Shilpa Rao recalls trying to sing Kaisi Paheli Zindagani for Parineeta: ’I was horrible’

Shilpa Rao opened up about the ups and downs of her journey, revealing that eight of her songs failed last year. She also shares how artists like Lata Mangeshkar, Mohammed Rafi and Kishore Kumar survived in the industry

Shilpa Rao

From Ghungroo and Tose Naina Lage to Malang and Khuda Jaane, Shilpa Rao has sung many chart-topping numbers and won several accolades throughout her career. But despite all the laurels, the singer admits that being a vocalist requires persistence. She also reflects on her career lows and shares how eight of her songs failed last year.

When Shilpa began her career by singing jingles

During a conversation with mid-day's The Bombay Film Story, the singer recalls how newcomers are not easily welcomed in the industry. Her first playback opportunity came through composer Mithoon, who gave her a chance to sing Tose Naina Lage from Anwar (2007). Looking back at that moment, she recalls, “It was a very unusual song to start with.”

She also named some singers and composers in the industry who believe in welcoming new ideas. “Amitabh Bhattacharya, Pritam are those people who love if someone gets something new to the table. Even AR Rahman, he thrives and loves musicians who give him something new he can't think of.” It was Shankar Mahadevan who encouraged her to be a commercial singer, giving her a break in ad jingles.

Shilpa Rao on career lows

Before the evolution of reality shows, Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhosle, Mohammed Rafi, and Kishore Kumar were the only voices that ruled the music industry in the 80s. Talking about how their sheer persistence kept them relevant, Shilpa asserts, “Lata is somebody, you have one person like that in lifetime. Her sheer persistence, you have these names because not because they were talented or hardworking, but because they didn’t give up. To be able to do this for 10-20 years, and you can’t fail even once. There are many failures between two recordings.”

The singer further shared how she has failed more in her career than succeeded. Reflecting on her career failures, she said, “The first song that I tried was Shantanu Moitra’s Kaisi Paheli Zindagani for Parineeta. And I was informed that Sunidhi is singing and her recording is scheduled, but give it a shot. More than me you should understand what you are capable of. I sang it and I was horrible. I realised that singing a song for film as yourself is more difficult. More than him understanding, it was my understanding that I was not ready for it. I got back home and it was just the start. This can happen at the peak of your career as well. Last year, my eight songs didn’t just work out and it happens to the best of us.”

She added, “There are many life-altering moments. I think you should stop looking for motivation. It should become your second nature to go into the studio and try and work at it. That's why when you talk about these legends, persistence is important. Talent can’t take you all the way through. Be it Michael Jackson, Sting or Freddie Mercury, it’s scary.”