Usha Uthup Iyer is a singer from India who sang pop, jazz, and playback songs in the late 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. She sang in 17 Indian languages like Bengali, Hindi, English, Punjabi, Assamese, Oriya, Gujarati, Marathi, Konkani, Malayalam, Kannada, Tamil, and Telugu. She can also sing in many foreign languages like Dutch, French, German, Italian, Sinhalese, Swahili, Russian, Nepalese, Arabic, Creole, Zulu, and Spanish.
Wiki
| Full Name | Usha Uthup |
|---|---|
| Profession | Singer |
| Famous As | Singer |
| Nick Name | Didi |
| Date of Birth | 7 November 1947 (Friday) |
| Age | 76 Years Old |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Birthplace | Mumbai, Maharastra, India |
| Hometown | Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India |
| Country | India |
| Zodiac Sign | Scorpio |
| Religion | Hindu |
| Hobbies | Travelling |
| Food Habits | Vegetarian |
| Educational Qualification | High School |
| School Name | St. Agnes High School, Byculla |
| Debut | Singing Debut: Chattakkari (1974) |
Early Life
Usha was born on 8th November 1947 into a Brahmin Iyer family in Mumbai. Her father, Sami Iyer, later became the police chief of Bombay. She has three sisters named Uma Pocha, Indira Srinivasan, and Maya Sami, all singers, and two brothers, one named Shyam. She was the fifth of six children.
As a child, she lived in the police housing at Lovelane in Byculla in Bombay and went to a nearby school. She got kicked out of music class during school because her voice didn’t match. But her music teacher noticed she had some sense of music and let her play clappers or triangles instead. Even though she didn’t have formal music training, she grew up surrounded by music.
Usha’s parents listened to various types of music, from Western classical to Hindustani and Carnatic, including artists like Kishori Amonkar and Bade Ghulam Ali Khan on the radio, and she listened with them. She enjoyed tuning in to Radio Ceylon.
Her next-door neighbor was S.M.A. Pathan, who was the deputy police chief. His daughter, Jamila, inspired Usha to learn Hindi, wear traditional Indian clothing, and take up Indian classical music. This mix of influences helped her create her unique style of Indian pop music in the 1970s.
Career
When Usha Uthup Iyer was nine years old, she sang in public for the first time. Her sisters, who were already into music, introduced her to a musician named Hamir Sayani. He let her sing on the Ovaltine Music Hour on Radio Ceylon. She sang a song called “Mockingbird Hill”. After that, she kept appearing on the radio and singing during her teenage years.
Singing Career
Uthup began singing in a small nightclub called Nine Gem in Chennai when she was 20 years old. She wore a saree and leg braces at the time. People loved her singing so much that the owner of the nightclub asked her to stay for a week. After that, she started singing in nightclubs in Calcutta like “Talk of the Town” and “Trincas”. She met her future husband in Trincas.
Later, she went to Delhi and sang at Oberoi hotels. Once, a film crew from Navketan, which included Shashi Kapoor, heard her sing at the nightclub. They gave her a chance to sing in a movie. That’s how she started her Bollywood career with the movie “Hare Rama Hare Krishna”.
Originally, she was supposed to sing “Dum Maro Dum” with Lata Mangeshkar. But because of some problems with other singers, she couldn’t. Instead, she sang an English part. In 1968, she recorded two English pop songs, “Jambalaya” and “Greenback Dollar”, which became popular in India.
She spent some time in London and was interviewed on BBC Radio London. In the 1970s and 1980s, she sang many songs for music directors like R D Burman and Bappi Lahiri. She made songs like “Mehbooba Mehbooba” and “Dum Maro Dum” even more famous. She also sang for Bollywood movies like “Dhol” (2007), “June R” (2005), and others.
Uthup is famous for her lively stage performances all over the world. She has won many awards, including the Rajiv Gandhi Purashkar for National Integration, the Mahila Shiromoni Purashkar for International Peace, and a Channel award for outstanding achievement.
| Year | Songs | Movies |
| 1968 | Jambalaya | – |
| Greenback Dollar | ||
| 1971 | Dum Maro Dum | Hare Rama Hare Krishna |
| 1975 | Mehbooba Mehbooba | Sholay |
| 1978 | One Two Cha Cha Cha | Shalimar |
| 1981 | Rambha Ho | Armaan |
| 1982 | Koi Yahaan Nache Nache | Disco Dancer |
| 1983 | Ae Zindagi Gale Laga Le | Sadma |
| 1997 | Dhol Bajne Laga | Virasat |
Recordings
Usha Uthup Iyer made her first music album with Luis Banks and got Rs. 3500 for it. After that, she made many albums. Usha’s Hindi version of Michael Jackson’s song “Don’t Stop Til You Get Enough,” named ‘”Chhupke Kaon Aya'”, is on the album Tom Middleton – The Trip (2004).
She also sang a version of Gloria Gaynor’s “I Will Survive” on another album, Cosmosonica – Tom Middleton Presents Crazy Covers Vol. 1 (2005). Later, she sang a song called “Rhythm and Blues” with the Indian Rock Band Parikrama, which was shown on Channel V on April 23rd, 2007.
| Year | Song Name | Artist | Album |
2004 | Don’t Stop Til You Get Enough | Michael Jackson | Tom Middleton – The Trip |
| Chhupke Kaon Aya’ (Hindi version) | Usha | ||
| 2005 | I Will Survive | Gloria Gaynor | Cosmosonica – Tom Middleton Presents Crazy Covers Vol. 1 |
| 2007 | Rhythm and Blues | Usha and Parikrama | – |
Acting Career
Uthup is not just a singer but also acts in movies. She sang and acted in some famous Indian musical movies. In 2006, she was in a Malayalam film called “Pothen Vava” where she played Kurisuveettil Mariyamma. She had a small part in the 1972 movie “Bombay To Goa” with Amitabh Bachchan and Shatrughan Sinha.
In 2007, she appeared as herself in “Bow Barracks Forever” directed by Anjan Dutt. She also showed up as herself in a music video called “Hattrick” in 2007. On Indian Idol 1 and 2, she appeared in disguise. She was one of the judges in a Malayalam reality show called Idea Star Singer in 2007 and 2008.
| Year | Movie / Event |
| 1972 | “Bombay To Goa” movie |
| 2006 | “Pothen Vava” movie |
| 2007 | “Bow Barracks Forever” movie |
| “Hattrick” music video | |
| Appearance on Indian Idol 1 | |
| Appearance on Indian Idol 2 | |
| Co-judge on Idea Star Singer | |
| 2008 | Co-judge on Idea Star Singer |
Discography
| Year | Song | Film | Composer | Language |
| 2012 | “Ramba main Samba” | Shirin Farhad Ki Toh Nikal Padi | Jeet Ganguly | Hindi |
| “Aami Shotti Bolchi” | Kahaani | Vishal–Shekhar | Hindi | |
| “Yeh Raat Mona Lisa” | Kaafiron Ki Namaaz | Advait Nemlekar | Hindi | |
| “Jhoom Jhoom Zara” | Parie | Veer Samarth | Kannada | |
| 2014 | “Race gurram” | Race Gurram | S. Thaman | Telugu |
| 2016 | “Hoi Kiw/Chalo Chalo” | Rock On 2 | Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy | Hindi |
| “Dirty Picture” | Thikka | S. Thaman | Telugu | |
| 2019 | “Empuraane” | Lucifer | Deepak Dev | Malayalam |
| 2022 | “Phire Takao” | Kolkatar Harry | Jeet Ganguly | Bengali |
| “Chumbok Mon” | Kacher Manush | Nilayan Chatterjee | ||
| “Drishyam 2 Title Track” | Drishyam 2 | Devi Sri Prasad | Hindi |
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Language |
| 1973 | Bombay to Goa | N/A | Hindi |
| 1975 | Melnaattu Marumagal | N/A | Tamil |
| 2006 | Pothan Vava | Kurisuveettil Mariamma | Malayalam |
| 2007 | Bow Barracks Forever | Herself | English |
| 2010 | Manmadan Ambu | Indira | Tamil |
| 2011 | 7 Khoon Maaf | Maggie Aunty | Hindi |
| 2012 | Parie | N/A | Kannada |
| 2015 | X: Past Is Present | Mrs. Baker | Hindi |
| 2016 | Rock On 2 | Herself (cameo) | Hindi |
| 2019 | If Not for You | Herself | English |
| 2022 | Achcham Madam Naanam Payirppu | Charukesi | Tamil |
Awards
| Year | Award | Category | Nominated Song | Film | Result |
| 1999 | Kalakar Awards | Best Audio Album (Bangla) | “Darling” | N/A | Won |
| 2002 | Kalakar Awards | Best Audio Album (Bangla) | Chai Silpir Samman | N/A | Won |
| 2004 | Kalakar Awards | Best Playback Singer for the film | “Kabhi Pa Liya To Kabhi Kho Diya” | Joggers Park | Won |
| 2006 | Asianet Film Awards | Best Character actress | N/A | Pothan Vava | Nominated |
| 2012 | IIFA Awards | Best Female Playback Singer | “Darling” | 7 Khoon Maaf | Nominated |
| Screen Awards | Best Female Playback Singer | “Darling” | 7 Khoon Maaf | Nominated | |
| Mirchi Music Awards | Female Vocalist of The Year | “Darling” | 7 Khoon Maaf | Nominated | |
| 2013 | Kalakar Awards | Best Playback Singer for the film | “Ramba Mein Samba” | Shirin Farhad Ki Toh Nikal Padi | Won |
| 2017 | Mirchi Music Awards | Lifetime Achievement Award | N/A | N/A | Won |
Family
| Father Name | Vaidyanath Someshwar Sami (DC in Police) |
|---|---|
| Mother Name | Not Known |
| Brother Name | Not Known |
| Sister Name | lndira and Uma (Both elder) |
Physical Appearance
Usha Uthup is 163 centimeters tall, which is like 1.63 meters or 5 feet 4 inches. Her weight is around 82 kilograms or 181 lbs. Her body measures 35-30-38. Her eyes and hair are both of the same color, which is black.
| Height (Approx.) | in centimeters – 163 cm in meters – 1.63 m in feet inches – 5′ 4″ |
|---|---|
| Weight (Approx.) | in kilograms – 82 Kg in pounds – 181 lbs |
| Body Measurements | 35-30-38 |
| Eye Color | Black |
| Hair Color | Black |
Relationship Status
| Marital Status | Married |
|---|---|
| Spouse | Ramu Iyer (Died) Jani Chacko Uthup |
| Children | Daughter– Anjali Son– Sunny |
Net Worth & Salary
The approximate net worth of the person is around $5 million, which is roughly equivalent to ₹40 crore in Indian Rupees. Their main source of income comes from singing.
| Net Worth in USD (Approx.) | $5 Million |
|---|---|
| Net Worth in Indian Rupees (Approx.) | ₹40 Crore |
| Income Source | Singing |
Social Media Handles
| @singerushauthup | |
| @singerushauthup | |
| @singerushauthup | |
| YouTube | @UshaUthupOfficial |
Favorite Things
| Foods | Bhel puri, pani puri, rasam, sambhar, kali dal |
|---|---|
| Actor | Shah Rukh Khan |
| Actress | Deepika Padukone |
Usha Uthup Songs Lyrics
- Lucky Baskhar (Title Track)
- Lucky Baskhar (Title Track)
- Drishyam 2 (Title Track)
- Empuraane
- Sab Kushal Mangal (Title)
- Julie (Title)
- Bibi Sanam
- Kuch Raaz Hain
- India Yeh Hai India
- Citylights (Title)
- Revolver Rani (Title)
- Aankhon Se Pee Le
- Kaun Hai
- Aayiye Meherban Yeh Dil Hai
- Yeh Raat Mona Lisa
- Main Gul Badan
- Sawan Ki Raaton Mein
- Doston Se Pyar Kiya
- Pyar Mein Jeena
- Kill Me
- Uri Uri Baba
- Woh Thi Hum The
- Jogan Pritam Ki
- Main Bhi Jalu Tu Bhi Jale
- Hands Up Jaani Hands Up
13 Facts About Usha Uthup
- Usha had a tough time in music class at school because her voice wasn’t appreciated there.
- Usha Uthup began singing professionally in 1969 at a nightclub in Chennai called Nine Gems.
- Her big break came with the song “Shaan Se” from the 1980s movie “Shaan.”
- Usha Uthup in many languages including Hindi, Punjabi, Bangla, and more.
- She also sings in French, German, Italian, and other languages.
- She got the Padma Shri Award in 2011 and the Padma Bhushan in 2024, two prestigious awards in India.
- Even though she sings Western-style songs in nightclubs, she always dresses traditionally in sarees and bangles.
- Her father was a police superintendent in Mumbai.
- She’s known as Usha Uthap after marriage.
- One of her songs, “Chupp Ke Kaun Aaya,” from the album “24 Carrats,” was remixed in an international album called “Bombay Gangstarr” by Bollywood Freaks. It’s a Hindi version of Michael Jackson’s “Don’t Stop Till You Get Enough.”
- Usha has a granddaughter, Ayesha, who’s an upcoming singer. Her daughter Anjali also sings and works as a radio jockey in Kochi.
- Usha is the fifth child among six siblings. All three of her sisters are singers: Uma Pocha, Maya Sami, and Indira Srinivasan.
- Together with Usha Uthup’s daughters, they form the family band “3G.”
FAQs
Usha Uthup is married to Jani Chacko Uthup, who comes from the Manarcaud Painumkal family of Kottayam. Her previous husband was the late Ramu.
Usha Uthup is 76 years old. (Born on 7th November 1947)
Usha Uthup knows 17 Indian languages and eight foreign languages.