Vani Jairam, born Kalaivani on November 30, 1945, in Vellore, Tamil Nadu, was an Indian playback singer. Born to a classically trained musician family, Vani Jairam's first public performance was at All India Radio, Madras, at the age of eight. She later received formal Carnatic training under the guidance of Kadalur Srinivas Iyengar, T. R. Balasubramanian, and R. S. Mani. Her breakthrough came in 1971 when she started her career as a playback singer. She recorded her first Tamil song for the film Thayum Seiyum in 1973 and gained significant recognition with "Malligai En Mannan Mayangum" from Dheerga Sumangali. Her career spanned over five decades, during which she sang in multiple Indian languages. She won the National Film Award for Best Female Playback Singer three times (1975, 1980, 1991) and received the South Indian Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award in 2012. Vani Jairam passed away on February 4, 2023.
