Top News

Singer Suneeta Rao has taken a nostalgic trip back to May 1997, revisiting her magazine cover for New Woman, a publication launched by veteran Bollywood actress Hema Malini.

Rao shared the vintage cover on Instagram featuring her younger self and reflected on the changing social landscape of the time, when women were increasingly finding new voices and asserting their presence across different spheres of life.

Recalling the shoot, Rao said the image represented a delicate combination of the innocence and sensuality associated with her song “Paree” and the inner strength reflected in “Dehka Dehka”.

She also linked the period to the wider movement for greater accountability and safety for women. Rao noted that the Vishaka guidelines were issued that year, as women were demanding accountability and preventive measures against sexual harassment at the workplace.

“A new woman was emerging and there was no looking back,” she wrote while recalling the significance of that period.

Rao began her career with the song “Suneeta Senorita” in 1989 and rose to prominence with her popular track “Paree Hoon Main”.

In 1991, she released the Hindi pop album Dhuan with Gramophone Company India, with music by Lesle Lewis. The album sold more than 75,000 copies, while “Paree” and its music video turned Rao into a household name. The media subsequently referred to her as the “Paree of the Masses”.

Rao also had an early association with A.R. Rahman through “Adi Paru Mangatha”, from the 1994 Tamil film May Madham.

Her songs “Dehka Dehka” and “Kesariya”, both rooted in upbeat folk influences, went on to become popular chartbusters and helped re-establish her presence on the music scene.

She later released the single and music video “Chhoti Chhoti Baatein” as part of the Magnasound album A Reason To Smile, released to mark 50 years of Indian Independence. Rao also featured in the album’s group song “Wajah Muskurane Ki”.