Monali Thakur

Monali Thakur is an acclaimed Indian playback singer and actress, recognized for her captivating vocals and emotionally resonant performances in Bollywood and Bengali cinema. Born into a musical Bengali family in Kolkata—her father Shakti Thakur was a renowned singer and actor—she received early training in Hindustani classical music under Pandit Jagdish Prasad and Pandit A. T. Kanan. She first gained widespread national prominence in 2005 as a contestant on the popular reality show Indian Idol 2. Her career took off significantly in 2008 with the energetic chartbusters "Zara Zara Touch Me" and "Khwab Dekhe" from the film Race, composed by Pritam. Monali established herself as a major force in the industry with the timeless romantic track "Sawaar Loon" from Lootera (2013), which won her the Filmfare Award for Best Female Playback Singer. She reached greater artistic heights with the hauntingly beautiful rendition of "Moh Moh Ke Dhage" from Dum Laga Ke Haisha (2015), earning the prestigious National Film Award for Best Female Playback Singer. Possessing a sweet, expressive voice texture with rich tonal versatility, Monali easily navigates upbeat pop tracks, romantic ballads, and delicate classical melodies. Beyond playback singing, she has showcased her dramatic talent in films like Nagesh Kukunoor's Lakshmi (2014) and served as a popular judge on television music reality shows such as Rising Star and Sa Re Ga Ma Pa L'il Champs.