Devaki Pandit

Devaki Pandit is a trained classical singer with a vast body of work spending over 3 decades. Currently under the tutelage of Pt. Babanrao Haldankar. She is one among the few contemporary artists who can render both classical and light music with equal ease. An individual for whom music is life, she continues to enthrall audiences with her melodious voice and soulful compositions.

In her own words, it is her passion for music that defines the artist the world knows as Devaki. Whether singing or composing, classical or light music, live performances or playback; passion is a given. And it is this passion that has fueled her 30 year journey in the field of music and has seen her admired and appreciated by the classical connoisseur and layman music-lover alike.

Devaki was introduced to the world of music at the age of two, and is a third generation musician from the Pandit household. What began with giving an attentive ear to all musical functions at home, took shape with a formal training and induction to music under her mother’s guidance and led her to her first stage performance at age nine.

True to her passion for music, at the age of 18 Devaki spent hours on end practicing and training her voice doing riyaaz. Such was her zest in the pursuit of perfecting her music that her continuous practice resulted in her losing her voice. The next three years saw her forced into silence, but this incident did not dent her passion for music. Like a phoenix rising from the ashes Devaki overcame all odds and spent those three years practicing the art of listening, beginning with her own breathing, its rhythm; the music in nature, and innumerable compositions of musicians and artists from across the world. She counts this phase of her life among her most rewarding experiences, something that brought her closer to her music spiritually.

Devaki Pandit's body of work spans over 3 decades across multiple genres ranging from classical to fusion and across multiple mediums from cinema to television as well. She has won numerous accolades and has received recognition on the national and international stage. Beginning from Balgeet recorded in 1977 when Devaki was just 12 years old, to her performances in the last decade at prestigious musical festivals and sammelans like Malhar festival, Sawai Gandharva Mahotsav and Tansen Samorah at Gwalior Devaki's has truly been a very memorable journey. 

Being a trained classical singer, she has devoted her time to creating a multitude of classical and devotional albums that touch your soul.  Inner Soul was her first classical release. Some of her other appreciated classical albums include Sandesh, Bandish and Ashta Prahaar. She has worked on successful fusion albums with some of the leading names in the industry including 'Halka Nasha' with Hariharan, 'Krishnotsav' with Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia and 'Here' with Amrish Leibe.

Devaki has lent her voice to the title tracks of some of the most popular Hindi and Marathi teleserials. Her work in Marathi television includes Abhaal Maya, Jaga Vegli, Adhuri Ek Kahaani and Avaghaache Sansaar. In Hindi, she has sung for Ramayana, Hasratein, Srikant and Tera Panne. She has lent her voice to the background scores of Monsoon Wedding, Water and Astitva.

For cinema she has rendered memorable songs in the role of a playback singer, both for Hindi and Marathi feature films. Some of the Hindi movies she has sung for are Astitva, Saaz, Monsoon Wedding, Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa among many others. Some of the Marathi films that she las lent her voice to are Ardhangi - that won her the Maharashtra State Award for 'Best Playback Singer' - Saavli, Ek Hota Vidushak, Me Sindhutai Sapkal, Ai Shapat and many more.

As a judge for Idea SaReGaMaPa she is an ad hoc guru for the contestants of the show. She is constantly guiding and encouraging the contestants to give their best as she sees a huge potential in them. Devaki wants these young musicians to focus on their basics before setting their sights on fame and recognition as she believes there is no shortcut to becoming an accomplished artist. In the year 2005 she was invited by the Tchaikovsky University; Moscow, Russia to conduct a course on Introduction to Indian Classical Music for students of world music.