Vasundhara Das
| Vasundhara Das | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Bangalore, Karnataka, India |
| Ethnicity | Tamil |
| Occupation | Singer, actor, composer, entrepreneur, speaker, songwriter |
| Years active | 1998–present |
| Spouse(s) | Roberto Narain |
Vasundhara Das is an Indian singer, actress, composer, entrepreneur, speaker, songwriter and environmental activist. Vasundhara's films include Hey Ram (Tamil / Hindi), Monsoon Wedding (English), Citizen (Tamil/Telugu), Ravana Prabhu (Malayalam), Lankesh Patrike (Kannada) and several others. Vasundhara has worked with composers such as A. R. Rahman, Vishal-Shekhar, Pritam and Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy to name a few. Vasundhara's current focus is on music composition at her Bangalore based studio called THE ACTIVE. 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, Arya, Global Rhythms, Nylon Soundz and most recently, The Shah Hussain Project, a collaborative album with Sufi singer Mir Mukhtiyar Ali.
Personal life
Vasundhara Das was born into a Tamil speaking Hebbar Iyengar Brahmin family[1] in Bangalore. She studied at Cluny Convent High School, Bangalore, Sri Vidya Mandir, Bangalore and Mount Carmel College, Bangalore, graduating in Economics, Statistics and Mathematics. She began training in Hindustani classical music under her grandmother Indira Das and later trained under Lalita Kaikini and Pandit Parameshwar Hegde.
In her college days, she was a lead singer of a girl band and soprano in the college choir. In an interview, she states that-"I got booed off the first time I sang on stage".[2] She is multilingual and speaks Tamil, Kannada, Hindi, Spanish and English. Vasundhara married her long-time friend, Roberto Narain, a drummer.[3]
Career
Actress
In 1999, Vasundhara began acting with Kamal Hassan in the film Hey Ram. She played the lead actress alongside Mohanlal in Malayalam movie Raavana prabhu, Ajith Kumar in Tamil movie Citizen and Darshan in the Kannada movie Lankesh Patrike. She also starred in Mira Nair's movie Monsoon Wedding.
Music
She started her playback singing career with A. R. Rahman's Tamil film Mudhalvan, for which she sang the song "Shakalaka Baby", and thereby winning the Filmfare Best Female Playback Singer Award 2001. She has a French single out in France called L'ete Indien in collaboration with Paris-based Agrumes Studio. She was a founding member of Arya, a world music band that has performed in Europe and America and broke up in 2004.
Others
As a speaker, she has given talks at conferences like INK Talks in association with TED, Confederation of Indian Industries' Conference for Women Entrepreneurs, AIMA's 7th National Brand Summit, TEDx and The Mentor Conclave. She wrote the inaugural blog post for IIT Kanpur's eCell Blog. As an entrepreneur, Vasundhara, along with partner Roberto Narain run DRUMJAM, a company that uses the medium of music and rhythm for corporate training, team building and community building. Her studio with partner Roberto Narain, The Active, has produced The Shah Hussain Project, an album of contemporary Sufi music.
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Language | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Hey Ram | Mythili Iyengar | Tamil/ Hindi | Debut feature film |
| 2001 | Monsoon Wedding | Aditi Verma | Hindi/English | |
| 2001 | Citizen | Indhu | Tamil | |
| 2001 | Ravanaprabhu | Mundanckal Janaki | Malayalam | |
| 2003 | Lankesh Patrike | Preethi | Kannada | |
| 2003 | Film Star | Lila, An Inmate | Hindi | |
| 2004 | Vajram | Gemini | Malayalam | |
| 2004 | Pathar Bezubaan | Kalpana Varma | Hindi | |
| 2006 | Kudiyon Ka Hai Zamana | Natasha | Hindi | |
| 2006 | Corporate | - | Hindi | |
| 2007 | Ek Dastak | Akansha | Hindi |
Discography
| Song Title | Composer | Language | Movie |
|---|---|---|---|
| "Rabba Rabba" | Anu Malik | Hindi | Aks |
| "Aaja Gufaon Main" | Anu Malik | Hindi | Aks |
| "Chale Jaise Hawaein" | Anu Malik | Hindi | Main Hoon Na |
| "No Entry" | Anu Malik | Hindi | No Entry |
| "Teetar" | Tauseef Aktar | Hindi | Mr. Black Mr. White |
| "Akela Tera Dil" | Anu Malik | Hindi | Good Luck |
| "Oh Rey Chori" | A.R. Rahman | Hindi | Lagaan |
| "Shakalaka Baby" | A.R. Rahman | Hindi | Nayak |
| "Pappu Can't Dance" | A.R. Rahman | Hindi | Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na |
| "Kahin To" | A.R. Rahman | Hindi | Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na |
| "Shut Up, Aa Nachle!" | Anu Malik | Hindi | Ugly Aur Pagli |
| "Kaun Kiska Hua Hai Yahan" | Sagar Desai | Hindi | Bheja Fry |
| "Soni Soni" | Aadesh Srivastav | Hindi | Rehna Hai Tere Dil Mein |
| "Hai Junoon" | Aadesh Srivastav | Hindi | Alag |
| "Gustaakhiaan" | Aadesh Srivastav | Hindi | Aankhen |
| "I'm Ready for Love" | Aadesh Srivastav | Hindi | Saavan |
| "Jo Maangi Khuda Se" | Aadesh Srivastav | Hindi | Saavan |
| "It's the Time to Disco" | Shankar, Ehsaan, Loy | Hindi | Kal Ho Na Ho |
| "Where's the Party Tonight?" | Shankar, Ehsaan, Loy | Hindi | Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna |
| "Kiss of Love" | Shankar, Ehsaan, Loy | Hindi | Jhoom Barabar Jhoom |
| "Rabba Pyar Se Mila De" | Sunil Darshan | Hindi | Talash |
| "Ashaon Ke Zuban Par" | Bhavatarini | Hindi | Mitr: My Friend |
| "Salaame" | Pritam | Hindi | Dhoom |
| "Shake Your Body" | Pritam | Hindi | Har Pal |
| "Salaam Namaste" | Vishal & Shekhar | Hindi | Salaam Namaste |
| "Door Se Pas" | Vishal & Shekhar | Hindi | Musafir |
| "Darna Zaroori Hai" | Shailendra Swapnil | Hindi | Darna Zaroori Hai |
| "Bindas" | Bapi – Tutul | Hindi | Paisa Vasool |
| "Ishq Diwaani" | Dilip Sen | Hindi | Icy n Spicy |
| "Kattipudi Kattipudida" | Deva | Tamil | Kushi |
| "Shakalaka Baby" | A.R. Rahman | Tamil | Mudhalvan |
| "Haiyo Patikiche" | A.R. Rahman | Tamil | Rhythm |
| "Secret of Success" | A.R. Rahman | Tamil | Boys |
| "Dating" | A.R. Rahman | Tamil | Boys |
| "Hei Hei Ennache" | A.R. Rahman | Tamil | Kadhal Virus |
| "Osaka Muraya" | A.R. Rahman | Tamil | Alli Arjuna |
| "Machchakkaari" | A.R. Rahman | Tamil | Sillunu Oru Kaadhal |
| "Marungottiye" | A.R. Rahman | Tamil | Anbe Aaruyire |
| "I Like You" | Deva | Tamil | Citizen |
| "Pookara" | Deva | Tamil | Citizen |
| "Colourful Nilava" | Deva | Tamil | Doubles |
| "Athill Puthili" | Deva | Tamil | Virumbugiren |
| "Azagiya Kaadal Mayava" | Ranjit Barot | Tamil | Achaam Thavir |
| "Patthu Viral" | Illayaraja | Tamil | Arul |
| "En Manathil" | Harris Jayaraj | Tamil | Samurai |
| "Kannum Kannum Nokia" | Harris Jayaraj | Tamil | Anniyan |
| "Angela" | T.S. Muralidharan | Tamil | Sri |
| "Naa Vechan" | Yuvan Shankar Raja | Tamil | Popcorn |
| "Manmadan" | Yuvan Shankar Raja | Tamil | Manmadan |
| "Yerimalai Naane" | Yuvan Shankar Raja | Tamil | Kanda Naal Mudhal |
| "Laila Laila" | Praveen Mani | Tamil | Little John |
| "Poove Punnaga Kaatu" | Bharadwaj | Tamil | Parthen Rasithen |
| "Ei" | Dina | Tamil | Ade Nila |
| "Shakalaka Baby" | A.R. Rahman | Telugu | Oke Okkadu |
| "Hayo Patikichu" | A.R. Rahman | Telugu | Rhythm |
| "Dating" | A.R. Rahman | Tamil | Boys |
| "Secret of Success" | A.R. Rahman | Telugu | Boys |
| "Sonare" | Mani Sharma | Telugu | Azad |
| "Sye" | Keeravani | Telugu | Saye |
| "Ney Padithe Lokamey Padadha" | Vandemataram Srinivas | Telugu | Misamma |
| "Andulona Undi" | K.M. Radhakrishnan | Telugu | Maya Bazaar |
| "Ee Nada Manninalli" | Vijay Bhaskar | Kannada | Neela |
| "Hejje Hejje Maathaadu" | Vijay Bhaskar | Kannada | Neela |
| "Car Car Huduga Banda" | Babjee Sandeep | Kannada | Mona Lisa |
| "Nodkond Baaro Andre" | Babjee Sandeep | Kannada | Lankesh Pathrike |
| "Sajini" | A.R. Rahman | Kannada | Sajini |
| "Mandakiniye" | Jazzi | Kannada | Hudugaata |
| "To Be Frank Agi" | Dharma | Kannada | Thottilu |
| "Aaja Yaramere" | M.G. Radhakrishnan | Malayalam | Praja |
References
- ↑ "Sify Movies – Vasundhara Das Interview". Sify. Retrieved 3 January 2013.
- ↑ "Musical Queen Reviving the Roots of Music". Retrieved 21 January 2015.
- ↑ "Manglorean – Vasundhara wedding". Archived from the original on 20 December 2013. Retrieved 20 December 2013.
External links
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