Anurag Kulkarni

Telugu and Tamil film playback singer Anurag Kulkarni is one of the most sought-after artists of his generation. Born in the Kamareddy district of Telangana and of Maharashtrian background, he trained as a Hindustani classical vocalist as a child, studying Bhimsen Joshi’s abhangs—devotional poems sung in praise of the deity Vitthal. That set him up for his win in the eighth season of popular TV talent show Idea Super Singer in 2015, shortly after which he made his professional debut. Multiple marquee projects followed, with many of India’s biggest music directors. Among Kulkarni’s chart-toppers are “Pillaa Raa” from RX 100 (2018) with Chaitan Bharadwaj and the theme from 2019’s iSmart Shankar with Mani Sharma—each of which won him Best Male Playback Singer at the South Indian International Movie Awards. He also counts “Ramuloo Ramulaa” from Ala Vaikunthapurramuloo (with S. Thaman) and “Sirivennala” from Shyam Singha Roy (2021) (with Mickey J. Meyer) among his significant achievements. Ranging from romantic ballads to raucous dance numbers, Kulkarni’s varied and prolific discography is one of a genuine hitmaker.