All about Chinmayi Sripada, the controversial singer and dubbing artist who returns to Tamil cinema with Thug Life

Chinmayi Sripada

Playback singer Chinmayi Sripada is all set to dominate the headlines once again after her impactful performance at the ‘Thug Life’ pre-release event in Chennai. Her soulful cover, that of Muththa Mazhai, took the Internet by storm and made people ask, whatever happened to her long disappearance from Kollywood.

A Short Glance at Chinmayi Journey

Chinmayi grew in the industry very fast and turned out to be a phenomenal singer. She came into the limelight with her dubbing for Sameera Reddy in the 2008 movie Surya s/o Krishnan. And her dubbing for Jessie in Ye Maaya Chesave showcased that she is indeed a gifted voice artist. But voice work is not all in her repertoire.

Chinmayi was raised in a family of musicians, when she was young she learnt Carnatic music under her mother’s tutelage. It was at just 15 years old that she got her first break when AR Rahman offered her Oru Dheviam Thadha Poove for Kannathil Muthamittal. She has since sung in all South Indian languages, and also in Hindi and Tulu. Her Bollywood chartbusters include Tere Bina from Guru and Titli from Chennai Express. She is also a fan of ghazals and Sufi music and, for someone who grew up in Chennai, shares an “immense love for the Telugu language due to which she is familiar with it (studied in school)”.

Chinmayi married Rahul Ravindran, an actor and film director on 5 May 2014. The couple’s twins, Driptah and Sharvas, were born on June 18, 2022. She announced the happy news on Instagram with sweet snapshots of the newborns clutching their parents’ fingers.

The controversy: Why was Chinmayi sidelined?

Chinmayi was one of the leading voices in the Indian #MeToo movement in 2018. She came out openly in support of the two women who accused Radha Ravi, president of the dubbing union (SICTADAU) of sexual harassment. She was kicked out of the union not long after. She was pushed out as questions grew over whether Ravi took control of the group.

In the same year, she accused senior lyricist Vairamuthu of having sexually harassed her in Switzerland on the sidelines of a programme. These courageous disclosures exacted a heavy human and professional toll. It is said that she missed out on several dubbing chances in Kollywood. Following her critically acclaimed work in 96, she only dubbed for Hero (2019) and that too appeared in the media closer towards the release of the film as per reports.

Viral Return with Thug Life

Thursday’s outing by Chinmayi in the Thug Life festival was an eventful return. Her rendition of Muththa Mazhai (Dhee) stood out for its intensity. The song, set to music by AR Rahman and words by scribe Siva Ananth, enjoyed a second wave of popularity thanks to her version. Stars like Kamal Haasan, Silambarasan TR, Trisha Krishnan and Abhirami made the occasion more than just a sporting one, as it transformed into a salute for talent and tenacity.

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The crowd wanted to see the Chinmayi version of the song which was so high that even the organizers released a video of her song, leaving the fans happy and her spot in music lovers' hearts still intact.

Chinmayi’s tale is not just one of music but also truth speaking truth to power. Her latest performance proves that even if it’s been a while, her voice — from the literal to the figurative — has only gotten stronger.