Shreya Ghoshal, India’s much-loved musical sensation, is celebrated for her captivating voice and extraordinary versatility. With countless hits in multiple languages and numerous awards to her name, Shreya’s ability to blend classical depth with contemporary flair has made her one of India’s most beloved singers, and a spirited leader in her domain.

By Shivendra Parihar

With 20 years of playback singing and over 3000 songs in 20 languages, how do you manage to maintain such versatility and adapt your voice to different genres and languages?
The key to being versatile is having a great foundation. I think your foundation of riyaz and learning music is important. It’s not about just learning from gurus. Learning music happens in various ways – from the way you listen to music, what attracts you, varied artists, being aware of what’s happening around you in terms of the greats, the legends and the contemporary artists. So also not being stuck in one idea that this is the right music, this is the best kind of music. Music can happen in many ways, it’s a matter of adapting constantly and reacting to your collaborators and the musicians with whom you’re working.
This attitude brings in that spark in each song you do, whether it’s a different genre or language. I believe this is how versatility is developed and this has worked for me.

Your ‘All Hearts Tour’ has been a phenomenal success since it started in September 2023. Can you share some of the most memorable moments from the tour so far?
The ‘All Hearts Tour’ has been such a milestone tour for me. I’ve been doing a lot of shows abroad and in India for so many years, but this time, since we started our ‘All Hearts Tour’ in 2023, it has been going on round the year because there are so many cities and we are still trying to take our tour to all the cities that were left out, wherever there are people who listen to our music. We are getting such wonderful feedback and love! It’s all about a great selection of music, the songs that are part of my journey, which is about 22 years of singing in films, so you understand the number of songs and then making it an audiovisual experience for people, it’s very immersive, it’s very entertaining, there’s just so many different emotions, the connection with the fans, they feel part of the concert, it’s their concert.
This has been one of the most memorable tours I’ve ever done and I think God has been very kind and we have had some really big venues where we have performed, many iconic venues, like we had absolutely sold out shows at the Wembley Arena in London, the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles (which I realised later that I was the first Indian artiste to perform as a solo artiste in the Dolby Theatre, which is the iconic theatre where the Oscars happen, that was phenomenal), then the Star Performing Arts Centre in Singapore…
And in the past I have had a lot of wonderful opportunities to perform at iconic venues like the Sydney Opera House, the Royal Albert Hall multiple times, and it’s just wonderful to see that India gets such representation all over the world. It’s not just about me, it’s about representing our music, Indian music, all around the world, in all these iconic places, iconic venues where I have only seen the big western artistes performing, the pop stars and the big artistes, so all those venues that we take our music to, it feels very special, so it’s truly a wonderful feeling.

June 15th, 2024, was proclaimed as Shreya Ghoshal Day by the mayor of Austin, making it the third day in the USA named after you. How do you feel about receiving such a unique honour, and what does it mean to you personally and professionally?
It is a huge honour and it is an acknowledgement of all the hard work that we put in and as an entertainer, as an artist, my job is to give joy and love and music to anyone who wants to listen to good music. I go to different cities and do that and it becomes like a festival and I see that there is months of preparation for that city by the local promoters. We see people coming together, posters everywhere, people talking about getting ready to come for this day, they block that day on their calendar and make it an event of their life by dressing up in their best clothes and they showcase their ethnicity with pride. They wear the best Indian outfits and deck up and come to listen to music and take pictures and videos, so it’s such a culturally important moment for them in their cities and they celebrate this with such love and I feel when the city also gives this kind of love back to not just the people who live there but to the artist who is coming there as a guest and performing, it means a lot to the entire Indian diaspora, and I feel very honoured.

As a successful professional in the entertainment industry, how do you effectively balance the demands of your thriving career with the responsibilities of motherhood?
Balancing a career and motherhood is not easy for sure. It takes a lot of planning and finding that fine balance at each moment – understanding what is priority at that specific time. Having great family support matters a lot, especially for a woman because being a mom requires 100% of yourself to be given to your child because the child needs it. I’m very blessed that my mother takes over that role whenever I am not there; she steps in beautifully, in such a generous way. My father too and even my husband who is very hands-on with our kid. So when we have great family support, we can plan and prioritise well.

You are a role model for millions of young girls who are inspired by your journey to great success. What would be your message to them?
Young girls, you really need to know that you are extremely gifted. If you believe that you are strong, then you will become capable of doing whatever you decide to in whichever field you want to. So believe in your craft, in yourself. If you’re talented, if you have ideas, pursue them with all your strength. There will be hurdles, but do not give heed to society and yes, you can do it. There are a lot of examples around you who have done it – not just in the field of music, but in sports, science, academics, business and every other sphere.

How do you handle the pressures of expectations, success, and the inevitable setbacks that come with a long career in the music industry?
Knowing that success and fame is very transient. It comes and goes and today you might be on top, but you might be forgotten the very next day. That’s how the world works.
So remembering what is important in life is primary. The sanskars taught to me by my parents on being honest, truthful, generous, forgiving and nice to people, being helping and being able to find joy in the little things in life matters the most. Your health, your family’s health, everyone staying and being together matters the most.
Work hard, with passion and love, and all through your journey, never lose your self-respect or dignity. Give your best to your loved ones and keep a tiny box in your heart for yourself also. Love yourself. Give your mind a sense of restfulness. You owe it to yourself.