✦ Celebrity stories, facts and career updates. Explore F4U now →

Home › Biography › M. M. Keeravani

M. M. Keeravani biographyFeatured Biography

Image source: StarsUnfolded

Celebrities

M. M. Keeravani Biography: Age, Career, Family and More

F4U Editorial Desk • Updated September 29, 2026 • 6 min read

Quick Info

Date of birth4 July 1961

Age64 Years

BirthplaceKovvur, Andhra Pradesh, India

ProfessionFilm composer, Playback Singer, Lyricist

NationalityIndian

Marital statusMarried

SpouseM. M. Srivalli

FamilyChildren - Kaala Bhairava (son), Sri Simha (son); Father - Koduri Siva Shakthi Datta; Mother - Bhanumathi; Brother - Kalyani Malik; Cousin - S. S. Rajamouli

M. M. Keeravani Biography

Indian film composer, playback singer and lyricist M. M. Keeravani has been a leading musical voice in Telugu cinema and beyond for decades. Known for his

Early life and background
Koduri Marakathamani Keeravani was born on 4 July 1961 in Kovvur, Andhra Pradesh. Named after the Carnatic raga Keeravani, he grew up in a family that later moved to Madras (now Chennai) when his father pursued work in films. His father, Koduri Siva Shakthi Datta, practised painting, wrote lyrics and worked as a screenwriter; his mother was Bhanumathi.

Keeravani’s introduction to music came very early. He began violin lessons at around age four and trained in both Carnatic and Hindustani styles. As a child and teenager he performed with local bands and developed a broad interest in songs from radio and film music, which shaped his musical tastes and ambitions.

Career
Keeravani built his craft through apprenticeship and steady work in the late 1980s. He worked as an assistant to established composers, including K. Chakravarthy and C. Rajamani, and collaborated with lyricist Veturi. Those formative years included contributions to Telugu films such as Collector Gari Abbai and Bharatamlo Arjunudu.

His first break as an independent composer came around 1990. Although an early project, Kalki, did not release, the director T. S. B. K. Moulee’s Manasu Mamatha (1990) brought him recognition. Success followed quickly: his music for Ram Gopal Varma’s Kshana Kshanam (1991) became widely popular and earned him his first Filmfare Award (South). Throughout the 1990s Keeravani composed scores and songs for numerous successful Telugu films, including Seetharamaiah Gari Manavaralu, Gharana Mogudu, Sundarakanda, Allari Mogudu, Aapadbandhavudu, Matru Devo Bhava, Major Chandrakanth, Pelli Sandadi and Pavitra Bandham.

His devotional score for Annamayya (1997) won the National Film Award for Best Music Direction, and he also recorded as a playback singer on tracks such as Raalipoyye Poovva (Matru Devo Bhava, 1993).

Keeravani expanded into Hindi cinema with the bilingual action-thriller Criminal (1995), and over the following decades composed for several Bollywood films including Is Raat Ki Subah Nahin, Zakhm, Saaya, Jism, Sur, Rog, Dhokha and Special 26. He also delivered notable Telugu dance hits such as Chiraku Anuko from Simhadri (2003).

A long-standing creative partnership with director S. S. Rajamouli—his cousin—has been a major throughline in Keeravani’s career. He composed music for all of Rajamouli’s films, including the Baahubali films, for which he wrote, sang and produced songs and background scores; his work on Baahubali brought multiple awards for music and playback singing. He also contributed lyrics to several songs in Baahubali 2: The Conclusion.

International recognition reached a peak with the 2022 Telugu epic RRR. The film’s high-energy song Naatu Naatu, composed by Keeravani, became a global highlight and earned him the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song in January 2023. That same period of acclaim included other honors such as an Academy Award (Best Original Song, 2023) and the Padma Shri in 2023. His career has collected numerous Filmfare (South), Nandi and SIIMA awards across decades.

Public profile
Keeravani is versatile in style, comfortable composing devotional numbers, dance tracks and tender melodies across languages including Telugu, Tamil, Hindi, Kannada and Malayalam. He has performed as a playback singer and also written lyrics. He has used several professional names depending on language markets: MM Keeravani in Telugu, Maragathamani in Tamil, and MM Kreem in Hindi.

He comes from a musically engaged family: his brother Kalyani Malik is a music director and singer, cousin M. M. Srilekha is a singer, and his cousin S. S. Rajamouli is a prominent film director. His sons include singer Kaala Bhairava and actor Sri Simha. Keeravani is married to M. M. Srivalli, who works as a line producer in films.

Keeravani has spoken about spiritual influences in his life and follows a range of philosophies; he is known to visit the temple of Sri Raghavendra Swamy in Mantralayam. He has said he enjoys many musical styles, with the exception that he is not fond of Qawwalis, and has expressed interest in composing for a Japanese film in the future.

Latest updates
In recognition of his work on RRR and the song Naatu Naatu, Keeravani received the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song on 10 January 2023. The success of RRR brought him renewed international attention and several awards in 2023, including the Padma Shri and accolades at SIIMA and the Academy Awards. His career continues to be celebrated for its range, language-spanning reach and longstanding collaboration with S. S. Rajamouli.
◈

Recent Work

RRR

Composer of the film’s soundtrack including the song Naatu Naatu, which won the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song (2023).

2022
Baahubali: The Beginning and Baahubali 2: The Conclusion

Composer, singer and lyricist for several songs and the background score across the films; earned multiple awards for music and playback singing.

2015
✦

Career Highlights

  1. Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song (2023) for Naatu Naatu
  2. Academy Award for Best Original Song (2023) for Naatu Naatu
  3. Padma Shri (2023)
  4. National Film Award for Best Music Direction (1997) for Annamayya
  5. Multiple Filmfare Awards South and Nandi Awards across his career
?

Frequently Asked Questions

When was M. M. Keeravani born?

4 July 1961

What is M. M. Keeravani known for?

Film composer, Playback Singer, Lyricist

What is M. M. Keeravani’s marital status?

Married

Who is M. M. Keeravani married to?

M. M. Srivalli