Sunitha Upadrashta is an Indian playback singer, anchor, host, voiceover artist and actor working in the South Indian film industry. She is popularly known as the “Queen of Melody” of South Indian cinema.
Wiki/Biography
Sunitha Upadrashta was born on Wednesday, May 10, 1978, in Guntur, Andhra Pradesh (45 years; as of 2023). Her zodiac sign is Gemini. At the age of 6, she received training in Carnatic vocal music from Pemaraju Surya Rao and light music training from Kalaga Krishna Rao. She started performing at a very young age in concerts and programs, including those organized by All India Radio (AIR).
At the age of 13, she performed in Tyagaraja Aradhana Utsavalu with her mentor Pemaraju Surya Rao. As a child, she won several awards and honors in competitions for her performances. She also received a scholarship from the central government to further her musical training.
appearance
Height (approximately): 5′6″
Eye color: black
Hair color: black
family, caste and husband
She comes from a Telugu Brahmin family who loves music.
Parents and siblings
Upadrasta Narasimha Rao and Sumathi (maiden name – Malladi).
Sunitha Upadrashta and her parents
Relationships, husbands and children
At the age of 19, she married media professional Kiran Kumar Goparaju, but they later divorced. She has a boy named Aakash Goparaju and a girl named Shreya Goparaju.
Sunitha Upadrashta with her husband and children
Sunitha Upadrashta and her children
In 2018, there were speculations about her marriage to an IT professional. Sunitha got engaged to Ram Veerapaneni (entrepreneur) on December 7, 2020 (Monday) in Hyderabad.
Sunitha Upadrashta and fiancé
She married Ram Veerapaneni on Sunday, January 10, 2021, in a traditional Hindu ceremony at the Sri Seetha Rama Chandra Swamy Temple in Ammapalli near Shamshabad, Hyderabad.
Sunitha Upadrashta and Ram Veerapaneni’s wedding photos
Profession
as a singer
Savitha started her career as a playback singer at the age of 17 with the song “Ee Velalo Neevu” from the Telugu film Gulabi (1995).
She made her Kannada debut with the song “Kesari Haravu” from the film Bhoomi Geetha (1997). She made her Tamil debut with the song “Unakkoruthi” from the film Punniyavathi (1997).
She has sung more than 3000 songs for the Tamil, Telugu and Kannada film industries. She has also worked on some private albums like Raghuram, Sai Sudha, Sri Venkateswara Thatwanidhi, Sri Vallabha Bhakti Geethalu, Sai Darshanam, Sri Chidvilasam, Amma Durgamma, Pahimaam, Sri Rama Charanam, Govinda Ganamrutham, Saye Dhaivam and Bathuku Paata. She has also appeared on some of her mentor’s private albums, two of which are Meera paravail and Aanota – Manasu Palike vela.
devotional singing
Sunitha endorses many devotional projects in South India. The first one was in 2016 and was named Annamayya Paataku Pattabhishekam.
Sunitha Upadrashta during one of her devotional programs
She has also lent her voice and hosted several projects such as Vengamaamba Keerthanalu, Naada Neerajanam, Tirumala Brahmotsavam, Srivaari Sevalu, Thyaagaraaja Utsavaalu and Prashanthi Nilayam.
As a voiceover artist/voiceover artist
She reluctantly entered the world of dubbing, but after the release of the 1998 film Choodalani Undi starring superstar Chiranjeevi and Soundarya, she dubbed for Soundarya and became the prime choice for all heroines.
To date, she has voiced more than 110 actresses in more than 750 films. She also holds the record of dubbing for 60 films in one year. Gautamiputra Satakarni is Sunitha’s 750th film as a dubbing artist, in which she dubbed for Shriya Saran.
in tv
She made her first television appearance in 1995 in a single episode of the live music program “Paadave Koyila”, aired on the DD national channel.
Sunitha Upadrashta performs live on TV
She has also sung title songs for many Telugu television serials, Antharangaalu being the first of them.
as an anchor
In 1996, she made her debut as a host in the Telugu music competition show “Navaragam” aired on Gemini TV. She has hosted many shows like Dear, Saptaswaraalu, Antakshari, Saregamapa Lil Champs, Jhummandi Naadam and Annamayya Paataku Pattabhishekam.
Hosted by Sunitha Upadrashta
as an actor
She made her acting debut in the 2016 Telugu short film “Raagam”, playing the role of “Sree Chaitu”.
Sunisha Upadrashta-Ragam
She also made a special appearance in the 2018 Telugu short film Thhadasthu. “
Awards and Honors
national awards
- Ministry of Culture Delhi National Folk Song Award
- 1994 All India Radio National Award in Light Music Category
Nandi Award
- 1999 Best Female Singer in the TV Movie “Antha Rangaalu”
Sunitha Upadrashta wins Nandi Award
- Best Female Voice Actor in the 2002 movie “Jayam”
- Best Female Singer in the 2003 movie “Athade Oka Sainyam”
- Best Female Voice Artist in the 2004 film Anand (voiced by Kamalinee Mukherjee)
- 2005 Best Female Voice Actor in the Movie “Pothe Poni”
- 2006 Movie Godavari Sunitha Best Female Singer
- Best Female Voice Singer in TV Movie “Anthahpuram” 2010
- 2011 TV movie Mamathala Kovela
- Best Female Dubbing Artist for the movie Sri Rama Rajyam (Voice of Nayantara) 2012
Film Audience Award
- Best Female Playback Singer – “O Priyathama” from the 2010 Kannada film Cheluveye Ninne Nodalu
Sunitha Upadrashta wins Filmfare Award
- 2014 Award for Best Female Playback Singer in Telugu for the song “Em Sandehamledu” from the movie “Oohalu Gusagusalade”
Other awards
- European Telugu Association Award for Best Playback Singer, London (2003)
- In 2003, he received the Kalavedika Arts Award for All-Round Player for his outstanding performance as a singer, presenter and film dubbing artist.
- Won Gold Medal at Sangam P Susheela Youth Awards 2004
- Won Gold Medal at Sangam P Susheela Youth Award 2004.
- Gantasara Melody Queen Award 2011
- State government awards Lata Mangeshkar Best Singer Award 2011
Sunitha Upadrashta receives Lata Mangeshkar Award
- 2013 California Legislative Assembly Certificate of Recognition
- T. Subbaram Reddy Lalitha Sangeeta Puraskar, 2013
Sunitha Upadrashta receives her T. Subbaram Reddy Lalitha Sangeeta Puraskar
- Sangeet Samman 2013 (Kannada film)
- The New Jersey State Senate and State Assembly passed resolutions to award her with the New Jersey State Recognition Award in recognition of her excellence and contribution to the music industry and Indian film industry in 2019
Sunitha Upadrashta New Jersey State Recognition Award
- I Stand For The Nation NGO 2019 Vishishta Seva Puraskar
Note: In addition to the above awards and honors, she has received many awards and nominations.
dispute
In 2019, Sharad Peetham’s Swamy Swaroopanandendra Saraswati said in an interview that whenever he stayed at Filmnagar’s Temple in Hyderabad, many celebrities would visit him. He listed the names of many celebrities, including Sunita’s. This angered the singer, who took to her social media account to lash out at Swami for using her name on national television and including her name in his list of disciples.
favorite thing
- Singers: SP Balasubrahmanyam, P. Susheela
- Scripture: Bhagavad Gita
Facts/Trivia
- Sunitha Upadrashta enjoys traveling and photography.
Sunitha Upadrashta is taking photos
- She has done around 500 shows till date on AIR, Doordarshan, ETV, Gemini TV and MAA TV.
- She has also held projects abroad in more than 19 countries. These include Kuwait, Dubai, Malaysia, Singapore, London, the United States, the Philippines, Kenya and Japan.
- In 2009, she held her own show “Musical Moments With Sunitha” in the United States.
Sunitha Upadrashta at one of her concerts
- On the 50th anniversary of India’s independence, she sang Vande Mataram with SPBalasubrahmanyam in the plenary session of Parliament and presided over the 50th anniversary celebrations in Parliament.
- In 2015, she participated in the foundation stone laying ceremony of Amaravati, the new capital of Andhra Pradesh.
- She is a dog lover and owns a dog named Snoopy.
Sunitha Upadrashta and her dog Snoopy
- In addition to her talents in singing, acting, hosting, and photography, she can also play the role of Veena.
Sunitha Upadrashta plays the veena
Categories: Biography
Source: HIS Education