Mahathi: Tamil Playback Singer Biography, Career Highlights & Best Songs

Mahathi, also known as S. Mahathi is a well-known playback singer from South film industry, who predominantly sings in Tamil. She has also sung a few songs in Kannada and Telugu. Known for her versatility in singing different types of songs, Mahathi is admired for her powerful classical foundation blended with contemporary film music. Entered the Tamil film industry in the early 2000s, Mahathi quickly caught attention for her distinctive voice texture and classical finesse. Her songs are melodious and highly energetic too.

Mahathi – Early Life and Musical Background

Mahathi was born on 10 February 1985. She belongs to a family of musicians and artists from Chennai, Tamil Nadu, with generations of legacy associated with music. Her father, Thiruvaiyaru P. Sekar, is a vocalist and her mother, Vasanthi Sekar, a flautist. Mahathi is also the great-granddaughter of the violinist Pazhamaneri Swaminatha Iyer. With music in the veins, she also chose the same field, and established herself in the field of playback singing.

She got early exposure to classical music through her father and later Mahathi took formal training in Carnatic music, which later became the backbone of her playback career. She enjoyed both Carnatic and filmy music since young. But she primarily focussed on Carnatic music.

Mahathi spent her childhood and teens in Kerala:

As a toddler, she came to Kerala and stayed in Palakkad with her parents. As her father had a transferable job, her family moved here. She stayed in Palakkad, Thiruvananthapuram, Thrissur and Kochi, before getting her first song and then the family moved to Chennai.

She got initial training from Deepa and Gayatri of Thiruvananthapuram. When the family relocated to Thrissur, she continued training under Mangad K. Natesan. She received advanced training from Mangad Natesan & Madurai T N Seshagopalan.

Mahathi got blockbuster debut to playback singing through “Pudichirukku” song

Mahathi got her playback debut with Ilaiyaraja composition at the age of 16. She recorded the song, “Enna Maranthalum” for the movie Kadhal Jaathi made in 2001. Unfortunately, the film was never officially released, nor its song.

Her first break to Kollywood was given by Harris Jayaraj, young sensational composer of Tamil, back then in early 2000s. She sang the chartbuster duet, “Pudichirukku” of Saamy in 2003. When Saamy played a major role in establishing the careers of Vikram and Trisha, this particular song gave a great break to Mahathi’s playback singing career.

A few years later, the composer used her voice for the chartbuster song, Mudhal Mazhai of Bheema (2008), featuring the same stars, and this particular song is still in playlist of many music lovers. He perfectly blended her humming voice in the song, which stands out. Hariharan was her co-singer in both these film songs. The composer used Mahathi’s humming voice effectively for Nenje Nenje Song from Ayan (2009), which was also a chartbuster.

Interestingly, Mahathi won the Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Female Playback Singer for the song “Naeraa Varattuma” from the movie Nenje Nenje in 2008, one year prior to the release of Nenje Nenje Song from Ayan. Next year she won the same for Nenje Nenje Song too. She recorded songs for Parijatham, Achacho, Dreams, Engeyum Kadhal, Vallavan, Yennai Arindhaal, Uyir and many movies later.

Mahathi’s versatility in singing

She has a strong Carnatic base and high-pitch voice, which helps her to effortlessly sing songs of different ranges. Her sweet, yet strong voice has clarity, and her efficiency in emotive singing, and versatility across classical, semi-classical, and modern genres, make her one of the best female voices of Tamil cinema in the new millennium. Mahathi is a great find of the composer Harris Jayaraj too.

She is a recipient of Tamil Nadu state award for best playback singer twice – “Naeraa Varattuma” from the movie Nenje Nenje in 2008 and “Nenje Nenje” from the movie Ayan in 2009, in consecutive years.

Mahathi – Chartbuster Tamil hits

Though I couldn’t make a full compilation of Mahathi songs, this list includes some of my top favourites sung by this versatile singer. I have added a few chartbuster hits too. Among all her songs, the song which I never lose interest is – Mudhal Mazhai of Bheema. Her debut song, Pudichirukku of Saamy and Nenje Nenje of Ayan are also my all-time favourites. These songs will never fade.

Honestly, I feel, Tamil cinema never effectively used her voice. Except a few chartbusters with Harris Jayaraj, she doesn’t own a good list of memorable songs. She is quite regular in her Carnatic music concerts, her real passion, and has released a few devotional and Carnatic albums.

Mahathi’s list of notable songs:

1. Pudichirukku of Saamy (2003)

2. Kadhalikkum Aasai of Chellamae (2004)

3. Puyalae Puyalae of Kovil (2004)

4. Mudhal Mazhai of Bheema (2008)

5. Nenje Nenje of Ayan (2009)

6. Thee Illai of Engeyum Kadhal (2010)

7. Neduvaali of Osthe (2011)

8. Unakkenna Venum Sollu of Unakkenna Venum Sollu (2015)

9. She Is My Girl of Dev (2019)

Mahathi – Some interesting and less-known facts

1. A child prodigy, as a toddler she was able to identify Carnatic ragas at the age of 1.5. By the age of 2.5 she was able to identity about 75 Carnatic Ragas. Just to test her talents, her father mixed up Carnatic Swaras but Mahathi did not fail to identify the exact Swaras of the Ragas.

2. Her father was a disciple of M. Balamuralikrishna, and her mother, a disciple of T. R. Mahalingam, N. Ramani and Kesi.

3. Harris Jayaraj who discovered her voice has a perfect talent in using her humming voice in his compositions. Mudhal Mazhai of Bheema, Nenje Nenje of Ayan, Unakkenna Venum Sollu of Unakkenna Venum Sollu etc a few to mention.

4. Mahathi was only 20 when she was on the judging panel of the reality show, ‘Super Singer’ on Vijay TV and continued to be a judge in all the seasons. She was one of the youngest judges back then.

5. In 2013, she was a permanent judge on the Malayalam music-based reality show for children on Kairali TV, ‘Gandharva Sangeetham Junior’, along with composer Ousephachan.

6. Though Mahathi was brought up in Kerala and she is fluent in Malayalam, she is yet to sing a song in Malayalam cinema. She can also read and write Malayalam perfectly, and has been a celebrity judge of a musical reality show, as stated above.  

7. Though she is comfortable with Malayalam and still write her songs in Malayalam, her husband K. Sreekumar who is from Thrissur cannot write the language, because he was born and brought up in Chennai. He is a maxillofacial surgeon.

8. She is running Mahathi Academy of Music and Dance, where both music and dance forms are taught. Mahathi established this art school in 2013.

9. Mahathi has released a few notable albums. A musical album on thillanas titled Navarathna, one on Bharathiyar songs, a few devotional albums, and so on.

10. She is an “A” grade artist of the All India Radio and Doordarshan in 2020.

11. She loves cooking, and pulao and paneer are her signature dishes.

End note: I have added Mahathi’s biography earlier in 2019. You can read it here.

Read English Translation of Nenje Nenje Song from Ayan and Ayyayyo Ayyayyo Pudichirukku song from Saamy