Occupation(s) Singer Genres Playback Singer Years active 1971–present Movies Hum Kisise Kum Naheen | Name Sushma Shrestha Albums Inteqaam Ki Aag Role Singer | |
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Nominations Filmfare Award for Best Female Playback Singer Similar People Abhijeet Bhattacharya, Kamal Barot, Vinod Rathod, Kumar Sanu, Kishore Kumar | ||
Saam Hay Dhuaa Dhuaa song by Purnima Srestha at Durgapur
Poornima Shrestha (Nepali: पूर्णिमा श्रेष्ठ born c. 1960), also known as Sushma Shrestha, is a noted Bollywood playback singer who has sung many superhit songs in Indian music industries. Sushma started her career as a child singer in Ramesh Sippy's 1971 film Andaz. In that film, she sang under the music direction of Shankar Jaikishan the song "Hai Na Bolo Bolo" along with Mohammed Rafi, Suman Kalyanpur and Pratibha. The song went on to become a hit.
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She sang numerous Nepali songs; the most popular one is from the 1980 Nepali movie Sindoor, 'Ali Ali Haar Ho'.
She is mostly remembered for her songs like "Tera Mujhse Hai Pehle" from Aa Gale Lag Jaa (1973) and "Kya Hua Tera Vada" from Hum Kisise Kum Naheen (1977); both earned her nominations for the Filmfare Best Female Playback Award.
Poornima has sung other popular numbers like "Channe Ke Khet Main" from Anjaam (1994) and in a series of David Dhawan films like such as Coolie No. 1 (1995), Judwaa (1997), Hero No. 1 (1997) and Biwi No.1 (1999) amongst others.
Apart from Hindi, Poornima Shreshta has sung number of Marathi film and non-film songs. These include Baal Geet (children's songs), Bhavgeet etc.Music director duo Anand-Milind were very fond of her voice in early 90s and gave her many chances to sing their songs. She sang many hit songs for actresses like Juhi Chawla, Madhuri Dixit, Shilpa Shirodkar, Karishma Kapoor, Raveena Tandon, Kajol, Rani Mukherji, Madhu, Tabu, Sridevi etc.
Life and career
Sushma's father was a music composer, Bholanath. She lost her father on 12 April 1971 when she was barely 11 years old. She sang the hit "Hai Na Bolo Bolo" when she was just nine. She has sung many super hit songs in her childhood: "Tera Mujhse Hai Nata Koi", "Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na", "Yaadon Ki Baarat" are a few. Poornima is the oldest singer in terms of experience in the industry who can boast of having worked with Naushad, Madan Mohan, C. Ramchandra, Anil Biswas, S.D. Burman and Shankar Jaikishan.
She got her first break accidentally when Chandrakant Bhosle, a family friend and an assistant to Shankar–Jaikishan recommended her name to Shankar. In spite of the prevailing custom of women playback singers singing for children, Shankar took upon him the challenge of taking an unknown child to sing "Hai Na Bolo Bolo" for the film Andaz. Sushama recorded her first song on 11 November 1969 with Mohammed Rafi and Suman Kalyanpur. Rafi was very impressed by her singing.
Sushma did a children's album called Bal Geet, which had the legendary S.Khale composing the songs and Shanta Shelke penning them. She sang four songs in it. The album proved as huge hit and gave immense exposure to Poornima who surprised everybody by singing Marathi songs with ease. Her career was planned to be launched at a function organised by the Punjab Association organised by Raj Kapoor, Pran and others. Slated to perform on 12 April 1971, tragedy struck on 11 April when her father suffered a cardiac arrest and died. She was undaunted and was encouraged by family and friends. She gave a performance, which impressed many and enabled her to get a scholarship of Rs. 250 to study music.
Marriage put a temporary halt to her singing career with regard to films as she stopped doing stage shows, which promptly dried up the offers for playback. Her last song as Sushma Shreshtha was in N.Chandra's Ankush: "Itni Shakti Humein Dena Data" (along with main singer Pushpa Pagdhare – in Hindi movie Ankush filmed on Ashalata Wabgaonkar, Nana Patekar, Suhas Palshikar and others). Jingles took her attention where the professionalism made her settle to a steady work schedule.
In the 1990s, Tips, the music company approached her with an offer. Wanting to make a clean departure from the child prodigy image, they suggested a change of name and image. Sushma took the name Poornima. Her song "Barsaat Mein Jab Aayega Saawan Ka Maheena" from Maa was a hit. Few things changed till David Dhawan's Bol Radha Bol. "Tu Tu Tu Tu Tara" was nothing short of an anthem and the remaining songs, which were a success also, gave Poornima the opportunity to savour success and adulation that had eluded for long.
She maintained her collaboration with Dhawan, contributing vocals to his entire "No. 1" series, including "Haseena Maan Jayegi" and "Biwi No.1." Despite the previous year's subdued Indi-pop market, Poornima emerged as one of the top ten bestselling artists with her album "Mera Dil Bole Piya Piya." With the adage "slow and steady wins the race" enforcing her nearly three comebacks, more of her has yet to come.
Albums
Songs
Awards
Best Female Playback singer, Zee Cine Awards (1998) – Sona Kitna Sona Hain (Hero No. 1) (Nominated, did not win)