4:30 pm

A musical evening with Mahalaxmi Iyer

A fundraising concert by Bichitra's Endowment group

 

 

Mahalakshmi made her playback debut with the film Dus, which was also Shankar–Ehsaan–Loys' debut as music directors in 1996. The film never completed due to the sudden passing of the film's director. The album, however, was released in 1999 as a tribute. The same week she recorded for Dus, she also sang the track Ae Ajnabee with Udit Narayan for A. R. Rahman in Mani Ratnam's Dil Se which was her first release as a playback singer. 

 

Since then she was part of several successful soundtracks such as Mission Kashmir, Yaadein and Saathiya and worked with some of the biggest music composers like A. R. Rahman, Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy, Vishal-Shekhar, Jatin-Lalit and more.

 

Mahalaxmi has sung for many Yash Raj Films' biggest hits like Dhoom 2, Bunty Aur Babli, Salaam Namaste, Fanaa, Ta Ra Rum Pum and Jhoom Barabar Jhoom. She was known for her performances in songs like "Kabhi Sham Dhale" from Sur – The Melody of Life (2002), "Har Taraf" from Rishtey (2002) and for hit songs like "Chup Chup Ke" from Bunty Aur Babli (2005), "Aaj Ki Raat" from Don: The Chase Begins Again (2006) and "Bol Na Halke Halke" from Jhoom Barabar Jhoom. She sang on the Academy Award winning song "Jai Ho" for A. R. Rahman in the film Slumdog Millionaire (2008). 

 

In the past, she rendered background vocal to the very famous Ghazal of Pankaj Udhas named Aur Ahistaa. She has also rendered her voice to many private album remixes notably Aaja Piya Tohe Pyar and Baahon Mein Chali Aao, which was originally rendered by the legendary Lata Mangeshkar.

 

Mahalakshmi comes from a Tamil musical family. Her mother is a Carnatic classical singer. She began learning Hindustani music at an early age as did her three sisters, Kalpana, Padmini, and Shobha. Iyer grew up in Chembur, Mumbai, and is a graduate of R.A.Podar College & Economics, Mumbai.