[3] She is a recipient of the 2018 Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuwa Puraskar awarded by Sangeet Nataka Akademi.

her grandfather was A S Murthy he was known as Radio Eranna [6][3] M. D. Pallavi started training in Hindustani classical music, and has a degree in Hindustani Music from University of Benares.

[8] Pallavi has received Hindustani Vocal training in Bangalore under Ram Rao Naik and Rajbhau Sontakke, a doyen of the Gwalior Gharana.

She was also a member of cast in the Indian English language film Stumble, released in 2003.

[12][13] She also acted with Umashree in National Award winning Kannada movie Gulabi Talkies.