{{Short description|Indian singer (1934 – 2018)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=October 2018}} {{Use Indian English|date=October 2018}} {{Infobox person | name = Radha Viswanathan | image = | alt = | caption = | birth_name = Radha Sadasivam | birth_date = {{birth date|1934|12|11|df=y}} | birth_place = Gobichettypalayam, British India | death_date = {{death date and age|2018|1|2|1934|8|18|df=y}} | death_place = Bengaluru, Karnataka | other_names = | known_for = | occupation = Carnatic vocalist | years_active = 1940–2018 | spouse = Guruswamy Viswanathan | children = 3 | parents = Kalki Sadasivam (father)<br/> Apithakuchambal (mother) M. S. Subbulakshmi (stepmother) }}
'''Radha Viswanathan''' (11 December 1934 – 2 January 2018) was an Indian carnatic vocalist and classical dancer. She was the daughter of freedom fighter and journalist Kalki Sadasivam and stepdaughter of highly acclaimed Carnatic vocalist M. S. Subbulakshmi.<ref>{{cite news |title=Carnatic vocalist Radha Vishwanathan – daughter of M S Subbulakshmi – passes away |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/lifestyle/art-and-culture/carnatic-vocalist-radha-vishwanathan-daughter-of-m-s-subbulakshmi-passes-away-5009999/ |access-date=2018-01-03 |work=Indian Express |agency=PTI |date=2023-05-20}}</ref>
== Early life and career == Born on 11 December 1934 in Gobichettypalayam, Tamil Nadu,<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.thehindu.com/features/friday-review/a-daughter-remembers/article6936821.ece|title=A daughter remembers…|first=Ranjani|last=Govind|date=26 February 2015|access-date=10 October 2018|newspaper=The Hindu}}</ref> she was the eldest daughter of Thiagarajan Sadasivam and his first wife, Apithakuchambal. After the death of his first wife Apithakuchambal, her father married M. S. Subbulakshmi, who brought her up.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.culturalindia.net/indian-music/classical-singers/m-s-subbulakshmi.html | title=M. S. Subbulakshmi Biography - Childhood, Family, Life History & Contribution to Music | access-date=27 November 2021 | archive-date=11 March 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230311052716/https://www.culturalindia.net/indian-music/classical-singers/m-s-subbulakshmi.html | url-status=dead }}</ref>
Radha accompanied her mother Subbulakshmi on stage since the age of five.<ref>{{cite book|last=Sarada|first=S.|title=Kalakshetra-Rukmini Devi|year=1985|publisher=Kala Mandir Trust|pages=56}}</ref> She learned Bharatanatyam, making her arangetram (debut) in 1945.<ref>{{cite book|title=Drama review (Vol. 41)|year=1997|publisher=MIT Press|page=79}}</ref> At the age of 21, Radha gave up dancing to concentrate exclusively on singing. She learnt Kritis and was also trained in Hindustani classical music.
She made her film debut portraying as Bharata in Shakunthala at the age of six.<ref>{{cite news|last=Guy|first=Randor|title=Full of technical innovations|url=http://www.hindu.com/fr/2004/12/17/stories/2004121700410500.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050119050842/http://www.hindu.com/fr/2004/12/17/stories/2004121700410500.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=19 January 2005|access-date=26 July 2011|newspaper=The Hindu|date=17 December 2004}}</ref>
== Personal life == Radha married Guruswamy Viswanathan and had two sons and a daughter.
In April 1982, Radha fell critically ill with tuberculosis meningitis and slipped into coma for three months.
===Death=== At the age of 83, Radha died in Bangalore in January 2018 due to breathing related complications.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Govind|first1=Ranjani|title=Radha Vishwanathan, daughter of M.S. Subbulakshmi, dies at 83|url=http://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/music/radha-vishwanathan-daughter-of-ms-subbulakshmi-dead-at-83/article22357741.ece|access-date=4 January 2018|work=The Hindu|date=3 January 2018}}</ref>
== References == {{reflist}} {{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Viswanathan, Radha}} Category:1934 births Category:2018 deaths Category:Women Carnatic singers Category:Carnatic singers Category:Indian women classical singers Category:People from Gobichettipalayam Category:20th-century Indian women singers Category:21st-century Indian women singers Category:Women musicians from Tamil Nadu