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Like a lot of us here at UrbanAsian, you might’ve seen Netflix’s new show Never Have I Ever. If you did, you might’ve spotted the girl who schooled Devi when she dissed Preethi’s super Indian dance. Or maybe you know her as the runner-up of Super Singer Junior Season 3, and the girl who sang ‘Osaka’ from the Tamil movie Vanakkam Chennai. We’re talking about 22 year old singer, actress, and model, Pragathi Guruprasad. We spoke to Pragathi about her life, interests, and accomplishments- read on to hear what she has to say!
1. What or who encouraged you to audition for Super Singer Junior?
It was all my mom! She saw the ad on Vijay TV asking for auditions and she actually secretly sent in my audition tape without telling any of us. She was always curious how my voice would fare on a world stage. All she wanted was to hear back from them.
2. Who are your musical inspirations/influences?
Oh so many! Shankar Mahadevan, Hariharan, Sean Roldan, Pradeep Kumar, Billie Eilish, The Weeknd, Daniel Ceaser. The list goes on.
3. Do you have any upcoming discography that we could look forward to?
Quite a few exciting releases to look forward to that I can’t say too much about at this time. 🙂
4. What’s been your most memorable performance till date?
I recently performed in Malaysia at an Independent music festival, Agni Fest. It was incredible to do an entire set of my very own music and hear an audience of thousands sing along to every word. It was truly the perfect “last” performance before the lockdown started.
5. Name a song you could never get tired of.
Udhaya Udhaya from the movie Udhaya
6. How did your cameo appearance in Netflix’s NHIE happen? Do you have plans to further your acting career?
Ever since I began receiving acting offers in India, it was always something that intrigued me but something I didn’t have confidence that I could pull off. Moving to LA to pursue my undergrad allowed me the opportunity to explore the entertainment industry in LA while finishing my degree. I took acting lessons and was very fortunate to sign to a great management company/agency and have an amazing team working for me. My audition for Never Have I ever was one of my firsts and my very first booking! Its been a very thrilling experience and I love being on set and on camera.
Pragathi’s cameo in Never Have I Ever
7. What’s your favorite TV show to binge watch?
Greys Anatomy!
8. Apart from being a successful singer and actor, you also dabble in modeling. Tell us how your modeling career took off.
Modeling was something that came by chance (as has almost everything else). After super singer, I began doing commercials and endorsements and many people reached out to do photo shoots and print modeling. I didn’t think much into it as I loved being in front of the camera. It is crazy to consider myself a model even now.
9. What’s your dream musical collaboration?
I would love to see a crossover between AR Rahman and Billie Eilish or The Weeknd. I’d love to be a part of a similar musical collaboration between India and the US.
10. Chennai, Singapore, LA, and Fremont are 4 significant places in your life. Which city is the most special to you?
This is one of the toughest questions. Each of these cities are so special to me in different ways and each of them are home to me.
11. What has college taught you apart from Political Science?
College has been an incredible experience and has given me life long friends, adventurous experiences, and 4 years of fun that you really can’t get anywhere else. I learned so much and met so many incredible people in the entertainment industry and beyond.
12. Who’s more into TikTok – you or your mom?
Hahahah, it used to be me when we first started but now my mom is the more enthusiastic one.
13. You were 14 when you took the crazy, wonderful decision to move to India and take part in a singing competition. If you could tell your 14 year old self something, what would you say?
So many things! I wish I was more in the moment and cherished every bit of the experience rather than being so stressed all the time. Although the competition was very stressful, every day was a new journey and I faced new obstacles. I would go back and do it all over again in a heartbeat.
