Pallavi MD is a singer, composer, actor, editor, sound designer and filmmaker. She has a degree in Hindustani classical music from Benares University. She has been performing Kannada poetry (bhavageethe) across Karnataka and abroad for the last twenty five years. She has won the META Best Actress award for her solo theatrical piece C Sharp C Blunt. She has won the State award for her song in the film Duniya, and the State Kempegowda award for her contribution in the field of music. She has acted in Girish Kasaravalli’s Gulabi Talkies and Prakash Belawadi’s Stumble- both National award winning films. ‘Playgrounds’ a short film she co-wrote and directed, won the best film award in the Hong Kong Film Festival and at IFFLA, Los Angeles.
She has been awarded the prestigious Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar (National Award) for her contribution to the field of Bhav Sangeet (singing poetry). In 2024, she has composed music for the Broadway play ‘The Vanishing Elephant’. In 2024, she designed the music for ‘Banjara Virasat’, an experiential museum that documents the life and culture of the Banjara community. Her collaborative LP with German musician Andi Otto, ‘Song For Broken Ships’ was nominated for the prestigious German Record Critics’ Award in 2024. Her collaborative Single ‘Simchezo’ won the Best Composition Award from international collaborative platform- Beyond Music in 2024.
She has just finished co-composing music for Kavan- an Ambedkarite opera that premiered in Mumbai.
