Anirudh welcomes Jonita on stage, duo electrifies Bengaluru
joined
on stage. The duo worked their magic, setting the crowd grooving to blockbuster songs like Chaleya, Halamithi Habibo, Daavudi and many more songs, making for an unforgettable night.
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Time of India
08-08-2025
- Time of India
‘My National Award is for my hometown that's still my anchor', says Shilpa Rao
Days after winning the National Award for Best Female Playback Singer for Chaleya from Jawan, Shilpa Rao was in the city for a private concert. Seated by the window of her 30th-floor suite, admiring the city skyline, the singer spoke to us about her National Award win, why art shouldn't be reduced to virality, and more… On winning the National Award A still from Chaleya for which Shilpa won the National Award 'The first names that came to my mind were my parents, my guru, the people who've stood by me all these years,' said the Chuttamale singer. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now 'You start reminiscing where you began, the people who supported you, the ones who quietly guided you through every phase.' She recalls how her parents were overjoyed on getting the news. 'My parents were happier than I was. But that's always the case, isn't it?' she said with a smile. 'In Bengal, art is a part of life, not something extra' Shilpa Rao performs at a private event in Kolkata 'Every song has to be marinated' Whether it's a Bollywood hit or a regional composition, Shilpa approaches every song with the same intent – to find its emotional core. 'Catching the emotion of a song is the most difficult part. If you're not channeling the right emotion, it's labour lost,' she said. The Besharam Rang singer explained: 'One needs enough time before the recording just to dwell on the song. It has to marinate. It's the only way to bring out the energy the song holds.' 'Art can't be reduced to a one-minute reel' In a world obsessed with reels, views, and virality, the Tere Hawale singer prefers to take it slow. 'Every 30 seconds has to be exciting now and that's just too much. You can't acknowledge art in 15 to 30 seconds,' she said. 'You can't live your life thinking about the virality of your art. That's an exhausting way of living.' For her, the slow days, the quiet lulls, and the crash-and-burn moments matter just as much. 'Not every day has to be productive. You need time to rest and reset. We've forgotten that.' The same clarity shapes her take on AI in music . Tired of too many ads? go ad free now 'We have technology that makes life easier, and every new thing brings excitement. Over time, we'll figure out how to use AI in a comfortable, balanced way. But we can't stop using our minds or hearts to live life and it can't take over', she said, adding, 'At the end of the day, it's a tool. If it helps me transcribe music or shift a semitone, that's a win. But if I'm using it to create something from scratch, that's where the problem begins.' On working in Tollywood A still from Jete Dao from Madam Sengupta Her admiration for Bengal's richness goes beyond music. 'The respect Bengal gives to any art — music, painting, dance, even cooking — fascinates me,' she said. 'Art here isn't extra; it's a way of life. You need it to keep your mind healthy.' She recently sang Jete Dao for Madam Sengupta and credits Anupam Roy for guiding her. 'When the writer's present, the emotion becomes more accessible.' A fan of Bengali food and chorchori , Shilpa is excited to sing the title track of Bibi Payra (featuring Swastika Mukherjee and Paoli). Quotes: The soul of art suffers when everything is reduced to a moment of virality This win is not just my own. The National Award belongs to all those who stood by me & to Jamshedpur , my hometown that shaped me & continues to be my anchor
Indian Express
06-08-2025
- Indian Express
Why Chaleya isn't Shilpa Rao's best, even if it won a National Award
In the recently announced National Awards for 2023, when playback singer Shilpa Rao finally won her debut National Award for Best Playback Singer (Female) for Chaleya – the Anirudh Ravichander composition from Jawaan (2023) – it reminded one of all the times that she didn't. For some of the most underrated and brilliant songs in her discography, built over almost two decades. The win for Chaleya, a breezy track produced with mass appeal that got considerable runtime on radio and television, is less a win for the song and more a belated acknowledgement for a relatively undervalued voice. We are happy to note that the jury finally noticed. Even if the song is just about ordinary. A post shared by Shilpa Rao (@shilparao) While Rao's win was long overdue, since she sang her debut piece – the quietly aching Tose naina in director Manish Jha's Anwar (2007) – followed by the warm Khuda jaane in Bachna Ae Haseeno (2008), the glistening Mudi mudi in Paa (2009), the hushed and introspective Manmarziyan in Lootera (2013), the impassioned Bulleya in Ae Dil Hai Mushqil – all of which could have easily won the coveted honour. Even in 2023, she sang the wonderful Rang rasiya (Safed), a brilliant thumri rendered with a lot of heart. A post shared by Shilpa Rao (@shilparao) The year for which the award has come – 2023 – was also the year when Rao's Besharam rang from Deepika Padukone and Shah Rukh Khan starrer Pathaan was caught in controversy generated by those who thought that colour saffron to be a part of their cultural legacy and how they thought that Padukone shouldn't have sported a tangerine swimsuit. Social media was rife with how even Besharam rang is better than Chhaleya. Well, just about. But there was more support for her song Tere hawaale from Lal Singh Chaddha (2022). I agree. Besides a film music career, Rao is also a popular name in the independent music scene, and travels globally for her ghazal concerts with renditions of Begum Akhtar, Ghulam Ali, Farida Khanum and Jagjit Singh ghazals. Last year, in a viral Instagram reel, Rao was also seen rehearsing her popular Telugu number Chuttamalle — also a Ravichander composition — from the Jhanvi Kapoor and NT Rama Rao Jr film Devara 1. Sheeran collaborated with her during his Bengaluru concert in February. She is also one of the two artistes to perform on Coke Studio Pakistan; the other being Sharmishtha Chatterjee who sang Kinaarey with Mekaal Hasan band. In season 9 of the show, Rao collaborated with Ali Noor and Ali Hamza of Pakistani band Noori and sang Paar channa de, disse kulli yaar di (Across Chenab, I can see my lover's hut) — an age-old Punjabi ditty where Sohni of Sohni Mahiwal is in conversation with her ghada (clay pot), one she wants to use to cross the river. Rao met Hamza and Noor in Delhi, where the Pakistani band had come for a gig. A post shared by Shilpa Rao (@shilparao) Rao, whose voice is unconventional and the result of a new idiom of filmmaking that began at the turn of the century, where the script dictated what song and how it was to be used and not because six songs had to be there in an album, was born as Apeksha Rao and grew up in Jamshedpur. Her name was changed to Shilpa later. Rao was trained in Hindustani classical music under her father. She was 13 when she visited Mumbai and met vocalist Hariharan there, who asked her to learn from Hindustani classical vocalist Ustad Ghulam Mustafa Khan. She won a Delhi reality show judged by composer and singer Shankar Mahadevan, who asked her to move to Mumbai and helped her with a few contacts that eventually led her to singing jingles – a route taken by many playback singers. Rao also completed her post-graduation in Applied Statistics from St Xavier's College while trying to establish a career. She was still in college when she met Mithoon, who was 22 then and trying to establish himself as a composer. He asked her to sing Tose naina in Anwar (2007). Other numbers like Wo ajnabee (The Train, 2007) and Sayiyaan re (Salaam-e-Ishq, 2007) followed, cementing her position as an unconventional voice in film playback. In an interview a few years ago with this reporter, when Rao had just returned from Pakistan after her Coke Studio stint, the characteristically low-key singer mentioned how she tried to remain away from the ways of Bollywood playback singing, where many singers are made to record one song and how there's uncertainty on whose version would be kept. 'Unlike a lot of singers, I get to sing one song a year. In that case, most composers understand what I bring to the table.' This was then. Rao is certainly a lot more in demand now, recording more with actors recommending her for their films. She, however, is still battling the trend of five singers singing a track and one voice finally brought to the finish line – the popular modus operandi in Bollywood music. The National Award for Rao for an easy-to-forget song should be seen as a representative, catch-up award for many previous significant others that continue to echo.
Pink Villa
02-08-2025
- Pink Villa
71st National Awards: Atlee pens 'first love letter' to Shah Rukh Khan for bagging Best Actor for Jawan, calls it 'greatest moment in life'
The Indian government recently announced the winners of the 71st National Awards for the films that were released in 2023. As Shah Rukh Khan bagged the Best Actor award for Jawan, the movie's director, Atlee, penned a long note for the superstar. Atlee expresses his love for Shah Rukh Khan in gratitude-filled post Taking to his social media handles, Atlee said, 'Feeling blessed, Shah Rukh Khan sir. I'm super happy that you've got the national award for our movie Jawan. It feels very emotional and inspiring to be part of your journey. Thank you for trusting me and giving this film, sir. It's just my first love letter to you; a lot more to come, sir.' Continuing his words, the director expressed his gratitude to Gauri Khan and Red Chillies Entertainment for providing him with the space to make Jawan. As he praised his direction team, the filmmaker gave a special shoutout to Anirudh Ravichander and congratulated singer Shilpa Rao for winning the National Award for the song Chaleya. As he concluded his words, Atlee added, 'As a fanboy, working with you and making a film and presenting it in a mass mode of SRK, sir, is a pure, pure blessing from God, and finally, God is so kind to give us back the greatest moment in our life. This is more than enough for me; I'm the best fanboy of yours, sir. Love you. Lots of love sir.' See the official post by Atlee here: About Jawan Jawan is a Hindi-language action thriller written and directed by Atlee, marking his debut in Hindi. The film featured the story of Azad, a jailer at a women's prison who moonlights as a vigilante with his gang of women to expose corruption within the system. As SRK played dual roles as both father and son, the flick had Nayanthara, Vijay Sethupathi, Deepika Padukone (cameo), and more in key roles. 71st National Awards Best Actor and Actress As the 71st National Awards were announced on August 1, 2025, Shah Rukh Khan bagged the award for Best Actor with Jawan. Alongside him, the honor was shared with Vikrant Massey for the movie 12th Fail. On the other hand, Rani Mukerji bagged the award for Best Actress owing to her performance in Mrs. Chatterjee vs Norway.
