# N. Lalitha Bhanu

Lalitha Bhanu was a Carnatic singer. She has also sung a few songs for Malayalam and Tamil films as a playback singer.

## Early life

Lalitha was born at Trivandrum, Kerala, as the daughter of Narayana Bhagavathar and Parvathy ammal on 19 August 1931. Her father, Narayana Bhagavathar was a violinist and one of the three Trivandrum Brothers. The brothers were Asthana Vidwans (in-house musicians) at the Royal Palace of Trivandrum. She learnt her initial lessons from K. R. Kumaraswamy. Afterwards she joined the Swati Tirunal College of Music, Thiruvananthapuram. Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer was the principal of this college. She received training directly from him. When the family moved from Trivandrum to Madras (now Chennai), Srinivasa Iyer directed her to Musiri Subramania Iyer. She learned many Kritis for about 8 years from Musiri Subramania Iyer. Musiri even made Lalitha sing all the varnams in his own style, thereby imbibing in her the “Musiri bhani”. She learnt many kritis from Papanasam Sivan,

## Music career

Her first public concert was staged at Mavelikkara (Kerala). She was an artiste in All India Radio and sang for almost 50 years at various radio stations of the AIR including Pondichery and Chennai. She had performed at the Tyagaraja Aradhana.

## Playback singer

Lalitha had sung in a few Malayalam and Tamil films as a playback singer. She began her film career with Ponkathir, a Malayalam language film released in 1953. The traditional song "Anjana Sreedhara" was a hit. When this film was made in Tamil with the title Irulukkuppin she sang for that too. She has sung under several music directors including Br Lakshmanan, V. Dakshinamoorthy, G. Ramanathan, Ghantasala, Pendyala Nageshwara Rao and C. N. Pandurangan.

## List of film songs

| Year | Film | Language | Song | Lyrics | Music | Co-Singers |
| 1950 | Ponmudi | Tamil | Vaanam Kumuruthamma | | G. Ramanathan | U. R. Chandra |
| 1950 | Manthiri Kumari | Tamil | O Raja O Rani | | G. Ramanathan | P. Leela & U. R. Chandra |
| 1950 | Chandrika | Tamil | Malar Ser Manimaalai | P. Bhaskaran | V. Dakshinamoorthy | |
| 1950 | Chandrika | Malayalam | Choriyuka Madhumaari Nilaave | P. Bhaskaran | V. Dakshinamoorthy | |
| 1952 | Amma | Tamil | Anaivarum Varuveer | Chidambaram Varadarajan | V. Dakshinamoorthy | |
| 1952 | Amma | Tamil | Varuga Varuga Yen Sodharikarl | Chidambaram Varadarajan | V. Dakshinamoorthy | |
| 1952 | Dharma Devatha | Telugu | Sukhamu Chilikinchu Aanandakiraname | | C. R. Subburaman | |
| 1952 | Dharma Devatha | Telugu | Chinduleyavoyi Chinna Krishnayya | Samudrala Sr. | C. R. Subburaman | B. N. Rao & Jikki |
| 1952 | Dharma Devathai | Tamil | Aananda Leelai Tharum | Thanjai N. Ramaiah Dass | C. R. Subburaman | |
| 1952 | Dharma Devathai | Tamil | Anbaai Odi Vaadaa | Thanjai N. Ramaiah Dass | C. R. Subburaman | C. R. Subburaman & Jikki |
| 1952 | En Thangai | Tamil | Meelaa Thuyaraamo...Kangal Irandum | Narasimhan | C. N. Pandurangan | |
| 1952 | En Thangai | Tamil | Naalukku Naal Paarkira Podhe | A. Maruthakasi | C. N. Pandurangan | |
| 1953 | Petrathai | Tamil | Penmani Nalla Kanmani | M. S. Subramaniam | Pendyala Nageshwara Rao | Ghantasala |
| 1953 | Ponkathir | Malayalam | Anjana Sreedharaa | Traditional | Br Lakshmanan | |
| 1953 | Ponkathir | Malayalam | Aanandavaasam Amaravilaasam | Thirunainar Kurichi Madhavan Nair | Br Lakshmanan | |
| 1953 | Ponkathir | Malayalam | Pranayamohana Swapnam | Thirunainar Kurichi Madhavan Nair | Br Lakshmanan | Gokulapalan |
| 1953 | Ponkathir | Malayalam | Sukhame Sukhame | Thirunainar Kurichi Madhavan Nair | Br Lakshmanan | Kamukara Purushothaman & Kaviyoor C. K. Revamma |
| 1953 | Ponkathir | Malayalam | Paarirulmoodi Paathayaake | Thirunainar Kurichi Madhavan Nair | Br Lakshmanan | |
| 1953 | Ponkathir | Malayalam | Ullaasam Ulakellam | Thirunainar Kurichi Madhavan Nair | Br Lakshmanan | Mehboob & Kaviyoor C. K. Revamma |
| 1954 | Avakasi | Malayalam | Manoharamithaha | Thirunainar Kurichi Madhavan Nair | Br Lakshmanan | |
| 1954 | Avakasi | Malayalam | En Jeevitha Sukhamaya | Thirunainar Kurichi Madhavan Nair | Br Lakshmanan | Kamukara Purushothaman |
| 1954 | Avakasi | Malayalam | Kaliyodamithil | Thirunainar Kurichi Madhavan Nair | Br Lakshmanan | Kamukara Purushothaman |
| 1954 | Avakasi | Malayalam | Vava En Deva | Thirunainar Kurichi Madhavan Nair | Br Lakshmanan | Kamukara Purushothaman |
| 1954 | Avakasi | Malayalam | Tharani Thanga Nilave | Thirunainar Kurichi Madhavan Nair | Br Lakshmanan | |
| 1954 | Irulukkup Pin | Tamil | Anjana Sreedharaa | Nagai Mani | Br Lakshmanan | |
| 1954 | Irulukkup Pin | Tamil | Aananda Vasam Amara Vilasam | Nagai Mani | Br Lakshmanan | |
| 1954 | Irulukkup Pin | Tamil | Mathura Mohana Inba Ninaivaal | Nagai Mani | Br Lakshmanan | Kamukara Purushothaman |
| 1954 | Irulukkup Pin | Tamil | Sugame Sugam Sorkka Sugame | Nagai Mani | Br Lakshmanan | Kamukara Purushothaman & Kaviyoor C. K. Revamma |
| 1954 | Irulukkup Pin | Tamil | Kaarirul Moodi | Nagai Mani | Br Lakshmanan | |
| 1954 | Irulukkup Pin | Tamil | Ullasam Ulagellam Uyirum | Nagai Mani | Br Lakshmanan | Mehboob & Kaviyoor C. K. Revamma |
| 1954 | Irulukkup Pin | Tamil | Paadu Mohanamai Padu | Nagai Mani | Br Lakshmanan | |
| 1954 | Irulukkup Pin | Tamil | Vandaadum Poovea Malarsolai | Nagai Mani | Br Lakshmanan | |
| 1954 | Chandraharam | Tamil | Laali Jaya Laali | Thanjai N. Ramaiah Dass | Ghantasala | |
| 1954 | Chandraharam | Telugu | Laali Jaya Laali | Pingali Nagendra Rao | Ghantasala | |
| 1954 | Avan Yaar | Tamil | En Jeevitha Sukam | Kambadasan | Br Lakshmanan | Kamukara Purushothaman |
| 1954 | Avan Yaar | Tamil | Manoharam Idhaahaa | Kambadasan | Br Lakshmanan | |
| 1954 | Viduthalai | Tamil | Abalai Naan Thayanithiye | Velavan | Lakshman Raghunath | |
| 1952 | Kalam Marunnu | Malayalam | Ohoy Thathinanthanam | O. N. V. Kurup | G. Devarajan & Br Lakshmanan | K. S. George, K. Sulochana, P. Leela & Lekshmi |
| 1952 | Kalam Marunnu | Malayalam | Ambili Muthachan | O. N. V. Kurup | G. Devarajan & Br Lakshmanan | P. Leela & Lekshmi |
| 1955 | Harishchandra | Malayalam | Kaattumulle Naanam Kaatteedalle | Thirunainar Kurichi Madhavan Nair | Br Lakshmanan | C. S. Radha Devi |
| 1956 | Avar Unarunnu | Malayalam | Paloli Poonila | Pala Narayanan Nair | V. Dakshinamoorthy | L. P. R. Varma |
| 1956 | Avar Unarunnu | Malayalam | Puthughivitha Ha Kamitam | Pala Narayanan Nair | V. Dakshinamoorthy | Kamukara Purushothaman |

## List of Carnatic songs

All these songs are available on YouTube.
| No. | Kriti | Ragam | Composer |
| 1 | Elakudhaya | Sankarabharanam | Pallavi Duraiswami Iyer |
| 2 | Rama rama gunaseema | Simhendra madhyamam | Swathi Thirunal |
| 3 | Ma Janaki | Kambhoji | Saint Thyagaraja |
| 4 | Marivere Dikkevarayaa | Shanmugapriya | Patnam Subramanya Iyer |
| 5 | Namoralakimpavemi | Devagandhari | Saint Thyagaraja |
| 6 | Sarasijanapasodhari | Naagagandhari | Muthuswami Dikshithar |
| 7 | Kamajanaka | Gowlai | Swathi Thirunal |
| 8 | Parvatharajakumari | Sriranjani | Muthuswami Dikshithar |
| 9 | Jaya Jaya Raghurama | Sahana | Swathi Thirunal |
| 10 | Thaye Dayaipurivaye | Ranjani | Swarna Venkatesa Dikshithar |
| 11 | Smarajanaka | Behag | Swathi Thirunal |

## Titles and awards

Lalitha Bhanu was conferred with the title "Ganabooshanam" and was presented with a Tambura (with an emblem of Swathi Tirunal) by Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer.

## Family life

Lalitha was married to Perumal Bhanu Bharadwaj. They had three children including two daughters and a son, Anand Bhanu Bharadwaj.

## Death

She died on 20 August 2020 at Chennai.