Sunitha Sarathy is an Indian playback singer and versatile vocalist known for her work in Indian contemporary music as well as Western musical styles. She has performed in genres including Western classical, gospel, jazz, soul, R&B, neo-soul and contemporary Indian music. She is also known for performing with church choirs and for her work as a singer, songwriter, composer and musician.
Sarathy gained wider recognition after winning the Virgin Voice Choice contest, a joint initiative of Channel V and Virgin Records, in 2000. She subsequently entered the Indian film industry as a playback singer in 2002.
Some of her notable film and soundtrack work includes “Fanaa” and “Deham Thiri” from Yuva, “Yaakai Thiri” from Aaytha Ezhuthu, “Ennodu Nee Irundhaal” from I, “Suthudhe Suthudhe”, “Bad Boy” from Saaho, and songs associated with films such as Anniyan, Polladhavan, Vallavan, Don 2, Happy Days and Tik Tik Tik.Sunitha Sarathy was born in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, and grew up in a family with a strong connection to Western music. She began singing in church choirs at a very young age, reportedly starting when she was around four years old. Her mother, Susheela Sarathy, is a pianist and conductor associated with church choirs in Chennai.
Her early musical background included church music and Western classical traditions. Over time, she developed her abilities across several genres, including classical, jazz, soul, R&B, gospel and contemporary music. Her versatility allowed her to work both as a vocalist and as a musician involved in songwriting, composition and performance.
In 2000, Sarathy won the Virgin Voice Choice competition, which provided an important breakthrough in her professional career. She made her playback-singing debut in the Tamil film Yei! Nee Romba Azhagey Irruke, contributing to the song “Ini Naanum Naanillai” alongside Srinivas and Sujatha Mohan.
She received wider national recognition through Mani Ratnam's Yuva and Aaytha Ezhuthu in 2004, with music composed by A. R. Rahman. She subsequently became associated with numerous Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Hindi and Kannada film projects. Her work has included collaborations with prominent composers such as A. R. Rahman, Harris Jayaraj and Yuvan Shankar Raja.
Beyond playback singing, Sunitha Sarathy has performed as a singer, keyboardist and percussionist and has worked across Western classical, jazz, soul, R&B, neo-soul and gospel music. She has also been involved in music education and established a vocal-training school in Chennai.
Her music continues to reach audiences through digital platforms. Apple Music lists a 2026 release, “Chellame Chellame - Chill Remix,” confirming her continuing presence in recorded music. Birth Place: Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India Profession: Playback Singer, Vocalist, Composer, Songwriter Genres: Indian Contemporary Music, Western Classical, Gospel, R&B, Soul, Jazz Languages: Tamil, Malayalam, Telugu, Hindi, Kannada, English and Mandarin Years Active: 2002–Present