M D Pallavi is a graduate in English, Journalism and Psychology. She also holds the degree in Hindustani music from the University of Benares. Pallavi started her journey of music & art stepping in theaters, street plays, in early years. She acted in many popular and well known plays like, Translations, Hamlet, Maanishaadha, Fire and Rain, Balidaana, My Fair Lady and Gaajina Gombegalu,Vakra and Good Woman of Schezuan.

Her passion for Hindustani classical music got nurtured by, Pt. Ram Rao Naik of Kirana Gharana. In Later years she continued Hindustani classical training in Bangalore under Pt.Rajbhau Sontakke-disciple of revered musicologist Pt. Omkarnath Thakur of the Gwalior Gharana. She learnt Sugama Sangeetha underLate Mysore Ananthaswamy and later under  Late Sri Raju Ananthaswamy.

She is an active music teacher who teaches music at ‘Bimba’ a Saturday cultural school for children. She has co-founded a cultural organization ‘Samudra’ with husband Arun Kumar who is also a Musician. Pallavi has sung ad jingles, she's sung for light music albums, devotional albums, theatre productions, and for films. But her voice in Nagabharana's film Singarevva was noticed. Her latest film song “Nodayya Kwate Lingave” from the film “Duniya” has been a rage among cine goers and she has won the State Award also for the song.She has been singing at dance recitals of Shobhana Chandrakumar, Padmini Ravi and Nirupama Rajendra. She did an impromptu Sufiana-fusion piece for Attakalari's international festival of movement art.

She has shared the stage with acclaimed musicians like Late.Mysore Ananthaswamy, S.P.Balasubramanyam, Jesudas, C.Ashwath, Amith Heri, Ranjit Barot, Ganesh Kumaresh, Kieth Peters, Anoor Anantha Krishna Sharma, Taufiq Quereshi, Vikram Ghosh, Amaan and Ayaan Ali Bangaash and Rajesh Vaidya.