Vasundhara Das

Last updated

Vasundhara Das
Vasundhara das.jpg
Das in 2010
Born (1977-08-18) 18 August 1977 (age 46)
Occupation(s)Playback singer, Actress
Years active1998–2012
Spouse
Roberto Narain
(m. 2012)

Vasundhara Das (born 18 August 1977 [1] ) is an Indian playback singer and former actress. Vasundhara's acting career includes Hey Ram (Tamil/Hindi), Monsoon Wedding (English), Citizen (Tamil), Ravana Prabhu (Malayalam), Lankesh Patrike (Kannada) and several others. She won the Filmfare Award for Best Female Playback Singer – Tamil for the song, "Shakalaka Baby" [2] from the film Mudhalvan [3]

Contents

Personal life

She was born on 27 October 1977 in Bangalore, Karnataka to Kishen Das and Nirmala Das. She studied at Cluny Convent High School, Bangalore, Sri Vidya Mandir, Bangalore and Mount Carmel College, Bangalore, graduating in economics, Statistics and Mathematics. [1]

She began training in Hindustani classical music at the age of six under her grandmother Indira Das, who ran a music school on the top of their house. She then joined the Lalit Kala Academy, and later studied under Pandit Parameshwar Hegde, her Guru. In her college days, she was a lead singer of a girl band and was soprano in the college choir. In an interview, she states that – "I got booed off the first time I sang on stage". [4] She speaks Tamil, Kannada, Telugu, English, Malayalam, Hindi and Spanish. [1] [5]

In 2012, Vasundhara married her long-time friend, Roberto Narain, a drummer and percussionist. [1] [6]

Career

Acting

Das in a Concert Vasundhara Das Live in a Concert.jpg
Das in a Concert

In 1999, Vasundhara debuted as an actor with Kamal Haasan in the film Hey Ram though she started her career industry as a playback singer. [4] She played the lead actress alongside Mohanlal in the Malayalam movie Raavanaprabhu (2001), with Ajith Kumar in the Tamil movie Citizen (2001) and with Darshan in the Kannada movie Lankesh Patrike. [7] She also starred in Mira Nair's movie Monsoon Wedding (2001). [8] [2]

Music

She worked with playback singing career with A. R. Rahman's Tamil film Mudhalvan , for which she sang the song "Shakalaka Baby", [4] which won her the Filmfare Award for Best Female Playback Singer – Tamil 2001. [3] Later she worked with composers such as Vijaya Bhaskar, Yuvan Shankar Raja and G. V. Prakash Kumar. Her first film as a music composer was Paranthe Wali Gali (2014) along with Vikram Khajuria. [9]

She was a founding member of Arya, a world music band that performed in Europe and America, and broke up in 2004. [10] She has composed music at her Bangalore-based studio, The Active. [9] [10] She has also been involved in several independent projects such as Channel V Jammin', BBC's HIV awareness anthem for India "Har Kadam", Mission Ustaad, Global Rhythms, Nylon Soundz,[ citation needed ] and The Shah Hussain Project, a collaborative album with Sufi singer Mir Mukhtiyar Ali. [11] She has a French single out in France called "L'ete Indien" in collaboration with Paris-based Agrumes Studio. [10]

Vasundhara trained under the founder of drum jam, Arthur Hull in Hawaii. [12] [13] In 2013, she initiated an event, Community Drumjam at the MG Road metro station, Bangalore. It has since been run monthly by the Rangoli Metro Art Center, and Drumjam, [13] [14] a Western music company she co-founded and is running with her husband. [15] They have conducted drum-jam programs at educational institutions and for communities of different age groups including children at risk, elderly with dementia and terminally-ill cancer patients. [16] [12] In 2016, she conducted a drum jam session for the India national cricket team for their team building exercise initiative. [17] [18]

Filmography

YearTitleRoleLanguageNotes
2000 Hey Ram Mythili Iyengar Tamil/ Hindi Debut feature film
2001 Monsoon Wedding Aditi VermaHindi/English [2]
Citizen IndhuTamil [5]
Ravanaprabhu Mundackal Janaki Malayalam [2]
2003 Lankesh Patrike Preethi Kannada [7]
Film StarLila, An InmateHindi
2004 Vajram GeminiMalayalam
Pathar BezubaanKalpana VarmaHindi
2006 Kudiyon Ka Hai Zamana NatashaHindi
Corporate HerselfHindi [2]
2007Ek DastakAkanshaHindi [2]
2024 Gowri Kannada

Discography

YearMovieSong TitleComposerCo-Singer
1999 Mudhalvan "Shakalaka Baby" [2] A. R. Rahman Pravin Mani
2000 Rhythm "Ayyo Pathikichu"A. R. Rahman Udit Narayan
Azad "Sonare" Mani Sharma Udit Narayan
Kushi "Kattipudi Kattipudida" [5] Deva Shankar Mahadevan
Moodu Mukkalaata "Prema Vikramarkudu" M. M. Srilekha S. P. Balasubrahmanyam
2001 Neela "Hejje Hejje Mathadu" Vijaya Bhaskar Solo
"Ee Nada Manninalli"
Citizen "Pookari Pookari" [5] Deva Shankar Mahadevan
"I Like You"
Lagaan [1] "O Rey Chhori"A. R. Rahman Udit Narayan, Alka Yagnik
2002 Adrustam "Hollywood Handsome" Dhina Karthik
2003 Lankesh Patrike "Nodkond Baaro Andre"Babji-SandeepBabji
Boys "Sarigame" [5] A. R. Rahman Lucky Ali
"Dating"
Misamma "Ney Padithe Lokamey Padadha" Vandemataram Srinivas
Juniors "Night Jorugunnadi" Chakri Tippu
Mee Intikosthe Yem Istharu Maa Intikosthe Yem Testharu"Cienmallo Gani"Ghantadi Krishna
Kal Ho Naa Ho "It's The Time To Disco" Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy KK, Loy Mendonsa, Shaan, Sadhna Sargam
2004 Sye "Sye" M. M. Keeravani Kalyani Malik, Smita
"Ganga AC"
Thumsup"Vanitha Vanitha"Jeevan Thamos
Manmadha "Thathai Thathai" [5] Yuvan Shankar Raja Devi Sri Prasad
Monalisa "Kurrakaru Hero"Valisha Babji Shankar Mahadevan
Dhoom "Salaame" Pritam Kunal Ganjawala
2005 Anniyan (Tamil)
Aparichithudu (Telugu)
Aparichit (Hindi)
"Kannum Kannum"
"Naaku Neeku Nokia" [5]
"Gora Gora Aankh"
Harris Jayaraj Lesle Lewis, Andrea Jeremiah
Kunal Ganjawala
Lesle Lewis
Anbe Aaruyire "Maram Kothiye"A.R. Rahman Shankar Mahadevan
Salaam Namaste "Salaam Namaste" Vishal–Shekhar Kunal Ganjawala
2006 Happy "I Hate You" Yuvan Shankar Raja Ranjith
Mayabazaar "Andulona Undi" K. M. Radha Krishnan K. M. Radha Krishnan
Hanumanthu "Neevu Kottina" Vandemataram Srinivas Naveen
Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna "Where's The Party Tonight?" Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy Joi Barua, Shaan
Sarada Saradaga "Yenno Janma Janmala" S. V. Krishna Reddy Kunal Ganjawala
2007 Hudugaata "Mandakiniye" Jessie Gift Jessie Gift
Vijayadasami "Deepavali" Srikanth Deva Naveen
Sillunu Oru Kaadhal "Machhakkari" [5] A. R. Rahman Shankar Mahadevan
Jhoom Barabar Jhoom "Kiss of Love" Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy Vishal Dadlani
2008 Ullasamga Utsahamga "Chakori" G. V. Prakash Kumar Benny Dayal
Nannusire "Sanje Beachinalli" Premji Amaren Premji Amaren
2012 Yamudiki Mogudu: Ee Nela Thakkuvodu "Narottama Narottama" Koti

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References

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