Know our people - Dushyanthi

Dushyanthi - Model, singer, actress, and dancer

Dushyanthi's debut video "Many Men" has secured the #2 spot on the MTV DESI countdown, the #4 spot on MTV Tempo, and is in rotation on MTV Tr3s, ImaginAsian, and AVS tv. Vote for Dushyanthi on MTV Tr3s here.

Since the age of 5, Dushyanthi has been singing and dancing. Performance is her passion. "My grandmother was a music teacher in Sri Lanka so she always had my sisters and I singing Tamil songs while she played the piano and violin."

Born in Brooklyn, raised in Connecticut, Dushyanthi also was heavily influenced by the American sounds around her. "My music is urban/pop with a bit of Indian influence. We worked hard to get that fusion sounding right." Dushyanthi teamed up with well-known producer Mark Wilson (Destiny's Child, Will Smith, Brandy) and co-wrote every song with Wanda Lewis and Tre and LA (Tamia, Christina Milian). The result is a sound that people from all backgrounds can identify with.

From the age of 12, Dushyanthi trained intensively in vocal and dance classes. She studied ballet, hip-hop, and Indian dance. "I love to dance—hip-hop, belly dancing, Indian, salsa—I love all of it." She also spent years in acting classes—even dedicating herself to a program in musical theater at the Boston Conservatory.

All the while, Dushyanthi focused on college. "My parents always stressed the importance of education." Dushyanthi graduated summa cum laude from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst with a major in Psychology and a double minor in Women's Studies and Spanish.
After returning to NYC, Dushyanthi was approached by several top modeling agencies while working as an inner city youth counselor in SoHo. She quickly found modeling success with jobs including Savoy magazine, a bridal show for FOX, Redken hair, and many more. She then expanded her career into the realm of acting and landed spots on Sex and the City and a commercial for Showtime to name a few. Recently she wrote and directed a play infused with spoken word entitled Love Vibe with the help of Reg E. Gaines, writer of Tony Award winning musical Noise Funk.

Singer, dancer, actress, writer—Dushyanthi does it all. Her incredible beauty is matched by God-given talents, an amazing work ethic, and unstoppable drive. "I work hard at everything I do, I rely on my family to keep me grounded and I love being creative," she says. "I hope that when people hear my music, they just enjoy it." And they will. Dushyanthi is a unique talent in the music industry today.