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Dhee (singer)

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Dhee
Birth nameDheekshitha Venkadeshan
Born (1998-06-26) 26 June 1998 (age 26)
Jaffna, Sri Lanka
OriginSydney, Australia
GenresPop
Occupations
InstrumentVocals
Years active2012–present
LabelsMaajja

Dheekshitha Venkadeshan (born 26 June 1998), known professionally as Dhee, is an Australian singer known for her work as a playback singer in Indian cinema.[1][2][3] Born in Jaffna to Tamil parents, she was raised in Sydney. She is best known for her collaborations with her stepfather, Santhosh Narayanan, and her distinctive alto voice.[4][5] She won the Filmfare Award for Best Singer for “Kaattu Payale”, from the 2020 film Soorarai Pottru.[6]

Early life and career

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Dhee was born on 26 June 1998 in Jaffna, Sri Lanka[citation needed] to a Sri Lankan Tamil father, Venkadesan, and an Indian Tamil mother, Meenakshi Iyer, who is a Carnatic musician.[7][8] She was raised and went to school in Sydney, Australia, where her mother was based.[9][3][10] She has an elder brother, Sudheekshanan, and is the stepdaughter of Indian music composer Santhosh Narayanan.[5] Dhee began her playback singing career by performing songs in two of Narayanan's albums, Pizza II: Villa (2013) and Cuckoo (2014), during breaks from her education.

After settling in Chennai, Dhee made her breakthrough by singing "Naan Nee" on Narayanan's album, alongside Shakthisree Gopalan, for Pa. Ranjith's Madras (2014). The pair garnered nominations for Best Female Singer for their performance at the Filmfare Awards and Vijay Awards.[11]

Dhee received critical acclaim for her work in Sudha Kongara's sports drama film, Irudhi Suttru (2016).[8] As the lead singer for Ritika Singh's North Madras-based boxer character in the film, Dhee recorded two solo songs titled "Ey Sandakaara" and "Usuru Narumbuley".[12] Behindwoods.com stated that the first song was "another classic Santhosh [Narayanan] number that gets your attention in no time", while noting, of the latter, that the "pathos song by Dhee is a revelation of sorts".[13][14][15] In 2017, Dhee made her debut in Telugu cinema with songs from Kongara's Guru, a remake of the director's own Irudhi Suttru.

Dhee continued working with Narayanan in critically acclaimed albums for films such as Kaala (2018) and Vada Chennai (2018), before collaborating with Yuvan Shankar Raja for the song "Rowdy Baby" in Maari 2 (2018). Singing alongside actor Dhanush, the song garnered viral popularity soon after its release.[16] The track has since gained more than 1.5 billion views on YouTube, making it the highest viewed Tamil music video and one of the most-viewed Indian videos of all time.[17] In 2020, Dhee won her first Filmfare Award for Best Female Singer for the song "Kaattu Payale" in the Kongara film Soorarai Pottru (2020), working with composer G.V. Prakash Kumar.

Dhee made her debut in independent Tamil pop under the A.R. Rahman-helmed label, maajja, with "Enjoy Enjaami", featuring Arivu (from The Casteless Collective), on 7 March 2021.[18] The track's production, influenced by Tamil Nadu's Oppari style, and its anti-oppression lyrical sentiment made the song an immediate success, with the music video gaining over 50 million views within weeks of its premiere on YouTube.[19] Produced by Narayanan, it is the first song to be released under maajja.[20][21] The success of "Enjoy Enjaami" soon became fraught with controversy about Arivu's perceived sidelining in the song's marketing in favour of Dhee and Narayanan. These debates largely revolved around his status as a 'featured' artist, and were spurred on by his absences from the covers of a Spotify remix by DJ Snake and the August 2021 issue of Rolling Stone India.[22][23] In August 2022, Dhee responded to the controversy by asserting her record of crediting Arivu, and Narayanan, "every chance [she] got",[24] while Arivu has maintained that the song was written and composed entirely by him.

In the years that followed, Dhee returned to Tamil cinema through musical collaborations with Narayanan and G.V. Prakash Kumar. She worked for the first time with composer Anirudh Ravichander on "Jujubee" for the 2023 hit Jailer, directed by Nelson and starring Ravichander's uncle, Rajinikanth.[25] She made her Malayalam language debut in 2024 with "Viduthal" in Darwin Kuriakose's Anweshippin Kandethum, with music by Narayanan.[26]

During the 2021 promotions for "Enjoy Enjaami", it was announced that Dhee's debut studio album would be produced by maajja, marking her first English-language release since debuting in the Indian music industry.[27] Dhee's first English language single, "I Wear My Roots Like a Medal", was released in October 2024 without involvement from maajja. It was composed, written and performed by Dhee, and co-produced with Narayanan and Aditya Ravindran.[28]

Discography

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Singles

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As lead artist

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Title Year Peak chart
positions 		Album
UK
Asian
[29]
"Enjoy Enjaami"
(feat. Arivu, produced by Santhosh Narayanan) 		2021 5 Non-album single

As playback singer

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Year Song title Film Music Director Notes
2013 "Disco Woman" Pizza II: Villa Santhosh Narayanan
2014 "Enda Mapla" Cuckoo
"Naan Nee" Madras co-artist Shakthisree Gopalan

Nominated—Filmfare Award for Best Tamil Female Playback Singer
Nominated—Vijay Award for Best Female Playback Singer

2016 "Ey Sandakaara" Irudhi Suttru Nominated—SIIMA Award for Best Female Playback Singer
"Usuru Narumbeley"
"Thoondil Meen" Kabali
"Dushta" Iraivi
2017 "Oo Sakkanoda" Guru Telugu
"Gundelothulalo"
"Rathina Katti" Meyaadha Maan
2018 "Kannamma Kannamma" Kaala
"Maadila Nikkura Maanutty" Vada Chennai
"Rowdy Baby" Maari 2 Yuvan Shankar Raja Nominated - Filmfare Award South for Best Female Playback Singer

Won - SIIMA Award for Best Female Playback Singer

2019 "Vaanil Irul" Nerkonda Paarvai
"Idharkuthaan" Bigil A. R. Rahman
2020 "Yedho Maayam" Dagaalty Vijay Narain
"Manamengum Maaya Oonjal" Gypsy Santhosh Narayanan
"Kaattu Payale" Soorarai Pottru G. V. Prakash Kumar Won - SIIMA Award for Best Female Playback Singer

Won - Filmfare Award South for Best Female Playback Singer

"Kaatuka Kanule" Aakasam Nee Haddu Raa Telugu
"Rakita Rakita Rakita" Jagame Thandhiram Santhosh Narayanan
2021 "Uttradheenga Yeppov" Karnan
2022 "Anbarey" Gulu Gulu
2023 "Chamkeela Angeelesi" Dasara Telugu
"Mainaru Vetti Katti" Tamil version
"Jujubee" Jailer Anirudh Ravichander
"Maamadura" Jigarthanda DoubleX Santhosh Narayanan
2024 "Kombari Vettapuli" Captain Miller G. V. Prakash Kumar
"Viduthal" Anweshippin Kandethum Santhosh Narayanan Malayalam
"Ta Takkara" Kalki 2898 AD Santhosh Narayanan Telugu

References

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  1. ^ Laisram, Romal. "22-year-old singer Dhee's first single, Enjoy Enjaami, crosses a 100M views!". Indulge Express. The New Indian Express. Retrieved 14 April 2021.
  2. ^ Sarwal, Amit (18 March 2021). "Tamil-Australian singer's tribute to the dispossessed tea plantation labourers". The Australia Today.
  3. ^ a b Tagat, Anurag (21 August 2021). "COVER STORY: Back to the Roots". Rolling Stone.
  4. ^ R, Balajee C. (14 March 2016). "Dhee' one to watch out for!". www.deccanchronicle.com. Retrieved 12 October 2024.
  5. ^ a b Laisram, Ronal (10 April 2021). "Cuckoo, cuckoo! A voice of her own". The New Indian Express.
  6. ^ "Suriya's Soorarai Pottru and Allu Arjun starrer Pushpa win big at Filmfare Awards South 2022, check out complete winners list". The Indian Express. 10 October 2022. Retrieved 12 October 2024.
  7. ^ "Meet Meenakshi Santhosh Narayanan". SBS (Australia). Retrieved 20 January 2024.
  8. ^ a b Balaji, CR (14 March 2016). "'Dhee' one to watch out for". Deccan Chronicle.
  9. ^ Lohani Mehtani, Hansika (7 February 2022). "Dhee". Platform.
  10. ^ Das, Ria (23 August 2021). "All You Should Know About Dhee". SheThePeople.
  11. ^ "Nominations for the 62nd Britannia Filmfare Awards (South)". Filmfare.com. 3 June 2015. Retrieved 19 May 2016.
  12. ^ "Irudhi Suttru Songs Review". Only Kollywood. 5 January 2016. Retrieved 19 May 2016.
  13. ^ "Irudhi Suttru (aka) Iruthi Suttru songs review". Behindwoods.com. 4 January 2016. Retrieved 19 May 2016.
  14. ^ "Irudhi Suttru- A sparkling album!". Sify. Archived from the original on 5 January 2016. Retrieved 19 May 2016.
  15. ^ "Irudhi Suttru Music Review". Top10 Cinema. 4 January 2016. Archived from the original on 7 January 2016. Retrieved 19 May 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  16. ^ Reporter, Staff (13 February 2019). "'Rowdy Baby' notches up 200 million YouTube views". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 12 October 2024.
  17. ^ "Rowdy Baby Becomes The First South Indian Song To Set This Record!". www.vcinema.com. Retrieved 25 September 2023.
  18. ^ Kumar, Pradeep (15 March 2021). "Enjoy Enjaami's Dhee: The 'Goli Soda akka' who now dares to dream". The Hindu.
  19. ^ Gupta, Nidhi (26 March 2021). "Enjoyed "Enjoy Enjaami"? You'll love what the musicians of maajja are cooking up next". GQIndia.
  20. ^ Muralidharan, Kavitha (18 March 2021). "Listen between the lines". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 10 April 2021.
  21. ^ Kumar, Pradeep (9 March 2021). "Enjoy Enjaami's Dhee: The 'Goli Soda akka' who now dares to dream". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 10 April 2021.
  22. ^ Desk, South First (9 August 2024). "Dhee back in spotlight with her latest single, 'I Wear My Roots Like a Medal'". The South First. Retrieved 12 October 2024. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  23. ^ Bureau, The Hindu (2 August 2022). "The 'Enjoy Enjaami' controversy explained". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 12 October 2024. {{cite news}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  24. ^ Staff, T. N. M. (2 August 2022). "'Always credited Arivu': Dhee on Enjoy Enjaami controversy". The News Minute. Retrieved 12 October 2024.
  25. ^ "Watch 'Jailer's third single 'Jujubee' now; a mass song!". The Times of India. 26 July 2023. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 12 October 2024.
  26. ^ "Singer Dhee amazes with her debut Malayalam track 'Viduthal', calls it special". English.Mathrubhumi. 5 February 2024. Retrieved 12 October 2024.
  27. ^ "22-year-old singer Dhee's first single, Enjoy Enjaami, crosses a 100M views! Find out more..." www.indulgexpress.com. Retrieved 10 April 2021.
  28. ^ Bureau, The Hindu (8 August 2024). "Dhee returns to her roots in her latest single 'I Wear My Roots Like a Medal'". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 12 October 2024. {{cite news}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  29. ^ Singles on UK Asian Music Chart:
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