Sooraj Santhosh

About

Indian playback singer, songwriter, and independent music artist best known for his singing in Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, and Hindi cinema including songs such as "Thaniye" from Guppy, "Uyiril Thodum" from Kumbalangi Nights, "Aaraadhike" from Ambili, and "Theerame" from Malik. He is also known for being the former lead vocalist of the fusion band Masala Coffee, for his solo live project Sooraj Santhosh Live, for his independent solo EP The Gypsy Sun, and for sharing his original music on his YouTube channel. 

Before fame

He began learning Carnatic classical music at a young age and trained under multiple teachers. He was involved in stage performances, choir singing, and experimental music projects before entering the film industry. His professional breakthrough came in 2010 when he sang "Inka Edho (Padha Padha Raaraa)" for the Telugu romantic comedy film Darling. He began receiving regular opportunities in Tamil and Malayalam films after the success of Darling with his playback career growing throughout 2013 into 2016. He began sharing his original music on YouTube in December 2019 and released his EP The Gypsy Sun in 2020.

Trivia

He won the Kerala State Film Award for Best Playback Singer in 2016 for the song "Thaniye" from the Malayalam film Guppy. He has sung songs in at least eight languages including Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, Hindi, Kannada, and English. He has received two Mirchi Music Awards and won the Kerala State Film Critics Award in 2021.

Family life

He was born in Paravur, Kollam district, Kerala, India, and spent much of his early life in Thiruvananthapuram, India. He married his longtime partner Anjali Panicker.

Associated with

He sang his breakout song "Inka Edho" under Gv Prakash Kumar's composition in 2010. He sang alongside Ks Chithra on "Theerame" from Malik in 2021.