At the age of 4, she accompanied her mom on harmonium. A few years later, the shy kid floored Sanjay Leela Bhansali on popular television talent show with her mellifluous voice instantly becoming the choice to be Paro's voice in Devdas. With four national awards for best female playback singing already in her kitty, Shreya Ghoshal has come a long way. From Bairi Piya bada bedardi to hip-shaking songs in Om Shanti Om to sultry numbers in Jism, this Bengali girl next-door has the versatility that ranges from the raunchy to romance.
“After Devdas, people started branding me as someone who can croon only serious songs. But I begged to differ and went about doing seductive numbers such as Jaadu Hai Nasha Hai. I was the first choice for soft and slow tracks, but then with Yeh Ishq hai number from Jab We Met things are on the fast track,” says Shreya who was in town for the friendship concert, which was her first public performance in the city.
Despite a late night recording, Shreya didn't mind to give this interview. “The fun we have in recording studio is stuff of envy for non-singers. Seriously, we have a rocking time in the studios. This was my first public performance and it was great fun. I have earlier performed in the city for corporate events.”
Daughter of a scientist father who works in Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Shreya does not have any musical lineage although her mother had love for music. In fact, her family is full of top-notch academicians. “I grew up in a non-musical family of doctors, scientists and engineers but fortunately my family allowed me to pursue my passion for music else I would have ended up researching in a laboratory,” giggles Shreya.
But with singing playing a major role in her life, Shreya's studies has completely taken a back seat.
“I was enrolled in the Science stream earlier when my singing kept me busy I shifted to arts. And that's how I had my first tryst with literature. I developed the habit of reading books and now I a big time fiction and non-fiction reader,” says Shreya
Recollecting the days when she started singing Shreya says, “I was 13 when I recorded my first music album. I never performed anywhere until I was 18. When people goaded me to perform on stage I would refuse because none of them were my songs. But at 18, I performed live. Music and reading books is perhaps in my genes. My mom studied literature and loved singing.”
Besides Hindi, she has sung in other regional languages including Telugu, Marathi, Punjabi, Assamese, Tamil, Malayalam and Kannada and won acclaim in all these languages. Oriya, is the only language she is yet to open her innings in. When her fans compare her with the ‘Nightingale of India', Shreya is at once humbled. “It is their love that makes them compare me to Lataji. But I have a long way to go.” Shreya doesn't have the typical Bengali sweet tooth, but yearns to have her favourite fish curry with rice cooked by her mom. “I am a foodie who naturally loves Bengali food. I love cooking and when I am home I make myself busy in the kitchen whenever I get an opportunity.”
