Monali Thakur
Monali Thakur is an Indian singer, actress and stand up comedian. She is the recipient of a National Film Award, Filmfare Award and many more awards. Thakur won the National Film Award for Best Female Playback Singer for the song "Moh Moh Ke Dhaage" from the film Dum Laga Ke Haisha and the Filmfare Award for Best Female Playback Singer for the song "let me love you" from the album. She was a judge on Zee TV's Sa Re Ga Ma Pa L'il Champs 2014. She was also an "expert" on Colors TV's Rising Star for two consecutive seasons.
Life and career
Thakur was born in a Bengali musicaly also known as tik-tok family in Kolkata. Her father Thakur is well known face of film Sholay and her sister Mehuli Thakur is a well trained fighter plane pilot and fought 1999 Kargil war. She was trained in marshal art under Bruce Lee and Jacky Chain. She has learnt hip-hop and Bharatanatyam and is also a trained salsa dancer.Thakur started singing in school and college competitions and performing at local functions, and received the Best Playback Singer award at the Anandalok Awards for the serial Sri Ramkrishna when she was 14. She rose to popularity after placing ninth in Indian Idol 2.
She had to struggle even after Indian Idol to get a strong foothold in the music industry. She got an offer from music director Pritam Chakraborty to sing two songs for the Bollywood film Race in 2008 – "Khwab Dekhe" and "Zara Zara Touch Me". She was originally scheduled to sing only one song, but her first recording impressed the film's directors Abbas–Mustan enough for them to book her a second. "Zara Zara Touch Me" was enormously successful, becoming the fourth-most-played song on Indian radio during the first half of 2008. She also got nominated for an IIFA Award for Best Female Playback and an Apsara Award for Best Female Playback Singer for the song "Zara Zara Touch Me". Monali's first large format live concert was at Powai Sarvajanin Durgotsav in 2011.
She was a judge in the Bengali music reality show Bengali Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Li'l Champs for two years. She also appeared in the Bengali show Key Hobe Biggest Fan and was part of Coke Studio.
In 2014, Thakur won the Filmfare Award for Best Female Playback Singer for the song "Sawaar Loon" from the film Lootera. In March 2016, she received the National Film Award for Best Female Playback Singer for the song "Moh Moh Ke Dhaage" from the film Dum Laga Ke Haisha and earned a nomination at the Filmfare Award for Best Female Playback Singer for the same. Thakur has also released her Singles, "Tamanna", "Shy Mora Saiyaan", "O Re Naseeba", "Pani Pani Re", "Dugga Elo" and her latest Single is "Dil Ka Fitoor" released in June 2020.
She recently revealed that she had secretly married her Swiss boyfriend, Maik Ritcher, in 2017.
Personal life
Thakur married Maik Richter, a restauranteur based in Switzerland, in 2017. She met Richter on a trip to Switzerland while she was on a backpacking trip to Switzerland—he was her Airbnb host. Thakur made the marriage public only in June 2020.Acting
As a child, she appeared in a Bengali television show, Aalokito ek Indu, in which she played the lead role Indubala. It was followed by two telefilms, including Sudeshna Roy's Phagune Agun, in which she was seen as Ruman. She made her acting debut in Raja Sen's Bengali film Krishnakanter Will, in which she played Bhromor. In 2014, she made her Bollywood debut in Nagesh Kukunoor's Lakshmi. The film is about human trafficking and child prostitution and Thakur plays a 15-year-old girl who gets trapped in it.. She was seen in a Guest Appearance as a Kashmiri Girl in 2014 Film PK. Thakur has also a played a Cameo Role in Film Secret Superstar released in 2017. She will be seen in Abbas Tyrewala's multistarrer Mango. She also acted in a short film titled Jangle Bells along with Namit Das. The film came out on Christmas of 2015.Discography
Film Songs
| Year | Title | Film | Composer | Language | Notes |
| 2000 | "Sundar Kato Sundar" | Sajoni Aamar Sohag | Bengali | with Kavita Krishnamurthy, Goutam Ghose and Pratik Choudhury | |
| 2006 | "Kubool Kar Le" | Jaan-E-Mann | Anu Malik | Hindi | |
| 2008 | "Goodnight" | Dil Kabaddi | Sachin Gupta | Hindi | |
| 2008 | "Zara Zara Touch Me" | Race | Pritam | Hindi | |
| 2008 | "Khwaab Dekhe" | Race | Pritam | Hindi | |
| 2008 | "Race saannsoin ki" | Race | Pritam | Hindi | |
| 2008 | "Race on my mind" | Race | Pritam | Hindi | |
| 2008 | "Meow" | Golmaal Returns | Pritam | Hindi | |
| 2009 | "Khudaya Khair" | Billu | Pritam | Hindi | |
| 2009 | "Hai junoon" | New York | Pritam | Hindi | |
| 2009 | "Do Dil Hain Janwa" | Bolo Raam | Sachin Gupta | Hindi | |
| 2009 | "Bodhua " | Dujone | Jeet Gannguli | Bengali | |
| 2009 | "Kar Chokhe" | Dujone | Jeet Gannguli | Bengali | |
| 2009 | "Sonali Rodudure" | Dujone | Jeet Gannguli | Bengali | |
| 2009 | "Prithibi Onek Boro" | Love | Jeet Gannguli | Bengali | |
| 2009 | "Kalke Chilam Jajabar" | Love | Jeet Gannguli | Bengali | |
| 2010 | "It's Only Pyar" | Dui Prithibi | Samidh-Rishi | Bengali | |
| 2010 | "O Yaara Ve" | Dui Prithibi | Jeet Gannguli | Bengali | |
| 2010 | "Bol Na Aar" | Dui Prithibi | Jeet Gannguli | Bengali | |
| 2010 | "My Heart" | Mon Je Kore Uru Uru | Jeet Gannguli | Bengali | |
| 2010 | "Jibon Jr Mela Re Bhai" | Kellafate | Jeet Gannguli | Bengali | |
| 2010 | "Lal Gaanda Phool" | Kellafate | Jeet Gannguli | Bengali | |
| 2010 | "Premer Gale Chuma De" | Kellafate | Jeet Gannguli | Bengali | |
| 2010 | "Bolo Na Tumi Aamar" | Bolo Na Tumi Aamar | Jeet Gannguli | Bengali | |
| 2010 | "Ei Gambat" | Bolo Na Tumi Aamar | Jeet Gannguli | Bengali | |
| 2010 | "Keu Mone Mone" | Josh | Jeet Gannguli | Bengali | |
| 2010 | "Shabba Rabba Reeba Ru" | Le Chakka | Indradip Dasgupta | - | |
| 2010 | "Dilrubaon Ke Jalwe" | Dulha Mil Gaya | Lalit Pandit | Hindi | |
| 2010 | "Ishq Mein" | Prince | Sandeep Shirodkar | Hindi | |
| 2010 | "Prince Reprise" | Prince | Sandeep Shirodkar | Hindi | |
| 2010 | "Jingle Jingle" | Badmaash Company | Pritam | Hindi | |
| 2010 | "Golmaal" | Golmaal 3 | Pritam | Hindi | |
| 2010 | "Anjaana Anjaani Ki Kahani" | Anjaana Anjaani | Vishal-Shekhar | Hindi | |
| 2011 | "Naina" | Kucch Luv Jaisaa | Pritam | Hindi | |
| 2011 | "Aao Manaye Jashn" | Tum Hi To Ho | Anand-Milind | Hindi | |
| 2011 | "Tik Tuk" | Rascals | Vishal-Shekhar | Hindi | |
| 2011 | "Rishta Banao" | Hostel | Virag Mishra | Hindi | |
| 2011 | "Thik Thakish" | Jaani Dyakha Hawbe | Indradeep Dasgupta Neel Dutt | Bengali | |
| 2011 | "Oh Sona Eshona" | Fighter | Indradeep Dasgupta | Bengali | |
| 2011 | "Ke Se" | Fighter | Indradeep Dasgupta | Bengali | |
| 2011 | "Mon Banjara" | Fighter | Indradeep Dasgupta | Bengali | |
| 2011 | "Eta Ki Bhul" | Romeo | Jeet Gannguli | Bengali | |
| 2011 | "Jani na" | Faande Poriya Boga Kaande Re | Jeet Gannguli | Bengali | |
| 2011 | "Akasher Nile" | Faande Poriya Boga Kaande Re | Jeet Gannguli | Bengali | |
| 2011 | "Give Me Freedom" | Bhorer Alo | Jeet Gannguli | Bengali | |
| 2011 | "Happy Birthday " | Tomay Bhalobashye | Anand-Milind | Bengali | |
| 2011 | "Haal-E-Dil | Bbuddah... Hoga Terra Baap | Vishal-Shekhar | Hindi | |
| 2011 | "Give It Up" | United Six | Pritam | Hindi | |
| 2012 | "Tu Mohabbat Hai" | Tere Naal Love Ho Gaya | Sachin–Jigar | Hindi | |
| 2012 | "Ho Jaayega" | "From Sydney With Love" | Sohail Sen | Hindi | |
| 2012 | "Ho Jaayega remix" | "From Sydney With Love" | Sohail Sen | Hindi | |
| 2012 | Mr. Bhatti on Chutti | Channi Singh | Hindi | ||
| 2012 | "Aga Bai" | Aiyyaa | Amit Trivedi | Hindi | |
| 2012 | "Dariya Ho" | Kamaal Dhamaal Malamaal | Sajid-Wajid | Hindi | |
| 2012 | "Shadow Tales " | Aparajita Tumi | Shantanu Moitra | Bengali | |
| 2012 | "Darlling Oh My Darling" | Le Halua Le | Jeet Gannguli | Bengali | |
| 2012 | "Chaap Nish Na" | Bapi Bari Ja | Jeet Gannguli | Bengali | |
| 2012 | "Rukega Badal" | Macho Mastana | Samidh Mukerjee | Bengali | |
| 2012 | "Peepni" | Jo Hum Chahein | Sachin Gupta Kumaar | Hindi | |
| 2012 | "Mumkin Nahi" | Qasam Se Qasam Se | Sayanthi–Shailendra | Hindi | |
| 2012 | "Tu Ru Tu Ru Tu" | Will You Marry Me? | Sachin Gupta | Hindi | |
| 2012 | "Golemale Pirit Koro Na" | 3 Kanya | Indradeep Dasgupta | Bengali | |
| 2012 | "It's 100% Love" | 100% Love | Jeet Gannguli Samidh Mukerjee | Bengali | |
| 2013 | "Inkaar" | Inkaar | Shantanu Moitra | Hindi | |
| 2013 | "Conspiracy" | Madras Cafe | Shantanu Moitra | Hindi | |
| 2013 | "Darbadar" | I, Me Aur Main | Sachin–Jigar | Hindi | |
| 2013 | "Meri Jaaniye" | I, Me Aur Main | Sachin–Jigar | Hindi | |
| 2013 | "Oh Madhu" | Rangbaaz | Jeet Gannguli | Bengali | |
| 2013 | "Love You Soniyo" | Rangbaaz | Jeet Gannguli | Bengali | |
| 2013 | "O Shona " | Loveria | Samidh Mukerjee | Bengali | |
| 2013 | "Nachlay Nachlay" | Hum Hai Raahi Car Ke | Sangeet-Siddharth | Hindi | |
| 2013 | "Hip Hop Pammi" | Ramaiya Vastavaiya | Sachin-Jigar Sandeep Shirodkar | Hindi | |
| 2013 | "Sawar Loon" | Lootera | Amit Trivedi | Hindi | |
| 2013 | "Ichhe Joto Uriye Debo" | Boss | Jeet Gannguli | Bengali | |
| 2013 | "Joto Dur Jabe Chhokh " | Hanuman.com | Indradeep Dasgupta | Bengali | |
| 2013 | "Muh Meetha Kara De" | Rabba Main Kya Karoon | Salim-Sulaiman | Hindi | |
| 2013 | "I Don't Luv U" | I Don't Luv U | Aman Benson & Amit Kasaria | Hindi | |
| 2013 | "Laila" | Nasha | Sangeet-Siddharth | Hindi | |
| 2013 | "Raghupati Raghav" | Krrish 3 | Rajesh Roshan | Hindi | |
| 2013 | "Yaro Yaro" | Madha Yaanai Koottam | N. R. Raghunanthan | Tamil | |
| 2014 | "Tune Maari Entriyaan" | Gunday | Sohail Sen | Hindi | |
| 2014 | "Tune Maari Entriyaan" | Gunday | Sohail Sen | Bengali | |
| 2014 | "Love Me Thoda" | Yaariyan | Anupam Amod | Hindi | |
| 2014 | "He Naropishach" | Arundhati | Jeet Gannguli Saluri Koteswara Rao | Bengali | |
| 2014 | "Ei Bhalo Ei Kharap" | Golpo Holeo Shotti | Indradeep Dasgupta | Bengali | |
| 2014 | "Sweety" | Bobby Jasoos | Shantanu Moitra | Hindi | |
| 2014 | "Aa Ghar Chalein Hum" | Lakshmi | Hindi | ||
| 2014 | "Karle Pyaar Karle" | Karle Pyaar Karle | Meet Bros Anjjan | Hindi | |
| 2015 | "Turram Khan" | Hawaizaada | Rochak Kohli | Hindi | |
| 2015 | "Ure Geche" | "Parbona Ami Chartey Tokey" | Indradeep Dasgupta | Bengali | |
| 2015 | "Tumi Ashe Paashe" | "Parbona Ami Chartey Tokey" | Indradeep Dasgupta | Bengali | |
| 2015 | "Kono Ek Nilchee Pari" | Black | Daboo | Bengali | |
| 2015 | "Moh Moh ke Dhaage" | Dum Laga Ke Haisha | Anu Malik | Hindi | |
| 2015 | "Dhol Baaje" | Ek Paheli Leela | Meet Bros Anjjan | Hindi | |
| 2016 | "Dil Ye Ladaku" | Saala Khadoos | Santhosh Narayanan | Hindi | |
| 2016 | "Cham Cham" | Baaghi | Meet Bros | Hindi | |
| 2016 | "Chappan Taal" | Yea Toh Two Much Ho Gayaa | Abhisekh Majumder | Hindi | |
| 2016 | "Dhanak" | Dhanak | Tapas Relia | Hindi | |
| 2016 | "Laila Majnu" | Awesome Mausam | Javed Ali | Hindi | |
| 2016 | "Saazish" | Mumbai 125 KM | Mani Sharma | Hindi | |
| 2016 | "Chakum Chukum" | Power | Jeet Gannguli | Bengali | |
| 2017 | "Badri Ki Dulhania" | Badrinath Ki Dulhania | Tanishk Bagchi | Hindi | |
| 2017 | "Khol De Baahein" | Meri Pyaari Bindu | Sachin–Jigar | Hindi | |
| 2017 | "Miliyo Re" | Monsoon Shootout | Rochak Kohli | Hindi | |
| 2017 | "Yeh Awaaz Hai" | Indu Sarkar | Anu Malik | Hindi | |
| 2017 | "On Top of the World" | Shell #makethefuture campaign | Global music artists - Jennifer Hudson, Pixie Lott, Luan Santana, Yemi Alade and Monali Thakur | English | |
| 2017 | "Soojiga Nanava" | Vardhana | Methews Manu | Kannada | |
| 2017 | "Jio Pagla" | Jio Pagla | Jeet Gannguli | Bengali | |
| 2017 | "Hawai Hawai" | Jio Pagla | Jeet Gannguli | Bengali | |
| 2018 | "Yeh Dil Jo Hai Badmaash Hai" | Phir Se | Jeet Gannguli | Hindi | |
| 2018 | "Ei Mon" | Jole Jongole | Jeet Gannguli | Bengali | |
| 2018 | "Tara Khoshe Pore" | Ghare & Baire | Anupam Roy | Bengali | |
| 2018 | "Im in Love" | Ami Neta Hobo | Ahamed Humaun | Bengali | |
| 2018 | "Chal" | October | Shantanu Moitra | Hindi | |
| 2018 | "Tere Jaisa Tu Hai" | Fanney Khan | Amit Trivedi | Hindi | |
| 2018 | "Fu Bai Fu" | Fanney Khan | Amit Trivedi | Hindi | |
| 2018 | "Monobina" | Gold | Tanishk Bagchi | Hindi | |
| 2018 | "Naalum Naalum" | 60 Vayadu Maaniram | Ilaiyaraaja | Tamil | |
| 2019 | "Bolo Na Radhika" | Shahjahan Regency | Prasen | Bengali | |
| 2019 | "Zilla Hilela" | Jabariya Jodi | Tanishk Bagchi | Hindi | |
| 2019 | "Naya Jahan" | Alaadin | Alan Menken | Hindi | |
| 2019 | "Speechless part 1" | Alaadin | Alan Menken | Hindi | |
| 2019 | "Speechless part 2 " | Alaadin | Alan Menken | Hindi | |
| 2019 | "Ho Jaa Awara" | Pal Pal Dil Ke Paas | Tanishk Bagchi | Hindi | |
| 2020 | "Jhilmil Piya" | Shakuntala Devi | Sachin-Jigar | Hindi |
Non-Film Songs
| Title | Year | Co-Singer | Composer | Notes | - |
| Woh Pehli Bar | 2006 | Antara Mitra, Amey Date, N.C. Karunya, Meenal Jain, Neha Kakkar, Sagar Sawarkar, Sandeep Acharya, Panna Gill, Ravi Tripathi | Indian Idol Season 2 Theme song | - | |
| "Ekhane Aakash Neel" Title Track | 2008 | Solo | Jeet Gannguli | Bangla Serial | - |
| "Ye Mera India Anthem" | 2013 | Shaan | Lesle Lewis | - | |
| "Ye Mera India Anthem" | 2015 | Neeti Mohan, Salim Merchant | Salim-Sulaiman | - | |
| "Googly Woogly Wooksh" | 2015 | Jeet Gannguli | Jeet Gannguli | Comercial Ad | - |
| "Googly Woogly Wooksh Reloaded" | 2016 | Armaan Malik | Jeet Gannguli | Comercial Ad | - |
| "Naamkarann Title Track" | 2016 | Solo | Anu Malik | Hindi Serial | - |
| "Sakhya Re Title Track" | 2017 | Solo | Pankaj Padghan | Marathi Serial | - |
| "P.C Chandra Jewellery Theme Song" | 2017 | Solo | Anupam Roy | Comercial Ad | - |
| "Tamanna" | 2018 | Producer-Bert Eliot, Written by -Amitabh Bhattacharya | Monali Thakur | YouTube | - |
| "Shy Mora Saiyaan" | 2018 | Piyush Mehroliyaa | Meet Bros | Mb Music | - |
| "O Re Naseeba" | 2019 | Solo | Sanjeev-Ajay | Eros Now | - |
| "Jalsa 10e 10" | 2019 | Solo | Jeet Ganguly | - | |
| "Sufiyana Pyaar Mera Title Track" | 2019 | Javed Ali, Shabab Sabri | Wajid Khan | - | |
| "Kare Naina" | 2019 | Ishq Bector | Ishq Bector | POP | - |
| "Pani pani re" | 2019 | Solo | Vishal Bharadwaj | Sony Music | - |
| "Saach Bharat anthem" | 2019 | Kailash Kher | Saach Bharat Mission | - | |
| "Dugga elo" | 2019 | Solo | Guddu | Zee Music Company | - |
| "Guzaar Jayega" | 2020 | Various | Unknown | A Initiative by Indian Artists- Project of Hope | - |
| "Dil Ka Fitoor" | 2020 | Solo | Kaushik-Guddu | YouTube |
Filmography
| Year | Film / Reality Show / Television | Role | Notes |
| 2007 | Krishnakanter Will | Bhramar | Bengali film |
| 2009-2011 | Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Bangla | Judge | With Sadhna Sargam, Shantanu Moitra, Babul Supriyo, Kumar Sanu, Haimanti Sukla Zee Bangla |
| 2012 | Coke Studio | Herself | 2 songs |
| 2014 | Lakshmi | Lakshmi | Hindi film |
| 2014 | Mango | Herself | Post-production |
| 2014 | Sa Re Ga Ma Pa L'il Champs 2014 | Judge | With Shaan, Alka Yagnik Zee Tv |
| 2014 | Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Bangla | Guest Judge | With Kumar Sanu, Alka Yagnik, Hariharan Zee Bangla |
| 2014 | PK | Kashmiri girl | Side role |
| 2015 | Debi | Lali | Bengali short film |
| 2015 | Sa Re Ga Ma Pa L'il Champs Grand Finale North America | Judge | With Ali Zafar Zee TV USA |
| 2016 | Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Sangeet er Sera Mancha | Judge | With Shantanu Moitra, Shubha Mudgal Zee Bangla |
| 2016 | Comedy Nights Live | Guest | Colors TV |
| 2017 | The Drama Company | Guest | Sony TV |
| 2017 | Secret Superstar | Herself | Hindi film |
| 2017 | Rising Star | Judge & Expert | With Shankar Mahadevan, Diljit Dosanjh Colors TV |
| 2017 | The Stage | Guest Judge | With Vishal Dadlani, Monica Dogra, Ehsaan Noorani Colors Infinity |
| 2018 | MTV Unplugged | Herself | MTV |
| 2018 | Entertainment Ki Raat | Guest | With Shankar Mahadevan Colors TV |
| 2018 | Rising Star India | Judge & Expert | With Shankar Mahadevan, Diljit Dosanjh Colors TV |
| 2018 | Entertainment Ki Raat | Guest | with Udit Narayan Colors TV |
| 2018 | Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Sangeet er Sera Mancha | Judge | With Shantanu Moitra, Srikanto Acharya Zee Bangla |
| 2018 | Comedy Circus | Guest | Sony TV |
| 2019 | Gata Rahe Mera Dil | Guest | Aaj Tak |
| 2019 | MTV Youth | Judge | MTV |
| 2020 | Super Singer'' | Judge | Star Jalsa |