Poornima Shrestha, also known as Poornima, is an Indian playback singer who has been active in the film industry since the early 70s. She is known for her versatility in singing a wide range of musical styles, including bhajans, ghazals, and pop, and for her soulful and expressive voice. Born Sushma Shrestha on September 6, 1960, in the city of Mumbai, she is the daughter of composer Bholanath Shrestha, who made a name for himself working with some of the most reputed film music directors in India. After making her debut as a child singer with the hit single "Hai Na Bolo Bolo" from the 1971 film Andaz, she went on to record songs for many Hindi and Marathi films over the next several decades. Some of her notable film credits include her collaborations with music director R.D. Burman on the films Aa Gale Lag Jaa (1973) and Hum Kisise Kum Naheen (1977), both of which earned her nominations for Best Female Playback Singer at the Filmfare Awards. Even though she struggled to find her footing as an adult singer during the 80s, Poornima made a comeback in the early 90s thanks to the song "Tu Tu Tara," an Anand–Milind original featured in the 1992 crime thriller Bol Rhada Bol. In 1998, she scored one of the biggest hits of her career with the Udit Narayan duet "Sona Kitna Sona Hai" from the movie Hero No. 1. In addition to her work in films, Poornima has also released several successful non-film albums, including Chutney Garbar (1996) and Mera Dil Bole Piya Piya (1999). Subsequently, her extensive body of work was recognized with the Mohammad Rafi Award in 2017 and a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Global Film and Music Festival in 2020.
