Iconic Playback Singer KS Chitra Marks 45 Years in Cinema

In August 2025, renowned playback singer KS Chitra celebrated her 45th year in the cinema industry with a performance in Bengaluru. During her visit, a surprising incident occurred when a Gen Z hotel staff member did not recognize the iconic singer. When Chitra asked the staff if they knew her song "Piya Basanti Re," they replied affirmatively, to which she simply stated, "That's me."

Fondly referred to as Chithramma in Karnataka and Chithra Chechi in Kerala, the Padma Bhushan recipient has an impressive repertoire of over 25,000 songs recorded in 17 languages. Over the course of her illustrious career, Chitra has had the privilege of working with several veteran composers, including Ilaiyaraaja, Rajan-Nagendra, and Hamsalekha in Kannada films. She has also collaborated with more recent talents like Guru Kiran, V Manohar, Arjun Janya, and Harikrishna.

Reflecting on her journey, Chitra shared that in the 1980s, she would often travel from Chennai to record nearly 25 songs at a stretch in various studios. She noted that each composer had their own unique style, and while she can read Kannada, she has found that people in Karnataka tend to converse with her in Tamil or Telugu rather than the local language. Chitra's adaptability to different South Indian languages, rooted in Sanskrit, has been a key factor in her success.