Smitha was four years old when she performed for the first time at her school Once a year day occupation at Vijayawada. She sang "Do a Dear" from the film The Sound of Music which she had watched countless times. She went on to the stage, stood in front of the mike and sang the song very confidently. She was seen tapping her feet and her body influential with the rhythm. She got a lot of appreciation and got noticed by everyone.
As she grew, she started going for many competitions and at all times returned home with some prize. She went to Bishop Cottons in Bangalore during her 6th and 7th standard. Usually the school took students from 8th standard onwards in the school choir but seeing Smita's keenness and faculty, the music teacher took her in the quire though she was in 6th standard. These two years played a vital role in hone her singing cleverness. At home she used to waste a better amount of time watching music channels on TV and used to sing and emote like the stars. By this time her parents knew for sure that she was going to do very well if she gets in to singing and performing arts, but major face up to was to find the way forward.
When she finished her school and joined in transitional in Maris Stella college at Vijayawada, a authenticity show by name "Padutha Theeyaga" on ETV was making influence. This is when her mother made a cassette of her song from one of her stage performances and sent to ETV. Smita got a call after one year to come for preliminaries. On 5 June 1997, she participated in the show and made her own mark. Her self-assurance, style and ease created a new trend in that program. She not only won the preliminary but also won the quarter finals, semis and mini finals. She one way or another lost in mega semis. Though she was disillusioned about getting eliminated, her passion and strength or mind were unbroken.
