Vaikom Vijayalakshmi Age, Husband, Family, Biography

Bio/Wiki
Birth Name	Vijayalakshmi Muraleedharan
Full Name	Dr. Vaikom Vijayalakshmi
Profession	Indian Playback Singer
Known for	Winning her first Best Female Playback Singer award at the 72nd National Film Awards for the soulful lullaby "Angu Vaana Konilu" from the Malayalam fantasy-adventure film Ajayante Randam Moshanam (A.R.M.) (2024)
Physical Stats
Hair Colour	Light Brown
Career
Debut	Song: • Malayalam: Katte Katte in the film Celluloid (2013) • Tamil: Kodayila in the film Cuckoo (2014) • Telugu: Notlona Velu Pedithe in the film Meda Meeda Abbayi (2017) •Kannada: Kedi in the film Lambodara (2017)
Awards, Honours, Achievements	• Kerala State Film Awards (2012) in the category Special Mention for her song “Kaatte Kaatte” from the film Celluloid (2013) • Kerala State Film Awards (2013) in the category Best Singer for her song “Ottakku Padunna” from the film Nadan (2013) • Kerala Sangeetha Nataka Akademi Awards (2013) in the category Light Music • Filmfare Awards South (2014) in the category Best Female Playback Singer – Malayalam for her song “Ottakku Padunna” from the film Nadan (2013) • Mirchi Music Awards South (2014) in the category Upcoming Female Vocalist of the Year for her song “Ottakku Padunna” from the film Nadan (2013) • Jaycey Film Awards (2014) in the category Best Singer for her song “Ottakku Padunna” from the film Nadan (2013) • Eenam Swaralaya Awards (2014) in the category Song of the Year for her song “Ottakku Padunna” from the film Nadan (2013) • C.K.M.A Malayalam Film Awards (2014) in the category Best Female Singer • Asianet Film Awards (2015) in the category Best Playback Singer (Female) for her song “Kaikkoottum” from the film Oru Vadakkan Selfie (2015) • Vanitha Film Awards (2016) in the category Best Singer (Female) for her song “Kaikottum Kandittilla” from the film Oru Vadakkan Selfie (2015) • Kerala Sree Award (2022) for her contribution to the field of music and arts • Filmfare Awards South (2025) in the category Best Playback Singer – Female (Malayalam) for her song “Angu Vaana Konilu” from the film A.R.M (2024) • SIIMA Awards (2025) in the category Best Playback Singer – Female (Malayalam) for her song “Angu Vaana Konilu” from the film A.R.M (2024) • National Film Awards (2026) in the category Best Female Playback Singer for her song “Angu Vaana Konilu” from the film A.R.M (2024)
Personal Life
Date of Birth	7 October 1981 (Wednesday)
Age (as of 2026)	45 Years
Birthplace	Vaikom, Kottayam, Kerala, India
Zodiac sign	Libra
Nationality	Indian
Hometown	Vaikom, Kottayam, Kerala
Religion	Hinduism
Social Media	• Instagram • Facebook • Twitter
Relationships & More
Marital Status	Divorced
Marriage Date	22 October 2018
Family
Husband/Spouse	N. Anoop (Mimicry Artist) (m: 2018- d: 2021)
Parents	Father- V. Muraleedharan Mother- P. Vimala

Some Lesser Known Facts About Vaikom Vijayalakshmi

• Vaikom Vijayalakshmi was born on the day of Vijayadashami (Dusshera) in Vaikom, Kerala.

• She was born with a sever visual impairment. She is the only child of her parents.

• Vaikom Vijayalakshmi started singing when she was only one-and-a-half year old. In an interview her parents revealed that she could sing song from the film Sindhu Bhairavu (1985) even before she could speak properly.

• She spent her first five years in Chennai, where her father worked in the electronic business. After the family moved to Vaikom, she learned many songs by listening repeatedly to cassettes and the radio.

• In an interview, Vijayalakshmi shared that for her practice her father woke her up early at 3 a.m. every morning for music practice. She added that both her parents had an interest in singing, which helped create a musical environment at home.

• Before turning six, she gave one of her earliest public performances at Udayanapuram Chathankudi Devi Temple, near Vaikom in the Kottayam district of Kerala.

• During the performance, she met and sang with K. J. Yesudas, who she later described as her maanasa guru.
  

  Vaikom Vijayalakshmi, while performing with K. J. Yesudas

• Instead of sending her to a special school because of her visual impairment, her parents initially taught her at home. She later studied with other students and completed her education up to graduation.

• At the age of 15, Vijayalakshmi started experimenting with single string veena. She initially experimented it with using a kitchen spoon and began producing musical notes, kritis and film songs.

• Later, she developed this experiment into a unique instrument that later became known as the Gayatri Veena. Her father made the electric version that she uses in performances. Unlike a conventional veena, it does not have normal frets or swarasthanas,; she produces the notes from memory and touch.

• In 2000, Violin maestro Kunnakkudi Vaidyanathan named the instrument “Gayatri Veena” after she performed it for him.
  

  Vaikom Vijayalakshmi, while playing Gayatri Veena on the stage

• In 2013, Vijayalakshmi entered Malayalam cinema as a playback singer with the song “Kaatte Kaatte” from Celluloid. The song brought her major recognition and earned her a Special mention at the Kerala State Film Awards.

• In the same year, she won the Kerala State Film Award for Best Singer for Ottakku Padunna from Nadan, that helped her in establishing her as a major playback singer in Malayalam cinema.

• In 2014, she received several recognitions for Ottakku Padunna from Nadan, including the Filmfare Award for Best Female Playback Singer – Malayalam, the Mirchi Music Award for Upcoming Female Vocalist of the Year, the Jaycey Film Award for Best Singer and the Eenam Swaralaya Award for Song of the Year.

• In December 2016, Vijayalakshmi got engaged to Bahrain-based technician Santhosh, but she suddenly called off her wedding because he asked her to stop performing on stage and in films.

• In 2017, she was honoured with an Honorary Doctorate (Doctor of Letters) by the International Tamil University for her contribution to music and her world record performance on the Gayatri Veena.
  

  Vaikom Vijayalakshmi (middle) with her parents when she was honoured with an Honorary Doctorate (Doctor of Letters) by the International Tamil University

• In 2018, Vijayalakshmi re-married to N. Anoop, a mimicry artist, at tha Vaikon Sree Mahadev Temple; however, the marriage later ended in divorce in 2021.

• In 2022, the Government of Kerala honoured her with the Kerala Sree Award, one of the state’s highest civilian honours for her contribution to the arts.

• In 2024, Vijayalakshmi sang “Angu Vaana Konilu” for the Malayalam film Ajayante Ramdon Moshanam (A.R.M.). The song later became one of the most important award-winning performances of her career.

• She continued to perform with the Gayatri Veena. In an interview, she shared that she wanted to keep the unique instrument alive for future generations and hoped that other musicians would learn to play it and carry forward its tradition, so that the instrument would not disappear after her career.

• In 2025, Vijayalakshmi won the Filmfare Award – Malayalam and the SIIMA Award for the Best Playback Singer – Female for the song “Angu Vaana Konilu” from A.R.M.

• In September 2026, she came into news for winning her first National Film Award for Best Female Playback Singer for “Angu Vaana Konilu” at the 72 National Film Awards.

• She formally received the National Award from President Droupadi Murmu on 22 September 2026 at the awards ceremony in Ekta Nagar, Gujarat.
  

  Vaikom Vijayalakshmi, while receiving National Award from President Droupadi Murmu at the awards ceremony in Ekta Nagar, Gujarat

• In an interview, she shared that along with Gayatri Veena she can also play several other instruments, including the mridangam, tabla, and keyboard. She added that she always carries a small kazoo with her.

• Vaikom Vijayalakshmi has a unique way of communication with people close to her. She uses “meow” as a playful communication code while talking to them. She shared that even veteran singer, K.J. Yesudas uses this “meow” code when communication with her.