Lalitha Bhanu was a Carnatic singer. She has also sung a few songs for Malayalam and Tamil films as a playback singer.
Early life Lalitha was born at Trivandrum, Kerala, as the daughter of Narayana Bhagavathar and Parvathy ammal on 19 August 1931. Her father, Narayana Bhagavathar was a violinist and one of the three Trivandrum Brothers. The brothers were Asthana Vidwans (in-house musicians) at the Royal Palace of Trivandrum. She learnt her initial lessons from K. R. Kumaraswamy. Afterwards she joined the Swati Tirunal College of Music, Thiruvananthapuram. Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer was the principal of this college. She received training directly from him. When the family moved from Trivandrum to Madras (now Chennai), Srinivasa Iyer directed her to Musiri Subramania Iyer. She learned many Kritis for about 8 years from Musiri Subramania Iyer. Musiri even made Lalitha sing all the varnams in his own style, thereby imbibing in her the “Musiri bhani”. She learnt many kritis from Papanasam Sivan, K. R. Kedarnath and T. M. Thiagarajan as well.
Music career Her first public concert was staged at Mavelikkara (Kerala). She was an artiste in All India Radio and sang for almost 50 years at various radio stations of the AIR including Pondichery and Chennai. She had performed at the Tyagaraja Aradhana.
Playback singer
Lalitha had sung in a few Malayalam and Tamil films as a playback singer. She began her film career with Ponkathir, a Malayalam language film released in 1953. The traditional song "Anjana Sreedhara" was a hit. When this film was made in Tamil with the title Irulukkuppin she sang for that too. She has sung under several music directors including Br Lakshmanan, V. Dakshinamoorthy, G. Ramanathan, Ghantasala, Pendyala Nageshwara Rao and C. N. Pandurangan.
List of film songs
Year Film Language Song Lyrics Music Co-singers 1950 Ponmudi Tamil Vaanam Kumuruthamma G. Ramanathan U. R. Chandra 1950 Manthiri Kumari Tamil O Raja O Rani G. Ramanathan P. Leela & U. R. Chandra 1950 Chandrika Tamil Malar Ser Manimaalai P. Bhaskaran V. Dakshinamoorthy 1950 Chandrika Malayalam Choriyuka Madhumaari Nilaave P. Bhaskaran V. Dakshinamoorthy 1952 Amma Tamil Anaivarum Varuveer Chidambaram Varadarajan V. Dakshinamoorthy Varuga Varuga Yen Sodharikarl 1952 Dharma Devatha Telugu Sukhamu Chilikinchu Aanandakiraname C. R. Subburaman Chinduleyavoyi Chinna Krishnayya Samudrala Sr. B. N. Rao & Jikki1952 Dharma Devathai Tamil Aananda Leelai Tharum Thanjai N. Ramaiah Dass C. R. Subburaman Anbaai Odi Vaadaa C. R. Subburaman & Jikki1952 En Thangai Tamil Meelaa Thuyaraamo...Kangal Irandum Narasimhan C. N. Pandurangan Naalukku Naal Paarkira Podhe A. Maruthakasi 1952 Sankranti Telugu Polame Mana Jeevithamu Balijepalli Lakshmikanta Kavi G. Aswathama A. M. Rajah Viraaliketu Thaalane Balijepalli Lakshmikanta Kavi A. M. Rajah 1953 Petrathai Tamil Penmani Nalla Kanmani M. S. Subramaniam Pendyala Nageshwara Rao Ghantasala1953 Ponkathir Malayalam Anjana Sreedharaa Traditional Br Lakshmanan Aanandavaasam Amaravilaasam Thirunainar Kurichi Madhavan Nair Pranayamohana Swapnam Gokulapalan Sukhame Sukhame Kamukara Purushothaman & Kaviyoor C. K. Revamma Paarirulmoodi Paathayaake Ullaasam Ulakellam Mehboob & Kaviyoor C. K. Revamma 1954 Avakasi Malayalam Manoharamithaha Thirunainar Kurichi Madhavan Nair Br Lakshmanan En Jeevitha Sukhamaya Kamukara Purushothaman Kaliyodamithil Kamukara Purushothaman Vava En Deva Kamukara Purushothaman Tharani Thanga Nilave 1954 Irulukkup Pin Tamil Anjana Sreedharaa Nagai Mani Br Lakshmanan Aananda Vasam Amara Vilasam Mathura Mohana Inba Ninaivaal Kamukara Purushothaman Sugame Sugam Sorkka Sugame Kamukara Purushothaman & Kaviyoor C. K. Revamma Kaarirul Moodi Ullasam Ulagellam Uyirum Mehboob & Kaviyoor C. K. Revamma Paadu Mohanamai Padu Vandaadum Poovea Malarsolai 1954 Chandraharam Tamil Laali Jaya Laali Thanjai N. Ramaiah Dass Ghantasala 1954 Chandraharam Telugu Laali Jaya Laali Pingali Nagendra Rao Ghantasala 1954 Avan Yaar Tamil En Jeevitha Sukam Kambadasan Br Lakshmanan Kamukara Purushothaman Manoharam Idhaahaa 1954 Viduthalai Tamil Abalai Naan Thayanithiye Velavan Lakshman Raghunath 1952 Kalam Marunnu Malayalam Ohoy Thathinanthanam O. N. V. Kurup G. Devarajan & Br Lakshmanan K. S. George, K. Sulochana, P. Leela & Lekshmi Ambili Muthachan P. Leela & Lekshmi 1955 Harishchandra Malayalam Kaattumulle Naanam Kaatteedalle Thirunainar Kurichi Madhavan Nair Br Lakshmanan C. S. Radha Devi1956 Avar Unarunnu Malayalam Paloli Poonila Pala Narayanan Nair V. Dakshinamoorthy L. P. R. Varma Puthughivitha Ha Kamitam Kamukara Purushothaman
List of Carnatic songs
All these songs are available on YouTube. No. Kriti Ragam Composer1 Elakudhaya Sankarabharanam Pallavi Duraiswami Iyer 2 Rama rama gunaseema Simhendra madhyamam Swathi Thirunal 3 Ma Janaki Kambhoji Saint Thyagaraja 4 Marivere Dikkevarayaa Shanmugapriya Patnam Subramanya Iyer 5 Namoralakimpavemi Devagandhari Saint Thyagaraja 6 Sarasijanapasodhari Naagagandhari Muthuswami Dikshithar 7 Kamajanaka Gowlai Swathi Thirunal 8 Parvatharajakumari Sriranjani Muthuswami Dikshithar 9 Jaya Jaya Raghurama Sahana Swathi Thirunal 10 Thaye Dayaipurivaye Ranjani Swarna Venkatesa Dikshithar 11 Smarajanaka Behag Swathi Thirunal
Titles and awards Lalitha Bhanu was conferred with the title "Ganabooshanam" and was presented with a Tambura (with an emblem of Swathi Tirunal) by Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer.
Family life Lalitha was married to Perumal Bhanu Bharadwaj. They had three children including two daughters and a son, Anand Bhanu Bharadwaj.
Death She died on 20 August 2020 at Chennai.
Bibliography List of Malayalam songs sung by Ganabhooshanam N. Lalitha
References
External links - in Malayalam language Amrita TV - Her hit song from the film Ponkathir. - Meenakshi Memudam in Poorvikalyani raga. - (Duration 55:20) was probably performed sometime in the 1960s