Studio for me is a temple: Shreya Ghoshal

How liberating is a platform like MixTape for a singer?

MixTape is a fun platform where there is a lot of happiness. There is freedom to express your take on a song. There is a lot of freedom and that is what we celebrate on this platform.

Singing in front of a live/studio audience could be exhilarating. Does it still give you goosebumps? Are there any dos and don’ts?

Of course, singing in front of a live audience is a completely different experience. I was mentioning it to someone right now that when I sing my own songs on a stage, the energy of the audience dictates how I am going to be rendering that song that day. Yes, people’s presence and the love they shower on us gives me goosebumps every time.

Is the process of singing in a studio, with just the microphone inside a tiny room spiritual? How does that feel like?

I think studio for me is a temple. When I enter the studio, I forget everything. It happens naturally because that place has energy. We are creating out of nowhere. From scratch, a new song is born. So, yes, it is a beautiful experience every time.

The last few years have seen rise of many singers. The monopoly seems to have been broken. How do you look at it?

Breaking barriers is what music is all about. Finding one’s inner voice is what music is all about. Every time there has to be something new and exciting. So, this is the time that the opportunity has come finally. The idea of monopoly was restrictive and there was not much space for creativity.

It was restricting people from exploring the kind of things that they were capable of doing. Today so many different kinds of voices are singing. Different styles of composers have come in. Different genres are there. Rap is happening. Dance tracks are coming in. Romantic songs are there and classical music is also getting in. Folk is finding its space. Everything is happening. That’s what Bollywood is and that’s why we are so different and celebrated around the world.

The music trend changes periodically. You have seen so many changes yourself. How do you look at the current trend, where original compositions often clash with recreations?

Recreations are okay if you do couple of them but now if every other song is a recreation, it is pretty sad. I feel even the audiences feel it. They want to listen to new songs and they are feeling, ‘Okay, this song we have already heard and now there is a new beat on it.’ Some of the recreations are done smartly where there is a new colour to it and there is a completely new take to it. However, some of them are just about re-doing a popular song.

We have heard so many female singers speak about the lack of female voices in Bollywood films. Because the narrative is majorly male driven, the opportunities are given to male singers.

Tell me how many films are happening where the lead is female. Where the story is about her? She is probably a part of the supporting cast. Maybe the times will change but we definitely need female-driven narratives so that there is a female voice also. But I feel sometimes it doesn’t really need a script, which is female-driven. It can be a story or the montage song which can be about the journey of that character and which can be in a female voice. It’s all about the directors and how they perceive.

I know it’s too early but recently Sanjay Leela Bhansali announced his next directorial. We all know that a Bhansali cast might undergo change, but you are always a constant. Has there been a discussion with him regarding a possible song in the film?

That’s one thing the whole media knows that how secretive he is about anything that he does. So, I respect that. In the past also, every time I have worked in a film, whether I have worked for two or three years, people have a lot of curiosity. I never speak about it until he gives me the permission. So, I will respect that absolutely.