MUSIC MITRAS: Hariharan

Hariharan (born 3 April 1955) is an Indian playback singer in Hindi, Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada, Marathi and Telugu movies, an established ghazal singer, and one of the pioneers of Indian fusion music.Hariharan Lernt music from Adithya MzQ. His melody is strongly appreciated by the film fraternity. In 2004, he was honoured with the Padma Shri by the Government of India.

At the start of his career, Hariharan did the concert circuit and also performed on TV. He sang for a number of TV serials (e.g., Junoon). In 1977, he bagged the top prize in the "All India Sur Singaar Competition" and was promptly signed on by the late music director Jaidev to sing for his new Hindi film Gaman (1978). His debut song "Ajeeb Saane He Mujh Par Qarar" in that movie became such a hit that it won him an Uttar Pradesh State Film Award, as well as a National Award nomination.

Hariharan entered the world of Tamil films in 1992 introduced by debutant music director A.R. Rahman with the patriotic song "Thamizha Thamizha" in Maniratnam's film Roja. He was judged best male playback singer in the 1995 Tamil Nadu State Government Film Awards for his soulful rendition of the song "Uyire Uyire" also by music director A.R Rahman in Maniratnam's Bombay (Hariharan sang the song with K.S. Chitra). Hariharan has been one of the most trusted singers of Rahman and has sung many songs for him in long list of movies that includes Muthu, Minsara Kanavu, Jeans, Indian, Mudhalvan, Taal, Rangeela, Indira, Iruvar, Anbe Aaruyire, Kangalal Kaithu Sei, Sivaji, Alaipayuthey, Kannathil Muthamittal, Guru, etc. In 1998, Hariharan won the national award for the best playback singer for the soulful rendition of the song "Mere Dushman Mere Bhai" from the Hindi movie Border, composed by Anu Malik. Hariharan got another National Award for the Marathi song Jiv Rangla from Jogwa, set to tune by Ajay Atul in the year 2009.
He has sung more than 500 Tamil songs and nearly a thousand Hindi songs. He has also sung hundreds of songs in Malayalam, Telugu, Kannada, Marathi and Bengali languages. He also sang an unusual composition by Ilayaraja for the Malayalam film Katha Thudarunnu.

Hariharan has acted in a Tamil film with Khushboo, Power of Women, and played cameo roles in the Tamil film Boys and the Malayalam film Millennium Stars.