Lalitha – Malayalam playback singer of Kathodu Kathoram fame

A nostalgic Malayalam film song that recently gained a lot of attention is ‘Devadoothar Paadi‘ from the movie Kathodu Kathoram. The energetic dance moves of Kunchacko Boban in the movie Nna Thaan Case Kodu and the film Rekha Chithram, which presented an alternate history theme, revived memories associated with this song. While Yesudas’ voice in this song is familiar to everyone, the female singer’s voice and name are not as widely recognized by Malayalis.

That gifted singer, who sang a handful of beautiful songs in the 1980s and later disappeared from the limelight, is none other than Lathika. Perhaps it’s a return of time, or maybe a correction of an old oversight, but today, many people — even the younger generation — have started searching for information about Lathika. Years later, she has begun to gain media attention. Let’s learn about Lathika who is stepping into 50 years of her musical journey. Read her biography in Malayalam.

Lathika marked her singing debut in year 1976

Lathika was born in Kollam in 1959. Sadasivan Bhagavatham & Nalini are her parents. “Pushpathalpathin..” of Abhinandam composed by Kannur Rajan marked her singing debut. The song was filmed on Jayabharathi and Vincent.

After the song in Abhinandanam, Lathika sang the song Varnangal Gandhangal… for the movie Chamaram in 1980. However, it was through the film Ithiri Poove Chuvanna Poove (1984) that Lathika started gaining attention. That too was a duet with Yesudas — Ponpularoli Poovithariya Kalindi. In the song’s visuals, Rahman and Shobhana appeared on screen. It was indeed a great beginning.

At that time, Janaki was the reigning superstar in the industry. However, the music director required a female voice to sing a few lines, and thus, Lathika got her first big break. It was music director Raveendran who suggested her name. Following that, the song Nilavinre Poonkavil from the movie Sreekrishna Parunthu composed by Raghavan Master also gained notable attention. Lathika went on to sing several memorable songs after that.

Greatest hits of Lathika

“Tharum Thalirum…” from Chilambu, Lathika’s duet with Yesudas

Lathika has rendered several hit songs in Malayalam cinema during the 1980s. Some of them deserve special mention. The title track and “Nee En Sarga Sangeethame…” from Kathodu Kathoram, “Pon Pularoli…” from Ithiri Poove Chuvanna Poove, “Pulare Poonthoniyil…” from Amaram, “Tharum Thalirum…” from Chilambu, “Dhum Dhum Dhum…” from Vaishali, “Paadam Njan…” from Rajavinte Makan, “Porunnirikkum Choodil…” from Sarvakalashala, “Nilavinre Poonkavil…” from Sreekrishna Parunthu, “Poo Venam Pooppada Venam…” and “Kanmaniye Ariraro…” from Oru Minnaminunginte Nurunguvettam, “Othiri Othiri Mohangal…” from Venkalam and “Poovulla Meda Kaanan…” from Pandu Pandoru Rajakumari remain timeless hits in Malayalam cinema.

She took a break after singing Othiri Othiri Mohangal

From the early 1990s onward, opportunities for Lathika started to decline. Even during the 1980s, the presence of prominent singers like Janaki, Chitra, and Sujatha limited her chances of gaining greater recognition. Despite this, she managed to secure several notable opportunities through her distinct singing style.

Lathika had the privilege of singing in the debut films of prominent music directors such as Raveendran Master (Choola), Ouseppachan (Kathodu Kathoram), and S.P. Venkatesh (Rajavinte Makan). These associations turned out to be quite fortunate for those composers.

Throughout her career, many of Lathika’s songs were later re-recorded. Many of her songs have been credited to others, purely for business interests. However, she never found herself in any controversies. After recording the song “Othiri Othiri Mohangal Kathiritta…” from Vengalam in 1993, she decided to take a break. Same year she got married to G. Rajendran. By then, she had already sung around 300 songs in Malayalam and Tamil. She is nicknamed ‘Humming Rani’, because her humming has been used in many films like Priyadarshan’s Chithram, Vandhanam etc.

Lathika’s comeback in year 2016

In 2016, she made a comeback singing “Athiraliyum Karakaviyum” along with Vijay Yesudas in Guppi. In 2022, she sang a song with Madhu Balakrishnan for the film Ee Valayam, composed by Jerry Amaldev. Lathika worked as a music lecturer at the Swathi Thirunal College of Music in Thiruvananthapuram until her retirement in 2015. She started her career as a music teacher in the college in 1989, later worked 18 years at Palakkad and then returned back to Thiruvananthapuram. In 2022, she received the Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Award in Light Music category.