 | Pulivaal | Tamil | Kichu Kichu | N. R. Raghunanthan | Haricharan |
| 2014 | Jamaai | Tamil | Sengaal naaraai | Dhina | |
| 2014 | Kaadu | Tamil | Oororam (Female Version) | K | |
| 2014 | Megha | Tamil | Putham Puthu Kaalai | Ilaiyaraaja | |
| 2014 | Bramman | Tamil | En Uyirin Uyiraga | DeviSri Prasad | Devi Sri Prasad |
| 2015 | Puli | Tamil | Mannavanae Mannavanae | DeviSri Prasad | Sooraj Santhosh, Chinmayee, M. L. R. Karthikeyan |
| 2015 | Ore Oru Raja Mokka Raja | Tamil | Adidaa Mela Thaalam | | Sreerama Chandra |
| 2015 | Ore Oru Raja Mokka Raja | Tamil | Poovellam Kettuppar | | |
| 2015 | Touring Talkies | Tamil | Nenju Porukuthilayae | Ilaiyaraaja | Sharreth |
| 2015 | Kaaki Sattai | Tamil | Kattikida | Anirudh Ravichander | M. M. Manasi, Anthony Daasan |
| 2015 | Thilagar | Tamil | Oorellam Vettu Satham | Kannan | Mukesh Mohamed |
| 2015 | Uttama Villain | Tamil | Loveaa Loveaa | Ghibran | Nivas, Kamal Hassan, Sharanya Gopinath |
| 2015 | India Pakistan | Tamil | Vaadi Kutty Lady | Dheena Devarajan | Nivas |
| 2015 | Chandi Veeran | Tamil | Kothaani kannala | S. N. Arunagiri | |
| 2016 | Kidaari | Tamil | Thalakaalu Puriyalaiyae | Darbuka Siva | Velmurugan |
| 2016 | Adra Machan Visilu | Tamil | Thalaivan Purantha Naalu | N. R. Raghunanthan | Diwakar |
| 2016 | Oyee | Tamil | Mudinja Oru Kai Paaru | Ilaiyaraaja | R.Prasanna |
| 2017 | Kadamban | Tamil | Saama Kodaangi | Yuvan Shankar Raja | Velmurugan, Jayamoorthy |
| 2017 | Juliet Lover of Idiot | Telugu | Neekai Vechey | Ratheesh Vega | |
| 2017 | Enga Amma Rani | Tamil | Amma Endru | Ilaiyaraaja | Aalap Raju |
| 2018 | Nagesh Thiraiyarangam | Tamil | Vaadi Vaadi | Srikanth Deva | Gana Bala |
| 2018 | Prema Baraha | Tamil | Rama Rama | Jassie Gift | Haricharan |
| 2018 | Prema Baraha | Kannada | Rama Rama | Jassie Gift | Haricharan |
| 2018 | Music School | Hindi | IIT to MIT My Song Will Go | Ilaiyaraaja | RS Rakthaksh, K Vasudevan |
| 2018 | Appa | Tamil | Nettru Vitta Neril | Ilaiyaraaja | Rita Thyagarajan |
| 2018 | Semma Botha Aagathey | Tamil | Itemkaaran | Yuvan Shankar Raja | Ranjith |
| 2018 | Seemathurai | Tamil | Karuvalan Kaattukku | Jose Franklin | Sathyaprakash |
| 2019 | Sivappu Manjal Pachai | Tamil | Raakaachi Rangamma | Siddhu Kumar | |
| 2019 | Thorati | Tamil | Potta Kaadellam | Ved Shankar and Jithin K. Roshan | Manikka Vinayagam, Chinnaponnu, Gowtham Bharadwa |
| 2020 | Gillidaa | Tamil | Balley Balley | DeviSri Prasad | S. N. Surendar |
| 2022 | Idam Porul Yaeval | Tamil | Eerakkaathae | Yuvan Shankar Raja | Senthildass Velayutham |
| 2023 | Maranthen Mannithen | Tamil | Engu Irukku En Kozhi | Ilaiyaraaja | Mano |