You are what you eat, read and listen to: Shilpa Rao

When asked if she listens to Bengali music, singer Shilpa Rao, who was in town recently for an event, quipped, “Who doesn’t?” Shilpa, who believes that Bengali and regional music are important if one wants to know about Indian culture, added, “Composers like RD Burman, Salil Chowdhury, and even Pritam are from Bengal.” Excerpts from a chat with the Hardam Humdum singer:


We are getting too overwhelmed with international artistes performing in India’
The Kalank singer believes that the audience is getting too overwhelmed with the fact that international artistes are performing in India, adding, “Coldplay has performed in India many times. I don’t see why people are going crazy now.” Rao also added that social media could be one of the reasons behind this. “It is just that one post or reel for them. This is a problem because once the concert is over you are again very hollow. However, the music itself should be the fix for it,” quipped Shilpa. The singer also reminisced attending concerts in the 1990s with her father. “I fondly remember the times when my dad and I attended classical concerts in the ’90s watching Bismillah Khan sahab or Zakir Hussain ji. That had bigger value experience wise to me.”



‘Each venue has its own set of challenges’
The singer, who is frequently seen performing at live concerts, shared with us how each venue is different and sometimes challenging in its own way. “We are a part of an ecosystem and you can’t isolate yourself. I know that Indian cities are polluted and it affects everyone in different ways, but many times I’ve come back with a pollen-induced infection from the US,” shared Rao, adding, “It’d be wrong to say that no mishaps happen if you perform in Europe or the US. Each place has its own hazards and affects you in different ways. On an individual level, we must be mindful of our surroundings.”


'As an artiste, it’s important to expose yourself to all kind of music because that helps you adapt to different styles and genres'
-Shilpa Rao

'When you make a song for the love of it, magic happens. While making Khuda Jaane, the purpose was to write it well, sing it well, compose it well and shoot it well'
-Shilpa Rao

‘You cannot escape Kolkata’s art and food’
Talking about her love for the city, Shilpa said, “Kolkata’s kathi rolls are so simple and good. One cannot escape the art; it’s sure to strike a chord with you no matter what, just like Thikana Na Rekhe by Haimanti Shukla has remained special to me since childhood.”


Shilpa Rao digs into Kolkata’s street-food must-have, the fish fry and mishti doi, and had plans to step out for kathi rolls post the event