Shilpa Rao still remembers the first time she heard ‘Tose Naina’ (Anwar, 2007),her first break in Bollywood as a playback singer. Mithoon sang it to her on a harmonium, without arrangements or embellishment. “When a song can be stripped of everything and still sound beautiful, you know it has something honest in it,” she says. The recording, she remembers, was done in two parts. “The first was a scratch. But Manish Jha ended up liking it, so it became the final.” The song slowly found its audience and went on to become a cult favourite. “It was done in a very organic way; we didn’t think of any returns from it,” says the singer who was recently in Chennai to perform at a cultural fest.
After almost twenty years in the music industry with songs across languages, Shilpa also had a phase when songs did not work out. The key, she believes, lies in separating music from the business of music. “You feel bogged down because probably you think, what do I do after this?” she says. Rejection, she says, is inevitable. “It’s human to feel rejected. But the trick is how long you linger in it.” What audiences do not see is the work that happens between one song and the next. “Endurance is what takes you from one song to the next,” she says.
It is also one quality she repeatedly returns to while talking about Lata Mangeshkar. “There are two things that people should learn from her,” says Shilpa. “One is the whole form of learning music and keeping the practise going.” The second lesson, she says, is endurance. “To have that kind of a career, to have song after song and constantly being on the job and not doing it for any less — takes a lot of endurance.” Her favourites, though, are from the film Pakeeza. “I love all the songs she’s done in that film.”
Shilpa Rao
| Photo Credit:
SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
Music across borders
If you have followed her for long enough, Shilpa has always expressed her love for Gazal, and a video of her singing ‘Gulon Mein Rang Bhare’ sung and composed by the legendary Mehdi Hasan remains a testament to it. “The style, the format, the poetry, the philosophy — it was very charismatic for me…it somehow felt more like home,” says Shilpa.
Her relationship with folk music comes from a similar cultural memory. She spoke about ‘Paar Chana De’ that she sang for Coke Studio Pakistan, which garnered quite a lot of admiration from audiences across countries, and how platforms like these are instrumental in presenting folk and regional music to a global platform. “You cannot separate an Indian from folk music. It’s not possible. Even today, our vidai songs are folk songs.” The Indian music scenario, she says, is vast and layered. “We have Hindustani classical, Carnatic music, and folk music, which differ in every region. So there is so much to explore,” says Shilpa.
Shilpa Rao
| Photo Credit:
SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
Awards and recognition
A major milestone was when she was awarded the National Award for best playback singer for the song ‘Chaleya’ from the movie Jawan. What makes it even more special is that it was sung alongside Arijit Singh, who recently announced to step down from playback singing. Shilpa’s response is measured and supportive. “We shouldnt be sad. He sang everything for us. Now it’s time for him to sing something for himself. We should support that.”
When asked about whether awards come with added pressure, Shilpa laughs, “You should feel pressure nonetheless. It shouldn’t be because of an award. You should work and try to be better by your own standards. That should never change.” What awards offer, she says, is acknowledgement from peers. “That kind of mutual admiration feels really good,” she adds.
Outside music, Shilpa finds balance in everyday pleasures. She loves watching tennis. Reading, too, plays an important role. She is currently reading Franz Kafka’s The Trial. “It’s quite a heavy read,” she admits. Over the years, she has returned to writers and poets such as William Shakespeare, WB Yeats, and Charles Bukowski. “These are classics you can read your entire life,” she says.
Food, like music, is also an intrinsic part of her life. Growing up in Jamshedpur, Jharkhand, Shilpa takes us through her childhood favourites. “You have to find your own fuchka wala,” she says. “A simple egg roll with nothing over the top and Litti Chokha for sure.”
When asked about what advice she would give young musicians entering the industry today, Shilpa is honest about the challenges. “If I were to start out right now, I would be quite lost myself,” she says. “Do chase the real purpose of music in life. I think it will lead you to something good.”
Published – February 09, 2026 04:28 pm IST
