Vaikom Vijayalakshmi’s Inspiring Journey to National Honour

Singer Vaikom Vijayalakshmi, known for her distinctive voice across Indian film music, has received the 72nd National Film Award for Best Female Playback Singer for ‘Angu Vaana Konilu’ from the Malayalam film ARM. The award marks her first National Film Award and adds another milestone to a career that began with her deep interest in music at a young age. She has sung in several Indian languages and previously gained recognition with songs such as ‘Kaatte Kaatte’.

Vijayalakshmi has previously spoken about the challenges she faced because of her visual impairment, including insensitive questions and attempts to exclude her from everyday experiences. She also travelled to the US in 2019 seeking treatment for her vision, but the process was disrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic. She has spoken about ending her marriage after facing restrictions related to her music and stressed that the decision was her own. She has said the message of her award-winning song about overcoming barriers gives her strength.