A R Rahman
For someone who joined legendary music composer Illayaraja’s troupe at the age of 11 and then went on to conquer the world with his music, the title of ‘Mozart of Madras’ speaks very little. A R Rahman has revolutionised Indian film music over the last two decades. From Roja to Rockstar, his musical genius has enthralled audiences, making him one of the highest-selling record artists of all time. Rahman’s next project is Kadal, a Tamil film directed by Mani Ratnam

Shreya Ghoshal
Music writers have hailed Shreya Ghoshal as the ‘Queen Bee of Playback’ and the legendary Lata Mangeshkar has found her the closest to her own voice. Her work in Bengali and Marathi cinema and that down South has received nationwide recognition and fetched her National Awards. In the coming years, she wishes to cut more non-film albums, especially ghazals and thumris

Sonu Nigam
Nigam’s tremendous range and versatility made him a delight for music composers and he ended up singing in nearly 15 languages. But of late, he’s cut down on playback and shifted focus to live concerts all across the world. Last year, his track Abhi Mujh Mein Kahin from Agneepath topped the music charts and continues to move audiences

Pritam
Prolific, consistent and in tune with the musical tastes of the youth, he’s dished out one chartbuster after the other. Though he’s often been criticised for copying tunes, his undeterred success has established him as one of Bollywood’s leading music composers. Last year, his music for Barfi! was hugely appreciated as it saw him break out of his comfort zone and create an old-world melody

Sunidhi Chauhan
Sunidhi Chauhan broke through the clutter with her bold, husky voice and went on to establish herself as one of the most powerful singers in Bollywood. A live performer par excellence, she’s often touted as the ‘Queen of Item Numbers’, with mass favourites like Beedi Jalai Le and Sheila Ki Jawani to her credit