Pallavi MD
singer, composer, actor, editor, sound designer and filmmaker
Training
A Bachelor's Degree in English, Journalism and Psychology
A Bachelor's Degree in Hindustani Classical from the Benares University
Trained under Pt. Ram Rao Naik and Raj Bhau Sontakke for Hindustani vocal
Trained under Mysore Ananthaswamy and Raju Ananthaswamy for Sugama Sangeetha
Trained for 'awareness in filmmaking' with Suchitra Film Institute and Gothemberg University (Sweden)
So Far
Has been performing Sugama Sangeetha on stage since 1995.
Shared the stage with acclaimed musicians like Late.Mysore Ananthaswamy, S.P.Balasubramanyam, Ganesh and Kumaresh, Jayanthi Kumaresh, Abhishek Raghuram, K.J. Jesudas, C.Ashwath, Amit Heri, Ranjit Barot, Keith Peters, Anoor Anantha Krishna Sharma, Taufiq Quereshi, , Bickram Ghosh, Amaan and Ayaan Ali Bangaash, Bombay Jayashree, Raju Ananthaswamy and Rajesh Vaidya.
Has given solo Hindustani performances and also has participated in jugalbandhi and dual recitals along with Vidushi Kanchana Sriranjini and Vidushi Manasi Prasad.
Has worked with renowned dancers like Padmini Ravi, Shobana Chandrakumar, Chitra Chandrashekar, Nirupama Rajendra and Madhu Natraj.
Has sung for films under music directors such as Late. Vijay Bhaskar, Mysore Ananthaswamy, C.Ashwath, Hamsalekha, V. Manohar, Gurukiran, Praveen Rao, Anoop Seelin, Manikanth Kadri, Mano Murthy, Praveen Dutt Stephen and Harikrishna.
Has scored music for a number of theatre productions such as Tughlaq, Moodha Idu Nambike, Miss Sevanthi, Mookabali, Swayamvaraloka, Maanishada, Lady of Burma, Boy with a Suitcase (along with Korarak Reddy and Coordt Linke), Muktidham (along with Abhijeet Tambe), #Supernova (along with Nikhil Nagaraj) and Tathagat (a street play by JANAM)
Has acted in plays – Translations, Hamlet, Chidambara Rahasya, Sankranti, Avasthe, Maanishaadha, Fire and Rain, Balidaana, My Fair Lady, Gaajina Gombegalu, Vakra, Good Woman of Schezuan, Picasso, Copenhagen, Swayamvaraloka, The Boy with a Suitcase, C sharp C Blunt, Muktidhaam and recently Taayavva.
Acted in the mega TV series ‘Mayamruga’.
Acted in the mega TV series ‘Garva’ and won the ‘Aryabhatta Best Actress’
Acted in the Indian English film Stumble (a film that won the National Award in the Best English Film category for the year 2003).
Acted in Girish Kasaravalli’s film- ‘Gulabi Talkies’ (a film that has won Osian's Cinefan Festival of Asian and Arab Cinema Award,
Karnataka State Film Award, 2007-08 and
the National Award)
Acted in Nandita’s film ‘Raju, edege bidda akshara’ ( a film that won the Karnataka State Award for Best Script)
Acted in tele-film ‘Madi’ written and directed by Sudhir Attanavar.
Has been an active backstage worker for all the plays of Abhinaya Taranga- a drama school founded by her grandfather A.S.Murthy.
Has participated in street plays.
Has shot and edited a short film ‘Just a bag’ with Sophia Boesch.
Has edited a music documentary (along with filmmaker Shamik Sen Gupta)
Has produced and edited the documentary ‘Bookshelves at 17000 feet’ (along with Shamik Sen Gupta.)
Has written, edited and directed the short film ‘Playgrounds’ along with Shamik Sen Gupta. (winner of Best film award at IFVA, Hongkong and the Grand Jury Award at IFFLA, Los Angeles)
COLLABORATIONS
A collaboration for the project 'Relax Your Mind' with German string Quartet - quartettPLUS1
A successful theatre collaboration 'Boy With a Suitcase' with Shnawwl Theatre (Mannheim, Germany)
A musical collaboration 'Bangalore Whispers' with Andi Otto (Hamburg, Germany)
A dance-theatre collaboration 'Motherland' with artists from various countries in commemoration of the 200th year of abolition of the slave trade act
A musical 'Tears of Fire' with Chitralekha dance company, Birmingham
‘Septivity’ a collaboration with bass guitarist Phil Rehm
'HumDrum' a music band formed with drummer and percussionist Arun Kumar
A musical collaboration with Konarak Reddy and Kirtana Kumar to co-create and produce a Kannada pop album ‘Marathahalli Rani’
A musical collaboration with Bindhumalini Narayanaswamy - Threshold - where both explore the words and music of women from across the world.
A musical collaboration with Vishnu Ramprasad and Abhishek Majumdar - ‘Cartography’ - where they explore the highly subjective maps by which we navigate the real world.
A musical collaboration with Vedanth Bharadwaj and Bindhumalini Narayanaswamy - ‘Songfarers at Sea’ -a concert set in the middle of the ocean
A creative collaboration with Cahoots Theatre, Belfast as a Music Consultant and Composer for their latest stage production, ‘The Vanishing Elephant’
A musical collaboration with Apoorva Krishna on a single ‘O Nanna Chetana’
AWARDS
State Best Playback Singer Award for a song in the film Duniya
Aryabhatta Best Actress Award for the tele-series 'Garva'
Mahindra Excellence in Theatre Award - Best Actress and Best Script- for the solo play 'C Sharp C Blunt' (A play I co-devised in collaboration with German theatre director Sophia Stepf)
Zurcher Theaterspektakel Best Play Award for the solo play 'Shilpa'
Best Film Award for 'Playgrounds' at ifva, Hong Kong Film Festival (A short film co-written, edited and directed with Shamik Sen Gupta)
Grand Jury Award at IFFLA, Los Angeles for the short film Playgrounds
‘Best Singer of the Year Athri Award’ for the year 2002.
‘Suryodaya Trust Best Playback Singer’ award in 2003.
Chitra Rasikara Sangha upcoming singer award-2004.
‘Kale Mattu Sadhana’ best Playback Singer Award 2009 for the song ‘Prapanchave’ in the film ‘Eddelu Manjunatha’.
Bangalore Music Academy Best Playback Singer Award 2009 for her song ‘Prapanchave’ in the film ‘Eddelu Manjunatha’.
‘Young Achiever of the year 2010’ by the Rotary Udyog club.
‘Kempegowda Award’ by the Government of Karnataka for contribution in the field of music
Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar 2018 in the field of Bhavasangeet
Her latest collaboration, an LP 'Songs for Broken Ships' with Andi Otto has been nominated for the prestigious German Record Critics' Award