✦ Celebrity stories, facts and career updates. Explore F4U now →

Home › Biography › Chitra Iyer

Chitra Iyer photo for featured biography, wiki and celebrities profileFeatured Biography

Image source: StarsUnfolded

Celebrities

Chitra Iyer Biography: Age, Career, Family and More

F4U Editorial Desk • Updated October 22, 2026 • 3 min read

Request CorrectionClaim Profile

Quick Info

Date of birth27 June

BirthplaceKarunagappally, Kerala, India

ProfessionActor; Playback Singer

NationalityIndian

Marital statusMarried

SpouseVinod Sivaraman

FamilyDaughters: Aditi Sivaraman and Anjali Sivaraman; Parents: Rohini Iyer and R. D. Iyer; Sisters: Rema Iyer and Sharada

Chitra Iyer Biography

Chitra Iyer is an Indian playback singer and actor from Karunagappally, Kerala. She rose to prominence after being selected by composer A. R. Rahman to cut

Early life and background

Chitra Iyer was born in Karunagappally, Kerala, and completed her formal education in the state. She grew up in her hometown and is the daughter of Rohini Iyer and the late R. D. Iyer, both agricultural scientists. Chitra’s roots in Kerala and her strong command of Malayalam helped shape her early connections with audiences and later opportunities in regional cinema and television.

Career

Chitra began her professional music career in the early 2000s. After initial efforts to reach out to leading composers while based outside Chennai, she was invited by A. R. Rahman to visit Chennai with a demo. Rahman chose her to record the Tamil song "Athini Sithini" for the film Thenali (2000) and completed the recording the same evening. That recording became a breakthrough that led to multiple collaborations with Rahman on Tamil films in the early 2000s.

Following that breakthrough, Chitra recorded songs for several notable Tamil films and worked with composers including Karthik Raja, Yuvan Shankar Raja, Bharadwaj, and Vidyasagar. Her Tamil film credits from that period include songs for Star (2001), Thulluvadho Ilamai (2002), Boys (2003), and Kangalal Kaidhu Sei (2004).

Chitra’s singing work extended beyond Tamil. She lent her voice to songs in Kannada (Kurigalu Saar Kurigalu, 2001), Telugu (Dum Dum Dum, 2001), Hindi (16 December, 2002), and Malayalam (Chronic Bachelor, 2003). Alongside playback singing, she worked in Malayalam television as an anchor, hosting shows such as Jeeva’s Sapta Swarangal under her maiden name, Chitra Iyer.

In addition to singing, Chitra pursued acting roles in Malayalam films and television. Her film roles include parts in Rathri Mazha (2007), Makaramanju (2011), Jana Gana Mana (2022) and Meri Awas Suno (2022). On television she appeared in series such as Kumkumapoovu (2013) and Gauri (2018–2019).

Public profile

Chitra married Vinod Sivaraman, a former Indian Air Force pilot, on 12 July 1989. After marriage she sometimes worked under the name Chitra Sivaraman. The couple have two daughters, Aditi Sivaraman and Anjali Sivaraman; Anjali is noted as an actor and singer. Chitra’s family includes two sisters, Rema Iyer and the late Sharada, who had been a manager with Oman Air.

Her public activities extend beyond entertainment. Chitra founded and serves as a trustee of the Society for Elephant Welfare in Kerala and has supported agricultural initiatives in the state, including projects associated with her mother. She is an animal lover and keeps pets, including dogs and cats.

Chitra has also participated in reality television. In 2013 she was a contestant on the Surya TV show Malayalee House and left the competition in the sixth week. She has appeared on several other TV programs, including Voice of Kerala (Surya TV), Super Star Global (Amrita TV), and Flowers Oru Kodi (Flowers TV). In 2013 she and her daughters launched a software company called Darkhorse Productions.

Latest updates

Chitra remains active in regional entertainment and social causes. In film and television, she continued to take on acting roles into the 2020s, with on-screen credits in 2022. Her work spans playback singing across multiple Indian languages, television anchoring, acting, and civic involvement through animal welfare and agricultural projects.

Editorial Review and Sources

This F4U profile is written from publicly available career and profile information, then reviewed for clarity before publication. If you spot an outdated detail about Chitra Iyer, send the page URL and a reliable correction source to f4udotin@gmail.com.

Reference context: StarsUnfolded

Accuracy

Request a Correction

Tell us what needs to be updated and share a reliable source so the editorial team can review it.

Ownership

Claim This Profile

If this profile is about you or your client, send your contact details and verification context.

◈

Recent Work

Jana Gana Mana

Appeared as Swetha Gupta

2022
Meri Awas Suno

Appeared as Prof. Renuka Varma

2022
✦

Career Highlights

  1. Breakthrough recording of "Athini Sithini" for Thenali (2000) after being personally selected by A. R. Rahman
  2. Playback singer on Tamil films including Star (2001), Thulluvadho Ilamai (2002), Boys (2003), and Kangalal Kaidhu Sei (2004)
  3. Sang in multiple Indian languages: Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada, Telugu, and Hindi
  4. Worked as a television anchor and acted in Malayalam films and serials
  5. Founder and trustee of the Society for Elephant Welfare in Kerala
Reviewed by F4U Editorial Desk

F4U profile pages are prepared from public career information, checked for readability, and updated when reliable correction sources are shared with the editorial team.

People Also Search For

Indian TV ActressesSingersBollywood ActorsSouth Indian ActorsReality Show ContestantsCelebrities biographies
?

Frequently Asked Questions

When was Chitra Iyer born?

Chitra Iyer was born on 27 June.

What is Chitra Iyer known for?

Chitra Iyer is known for actor; Playback Singer.

What is Chitra Iyer’s marital status?

Chitra Iyer's marital status is listed as Married.

Who is Chitra Iyer married to?

Chitra Iyer is publicly listed as married to Vinod Sivaraman.