# Harini (ஹரினி) (singer)
**Harini** (ஹரினி) is an Indian playback singer (sings pre-recorded film songs that actors lip-sync on screen) in South Indian cinema, active in Tamil films since 1995, who was introduced by the composer [A. R. Rahman](https://www.edgepedia.org/a-r-rahman) with the song "Nila Kaikiradhu" in the film *Indira*.[1](https://tamil.abplive.com/entertainment/some-night-time-melody-hits-of-singer-harini-8472) She has recorded songs in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, and Hindi, and is married to the playback singer Tippu.[2](https://nettv4u.com/celebrity/tamil/singer/harini)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1979, Chennai, Tamil Nadu[3](https://tamil.filmibeat.com/celebs/harini.html) |
| Debut | "Nila Kaikiradhu" in *Indira* (1995), music by A. R. Rahman, sung at age 15[1](https://tamil.abplive.com/entertainment/some-night-time-melody-hits-of-singer-harini-8472) |
| Languages | Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, and Hindi[2](https://nettv4u.com/celebrity/tamil/singer/harini) |
| State awards | Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Female Playback Singer for *Nerukku Ner* (1997) and *Parthiban Kanavu* (2003)[4](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0363050/awards/) |
| Family | Married to playback singer Tippu (2002); daughter Sai Smruti and son Sai Abhyankar[2](https://nettv4u.com/celebrity/tamil/singer/harini) |
| Rahman repertoire | Twenty listed Rahman film songs from 1995 to 2023, including "Telephone Manipol" and "Moongil Thottam"[5](https://www.arrahmanian.com/artists/harini) |
## Early life and training
Harini was born in Chennai in 1979.[3](https://tamil.filmibeat.com/celebs/harini.html) Her mother tongue is Telugu and her native place is Chittoor; her father is Sridharan and her mother is Lakshmi, and she has one sister.[2](https://nettv4u.com/celebrity/tamil/singer/harini) She studied commerce, completing a [Bachelor of Commerce](https://www.edgepedia.org/bachelor-of-commerce) and beginning a Master of Computer Applications before dropping the master's course.[2](https://nettv4u.com/celebrity/tamil/singer/harini)
Her musical grounding came from [Carnatic music](https://www.edgepedia.org/carnatic-music), the classical tradition of [South India](https://www.edgepedia.org/south-india), learned from childhood.[2](https://nettv4u.com/celebrity/tamil/singer/harini) In a 2013 interview she said she was also learning classical music from Lalitha Santhanam, one of the Sathur sisters, and that she might in future open a school for classical music.[6](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movies/news/two-to-tango/articleshow/22207644.cms)
## Playback career
**Debut with Rahman.** Harini's first break came in *Indira* (1995), directed by Suhasini, where she sang for A. R. Rahman; the ABP Tamil profile states she sang "Nila Kaikiradhu" at the age of 15.[1](https://tamil.abplive.com/entertainment/some-night-time-melody-hits-of-singer-harini-8472) The next year she sang "Telephone Manipol" for the film *Indian*, and she went on to record for films such as *Iruvar*.[2](https://nettv4u.com/celebrity/tamil/singer/harini) A Rahman-focused discography lists twenty of her Rahman songs between 1995 and 2023, including "Alaipayuthey" (2000), "Theekuruvi" (2004), and, from *Ponniyin Selvan: Part 2* (2023), "Aazhi Mazhai Kanna" and "Veera Raja Veera".[5](https://www.arrahmanian.com/artists/harini)
**Work with other composers.** Her first song for the composer [Deva](https://www.edgepedia.org/deva-composer) was in *Nerukku Ner* (1996), the film for which she later won a Tamil Nadu State Film Award for "Manam Virumbuthey".[2](https://nettv4u.com/celebrity/tamil/singer/harini) • [4](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0363050/awards/) "Ivan Yaaro" appeared in *Minnale*, the first film of the composer [Harris Jayaraj](https://www.edgepedia.org/harris-jayaraj), whose songs all became hits.[1](https://tamil.abplive.com/entertainment/some-night-time-melody-hits-of-singer-harini-8472) In the 2013 interview she listed recent work for the composers [D. Imman](https://www.edgepedia.org/d-imman), Joshua Sridhar, and Harris Jayaraj on *Ithu Kathirvelanin Kadhal* and *Endrendrum Punnagai*.[6](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movies/news/two-to-tango/articleshow/22207644.cms) In *Kadal* (2012) she sang "Moongil Thottam" alongside Abhay Jodhpurkar, with music by Rahman.[1](https://tamil.abplive.com/entertainment/some-night-time-melody-hits-of-singer-harini-8472) • [5](https://www.arrahmanian.com/artists/harini)
Her duet partners have included Hariharan, S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, Srinivas, Tippu, and Unnikrishnan, and she has also sung with female co-singers such as K. S. Chitra and [Sadhana Sargam](https://www.edgepedia.org/sadhana-sargam).[2](https://nettv4u.com/celebrity/tamil/singer/harini)
## Awards
IMDb records two wins and two nominations for Harini. She won the Tamil Nadu State Film Award (Creative Award) for Best Female Playback Singer for "Manam Virumbuthey" from *Nerukku Ner* (1997) and again for "Aalanguyil" from *Parthiban Kanavu* (2003). She was nominated for the [Filmfare Award for Best Female Playback Singer](https://www.edgepedia.org/filmfare-award-for-best-female-playback-singer), Tamil, in 2010 for "Hasili Fisili" from *Aadhavan*, and for the Vijay Awards Jury Award for Best Female Playback Singer in 2011 for *Madrasapattinam*.[4](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0363050/awards/)
## Family
Harini married the playback singer Tippu in 2002; Tippu has performed over 4,000 songs in Kannada, Telugu, Malayalam, and Tamil.[2](https://nettv4u.com/celebrity/tamil/singer/harini) The couple have two children, a daughter, Sai Smruti, and a son, Sai Abhyankar, both of whom were learning vocals as of 2013.[2](https://nettv4u.com/celebrity/tamil/singer/harini) • [6](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movies/news/two-to-tango/articleshow/22207644.cms) In that interview the two described each other as their biggest critic, with Tippu noting that Harini is six years his senior in singing and that he takes tips from her.[6](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movies/news/two-to-tango/articleshow/22207644.cms)
## Singers of the same name
The name Harini is shared by several other performers. Harini Ramachandran, known in the film industry as "Singer Megha", is a playback singer with over 75 songs and more than 200 advertising jingles, and co-founder of the School of Excellence, an NLP training organization.[7](https://in.bookmyshow.com/person/harini-ramachandran/1062850) Harini Rao is a Hindustani classical vocalist from [Hyderabad](https://www.edgepedia.org/hyderabad) who has trained for over 23 years and sung more than 500 concerts in India and abroad, and who also works as a playback singer, actor, voice artist, and educator.[8](https://open.spotify.com/artist/2S2K6rQXBUZLGlguqbKp6C)
## References
1. [இரவை இவளிடம் கொடுங்கள்... 'இது ஹரினி ஹிட்ஸ்', ABP Live Tamil (5 July 2021)](https://tamil.abplive.com/entertainment/some-night-time-melody-hits-of-singer-harini-8472)
2. [Tamil Singer Harini Biography, News, Photos, Videos, NETTV4U](https://nettv4u.com/celebrity/tamil/singer/harini)
3. [ஹரிணி: திரைப்படங்கள், வயது, பயோடேட்டா, Filmibeat Tamil](https://tamil.filmibeat.com/celebs/harini.html)
4. [Harini – Awards, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0363050/awards/)
5. [A. R. Rahman & Harini, AR Rahmanian](https://www.arrahmanian.com/artists/harini)
6. [Two to tango, Times of India (1 September 2013)](https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/tamil/movies/news/two-to-tango/articleshow/22207644.cms)
7. [Harini Ramachandran – Movies, Biography, BookMyShow](https://in.bookmyshow.com/person/harini-ramachandran/1062850)
8. [Harini Rao, Spotify artist profile](https://open.spotify.com/artist/2S2K6rQXBUZLGlguqbKp6C)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Music › Musical works and recordings › Discographies and musical catalogues › Production and songwriter credit lists › Songs recorded by lists › Songs recorded by Indian playback singers*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 20, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Sep 18, 2026; Sep 20, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license