Hamsika Iyer

Hamsika Iyer is an Indian playback singer and versatile vocalist known for her work across Bollywood, regional Indian cinema, advertising jingles, classical music and international music projects. Born in Pune and based in Mumbai, she grew up in a musical family and received early musical training from her father, S. Balachandran. Her background includes training in Indian classical music, particularly Carnatic traditions, while her professional work has expanded across film music, pop, world music and experimental collaborations. Hamsika has recorded songs in several Indian languages, including Hindi, Marathi, Kannada, Tamil, Malayalam and Bengali, allowing her to build a diverse career beyond mainstream Bollywood. She became particularly recognizable to popular audiences through songs associated with major films such as Ra.One, Agent Vinod and Chennai Express, while continuing to perform jingles, regional songs and international musical projects.

Hamsika Iyer developed her professional music career through a combination of television competitions, advertising jingles, studio recordings and playback singing. After participating as a finalist in Sa Re Ga Ma during the 1990s, she began recording extensively for advertisements and gradually established relationships with prominent composers and musicians. An important film opportunity came with “Chanda Re” from Eklavya: The Royal Guard in 2007, after which she received wider opportunities in Bollywood and regional cinema. Her career gained major mainstream exposure through “Chammak Challo” from Ra.One, followed by songs such as “Raabta” from Agent Vinod and “One Two Three Four (Get on the Dance Floor)” from Chennai Express. Alongside commercial film music, Hamsika has pursued world-music and international collaborations, including work with Prem Joshua and performances with electronic music group Juno Reactor, demonstrating a career that extends from Indian playback singing to global and experimental music.

Hamsika Iyer’s musical style is distinguished by its versatility, combining Indian classical training with contemporary playback singing, Bollywood pop, regional film music, world music and electronic influences. Her training in Carnatic and Hindustani musical traditions provides a classical foundation that allows her to adapt her voice to different compositions and languages, while her extensive experience recording advertising jingles has contributed to her flexibility as a studio vocalist. Her catalogue ranges from romantic and melodic songs such as “Raabta” to energetic dance-oriented Bollywood recordings including “Chammak Challo” and “One Two Three Four (Get on the Dance Floor).” Hamsika’s collaborations outside mainstream cinema, including world-music projects and performances with Juno Reactor, further demonstrate her ability to move between traditional Indian musical influences and contemporary international sounds.

Hamsika Iyer has received recognition for her playback singing across Hindi, Marathi, Kannada and other Indian music industries. Her Marathi work has earned significant acclaim, particularly “Mann Chimb Pavasali” from Ajintha, which has been associated with honors including the Maharashtra State Award and recognition from Radio Mirchi and Zee. She also received recognition in Kannada music for “Ninna Danigaagi” from Savaari 2, while her Bollywood work brought her to a much larger national and international audience through songs connected with films such as Ra.One, Agent Vinod and Chennai Express. “Raabta” from Agent Vinod also earned her a Best Female Playback Singer nomination at the Apsara Film & Television Producers Guild Awards. Beyond awards, Hamsika’s achievements include performing internationally, collaborating with Prem Joshua and Juno Reactor, and building a multilingual recording career spanning film songs, jingles, live performances and world music.