From Struggles to Glory.. Vaikom Vijayalakshmi Honoured with National Award

Singer Vaikom Vijayalakshmi, who has carved a special place for herself in Indian cinema with her distinctive voice, received the Best Female Playback Singer award at the 72nd National Film Awards for ‘Angu Vaana Konilu’ from the Malayalam film ‘ARM’. President Droupadi Murmu presented the honour to her at the ceremony held in Ekta Nagar, Gujarat, on September 22. It was Vijayalakshmi’s first National Award.

Born with a visual impairment, Vijayalakshmi developed a passion for music at a very young age and went on to sing in Malayalam and several other Indian languages. She travelled to the US in 2019 for vision-related treatment, but the treatment could not continue. She has also spoken about difficulties in her personal life and emphasised that decisions concerning her life were ultimately her own.