Kavita Seth (born 14 September 1970) is an Indian singer, who is most known as a playback singer in Hindi cinema, as well as a performer of Ghazals and Sufi music, and leads a Sufi musical group, Karwaan Group.[1][2] She is currently based in Mumbai, India.
Kavita Seth | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Background information | |
| Born | 14 September 1970 Bareilly, Bareilly district, Uttar Pradesh, India |
| Genres | Sufi, playback singing |
| Occupation(s) | Playback singer, singer of ghazals, Sufi music |
| Instrument | Vocals |
| Website | www |
She has won the Filmfare Award for Best Female Playback Singer twice: in 2010 for her classical Sufi rendition of "Iktara" of the film Wake Up Sid (2009)[3] and in 2023 for "Rangisari" of the film Jugjugg Jeeyo (2022). She also won the Star Screen Award for Best Female Playback for the former, which was one of the biggest chartbusters in 2009.[4][5]
Early life
editShe was born in Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh[4] in a middle class family of a bank officer.
Career
edit
Kavita specialises in Sufi-style singing although she also sings geet, ghazal and folk songs. Over the years she has performed at live shows at London, Birmingham, Scotland, Berlin, Oslo and Stockholm and places across India. It was at one of her performance at Muzaffar Ali's International Sufi Festival concert, in Delhi that director Satish Kaushik heard her and offered a song "Zindagi ko Maula", in his film, the Amisha Patel starrer, Vaada (2005), marking her debut as a playback singer.[1][6] Subsequently, she moved to Mumbai, as this was followed by, "Mujhe Mat Roko" in Anurag Basu's Gangster (2006), for which she received praise.[7]
Besides singing she also composes music. She has composed three songs in N. Chandra's film "Yeh Mera India" (2009).[8] She has also released private albums, including, Woh Ek Lamha, Dil-e-Nadan both Sufi ghazal albums, followed by Sufi music albums, Sufiana (2008) and Hazrat. Her 2008 album Sufiana, composed of couplets of Sufi poet-mystic, Rumi was released at the 800-year-old Khaman Pir Ka Dargah in Lucknow.[9][10]
In 2020, Kavita composed the soundtrack of the BBC TV series A Suitable Boy, while also giving vocals to the songs of Tabu's character in the show.[11]
In 2023, Kavita contributed to the album of the movie Gulmohar - starring Sharmila Tagore.
Filmography
editPlayback singer
edit| Film | Year | Song name | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vaada | 2005 | "Maula" | |
| Gangster | 2006 | "Mujhe Mat Roko" | |
| Wake Up Sid | 2009 | "Iktara" | Won- Filmfare Award for Best Female Playback Singer |
| Yeh Mera India[12] | "Aap Roothe Rahe" | Also Music Director | |
| "Dil Mandir" | |||
| "More Naina" | |||
| Admission Open[13] | 2010 | ||
| Isi Life Mein!... | "Banno Anne" | ||
| Raajneeti | "Mora Piya (Trance Mix)" | ||
| I Am | 2011 | "Baangur" | |
| Trishna | "Raunakein" | ||
| "Lagan lagi" | |||
| "Khari Khari" | |||
| Cocktail | 2012 | "Tumhi Ho Bandhu" | Nominated- Filmfare Award for Best Female Playback Singer
Nominated- Mirchi Music Award for Female Vocalist of The Year[14] |
| Cigarette Ki Tarah | "Mujhko Khud Se" | Also Music Director | |
| Bombay Talkies | 2013 | "Murabba (Duet)" | |
| Neerja | 2016 | "Jeete Hain Chal" | |
| Santheyalli Nintha Kabira | "Navu premada huccharu" | ||
| Waiting | "Zara Zara" | ||
| Begum Jaan | 2017 | "Prem Mai Tohre" | |
| Maatr | "Maa Aise Hi" | ||
| A Suitable Boy | 2020 | "Lutf Woh Ishq Mein" | Web Series Also music director along with Alex Heffes and Anoushka Shankar |
| "Mehfil Barkhaast Hui" | |||
| "Na-Rawa Kahiye" | |||
| "Muddat Hui Hai" | |||
| "Dil-E-Nadaan" | |||
| "Love Has Run Its Course" | |||
| "Maan in Turmoil" | |||
| Jugjugg Jeeyo | 2022 | "Rangisari" | Also Music Director along with Kanishk Seth Won- Filmfare Award for Best Female Playback Singer |
| Double XL | "Ki Jaana" | ||
| Mr. & Mrs. Mahi | 2024 | "Ranjhaana" |
Music director
edit| Film | Year | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Yeh Mera India | 2009 | |
| My Friend Pinto | 2011 | Along with Shamir Tandon |
| Cigarette ki Tarah | 2012 | |
| A Suitable Boy | 2020 | Web Series Also music director along with Alex Heffes and Anoushka Shankar |
| Jugjugg Jeeyo | 2022 | Along with Kanishk Seth |
Personal life
editShe has two sons, Kavish Seth and Kanishk Seth, both of whom perform with her.[15] Her husband K.K.Seth died of pancreatitis on 15 December 2011, aged 48.[16]
Albums
edit- Sufiana (2007)
- Kabirana Sufiana (2010)
- Bulleh Shah (2010)
- Khuda Wohi Hai (2011)
- Ek Din (2012)
- Trance With Khusrow (2014)
- Lagan Laagi Re (2021)
References
edit- ^ a b Udasi, Harshikaa (1 April 2010). "Sufi and soul". The Hindu. Chennai, India. Retrieved 19 April 2010.
- ^ Kavita Seth performs at Sufi concert Archived 21 August 2019 at the Wayback Machine Screen, 30 January 2009.
- ^ "Amitabh Bachchan, Vidya Balan claim top honours". The Hindu. Chennai, India. 28 February 2010.
- ^ a b "Music and Lyrics". Indian Express. 26 March 2010. Retrieved 19 April 2010.
- ^ "Song Sung True". Indian Express. 24 September 2009. Archived from the original on 5 October 2012.
- ^ "VISHESH Break". Screen. 24 March 2006.[dead link]
- ^ When new female singers announced their arrival in 2006: 8. Kavita Seth[dead link] Bollywood Hungama, 3 January 2007.
- ^ ‘Hard work always pays!’ Screen, 4 September 2009.
- ^ "Recreating Rumi's poetry". DNA. 3 November 2009.
- ^ Mission Sufi[dead link] Screen, 4 January 2008.
- ^ Service, Tribune News. "Kavita Seth is still on cloud nine after composing music for Mira Nair's web series A Suitable Boy". Tribuneindia News Service. Retrieved 29 November 2021.
- ^ Kavita Seth Filmography Archived 15 June 2009 at the Wayback Machine Bollywood Hungama
- ^ Music Review of Admissions Open
- ^ "Nominations - Mirchi Music Award Hindi 2012". Archived from the original on 22 September 2022. Retrieved 10 May 2024.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - ^ "Juhi at a musical do!". The Times of India. 25 March 2010.
- ^ "Singer Kavita Seth's husband dies". Archived from the original on 10 July 2012.