Dhee

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. She is best known for her collaborations with her stepfather, Santhosh Narayanan, and her distinctive alto voice. She won the Filmfare Award for Best Singer for "Kaattu Payale", from the 2020 film Soorarai Pottru.

Early life and career Dhee was born on 26 June 1998 to a Sri Lankan Tamil father, Venkadesan, and an Indian Tamil mother, Meenakshi Iyer, who is a Carnatic musician. She is the step daughter of Indian music composer Santhosh Narayanan.

Dhee received critical acclaim for her work in Sudha Kongara's sports drama film, Irudhi Suttru (2016). 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". 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". 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. 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.

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. 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. Produced by Narayanan, it is the first song to be released under Maajja. 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. In August 2022, Dhee responded to the controversy by asserting her record of crediting Arivu, and Narayanan, "every chance [she] got", 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. She made her Malayalam language debut in 2024 with "Viduthal" in Darwin Kuriakose's Anweshippin Kandethum, with music by Narayanan.

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. 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.

In October 2025, she featured on singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran's EP, Play (The Remixes), alongside Narayanan and rapper Hanumankind.

Discography

Singles

As lead artist Title Year Peak chartpositions AlbumUKAsian "Enjoy Enjaami" 2021 5 "Can't You Stay a Little Longer" 2024 "I Wear My Roots Like a Medal" 2024 "Ancient Seed" 2026 Conscious Planet EP

As playback singer + Year Song title Film Music director Notes / Language 2013 "Disco Woman" Pizza II: Villa Santhosh Narayanan 2014 "Enda Mapla" Cuckoo "Naan Nee" Madras co-artist Shakthisree GopalanNominated—Filmfare Award – TamilNominated—Vijay Award for Best Female Playback Singer2016 "Ey Sandakaara" Irudhi Suttru Nominated—SIIMA Award "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 2019 "Vaanil Irul" Nerkonda Paarvai "Idharkuthaan" Bigil A. R. Rahman 2020 "Yedho Maayam" Dagaalty Vijay Narain Lyrics by Subu "Manamengum Maaya Oonjal" Gypsy Santhosh Narayanan "Kaattu Payale" Soorarai Pottru G. V. Prakash Kumar "Kaatuka Kanule" Aakasam Nee Haddu Raa Telugu version "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 Telugu "Thenkizhakku" Vaazhai Santhosh Narayanan Tamil "Yennai Izhukkuthadi" Kadhalikka Neramillai A. R. Rahman Tamil "Nain Matakka" Baby John Thaman S Hindi 2025 "Muththa Mazhai" Thug Life A. R. Rahman Tamil 2026 "Adi Alaye" Parasakthi G. V. Prakash Kumar Tamil "Singaaraala Seethaakoka" Telugu