Kavita Seth – The mesmerizing voice behind “Gunja Sa Koi Iktara”

Kavita Seth is a Bollywood playback singer and composer who shot to fame with the popular ‘Iktara’ song of Wake Up Sid, which earned her numerous musical awards. Her Sufi rendition was so touching that this single song was enough to earn her recognition among music fans of all age groups. She bagged almost all music awards for the year 2010 in playback category, including Filmfare awards, Star Screen awards, Stardust Award, IIFA etc. She is also a ghazal, folk and Sufi singer.

Kavita Seth was born in Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh in 1970. Her professional career as a singer started only after her marriage, when she got settled in Delhi. She has been a performer at Doordarshan and AIR Delhi in those days. She completed post-graduation in Music, Sangeet Alankar from Gandharva Mahavidyalaya, and also turned a full-time singer. Her first public performance was at Khan-kahe Niyazia Dargah in Bareilly, and slowly started gaining recognition. As a singer she is best known for her Sufi rendition.

As a playback singer she got her first break through “Zindagi ko Maula” of 2005 film Vaada, and this offer was given by its director Satish Kaushik. Her second song “Mujhe Mat Roko” in Anurag Basu’s Gangster got noticed. However it was her rendition for ‘Iktara’ song of Wake Up Sid, which shot her to instant fame. Though the song is still remembered by music fans, she didn’t get much deserved opportunity in film industry, and she is mostly associated with independent music.

Kavita Seth – Some interesting and less-known facts

1. Known as a singer, Kavita is a music composer of Bollywood films too. She composed three songs for 2009 Bollywood film, Yeh Mera India apart from independent albums.

2. She released two Sufi ghazal albums – Woh Ek Lamha and Dil-e-Nadan. Sufiana and Hazrat are her Sufi albums.

3. Tumhi ho bandhu from Cocktail and Jeete Hain Chal from Neerja are her other popular film songs.

4. She has rendered her voice for Kannada song, Navu premada huccharu for 2016 movie, Santheyalli Nintha Kabira.

5. Her husband K. K. Seth died of pancreatitis in 2011 in his mid-ages.

6. She received Filmfare award for best playback singer for ‘Iktara’ song and Filmfare nomination for the song of Cocktail.

7. She is the lead singer of Sufi group, Karwaan Group. 

8. Amit Trivedi guest composed ‘Iktara’ song for Wake Up Sid starring Konkana Sen and Ranbir Kapoor, and this song became the most popular track of the album. The rest of them were composed by Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy.

Kavita Seth – Top Bollywood songs

1. Gunja Sa Koi Iktara – Wake Up Sid

2. Jeete Hain Chal – Neerja

3. Tumhi ho bandhu – Cocktail

4. Mora Piya – Rajneeti

5. Mujhe Mat Roko – Gangster

6. Prem Mai Tohre – Begum Jaan

7. Zara Zara – Waiting