Shalmali performs at City Centre Salt Lake. Picture: Arnab Mondal

Shalmali Kholgade “never” asks questions in the recording room. She just sings! In town for the Red FM celebrations, the Balam pichkari girl shoots from the heart.

After a long time, we have a Holi song in Balam pichkari that we can really dance to. What are your favourite Holi numbers?

I’ve stopped playing Holi. I used to love playing Holi from a week before and then... snap... I just cut the umbilical cord somewhere. So I don’t really have a favourite Holi song.

The lyrics are so much fun... Jeans pehen ke jo tune mara thumka, toh lattu padosan ki bhabhi ho gayi.... What did you think when you heard it the first time?

That first part… the woman… I don’t know exactly who sings it, but there is an entire (sings Balam pichkari)… I was like ‘Wow! Why must he have done that!’ I thought it was a strange way of starting a song. When it comes to recording with (music director) Pritamda, we singers dub quite often with him and Balam pichkari was dubbed long back… three-four months back. That’s long back for me! I had forgotten that I had even dubbed this song. While recording, I remember having a lot of fun. I was not here when it actually released. My cousin just ran out saying, ‘That sounds like you!’ And then I saw the video… it was this Holi song with Ranbir (Kapoor) and Deepika (Padukone) and I really love Deepika! And Ranbir is so good-looking. I am just blessed to have a song with them in it.

What’s your favourite part of the song?

I don’t know what it means but it sounds funny! Boli bhajan teri neeyat qawwali hai! It should be taken in the right spirit. Qawwali is awesome music.... Amitabh Bhattacharya is so creative. I’ve seen the man sitting there and writing like it just dawned on him and they are always so quirky. My favourite vocal part is when Vishal Dadlani says, ‘Toh!’ (Laughs) Imagine the song without that and it falls a little flat. He has that power in his voice. I love his voice.

You must have hit it off instantly with Vishal Dadlani?

Hmm… I didn’t record the song with him. I recorded it independently. Whose voice was it when I was recording? Or maybe there wasn’t any male part then. A lot of times, we record the full song because at that point they don’t know whether they are going to make it a duet or a solo.

Pareshaan and now Balam pichkari. Are you living a dream?

I have been living a lot of people’s dreams. My mom is really happy... my parents. My brother’s thrilled to see the kind of life I am leading. He used to always get his guitarist friends over at home. They used to strum and I used to watch.... And that is how I picked up the guitar. I wouldn’t say that I play well, but I can pretty much strum along with some songs. That’s how my interest in western music was inculcated... by my brother. But this has never been my dream. My dream is still to do a Broadway show where I can sing, dance and act on stage. I would still like to pursue it once I have the resources and the ability.

What do you think has worked for you? Your distinctive voice?

Yes... My influences while I was growing up — which were Indian classical which my mother used to sing and the western music that my brother has made me listen to — have made my voice sound a certain way. I cannot say I have done so much riyaz.... I don’t have any contribution to how I sound right now. And I would like to make that better.

You love Amy Winehouse...

She will remain my idol because she was a free spirit. She wrote from the heart... what it was to be her and she was true to her music.... I do paint her. I also like to buy a lot of paintings... upcoming artists... just like how we would like CDs to be bought and not downloaded from the Internet!

Which Amy Winehouse song talks to you the most?

Take The Box. It is my favourite song. It doesn’t speak to me, I hear it speaking to her.

Who else did you listen to while growing up?

I listened to a lot of Queen and Michael Jackson.

So essentially western?

Not essentially... 99 per cent western.

And now you are into 99 per cent Bollywood!

Yeah! (Laughs) Tables have turned! One part of my life where I have retained my western music is this project called The Bartender, which I do with Mikey McCleary. He has done a lot of jingles and is now doing films like Nautanki Saala!. We have this concept where we revive old songs. Mikey heard me do an Amy Winehouse tribute show and he said I fit the profile of a vocalist for his band. So, he gave me the song Kabhi kabhie and said if Amy Winehouse were to sing it, how would she? She (Winehouse) helped me! I knew that something would come out of the love that I have for her. And Mikey and The Bartender is a fine example of how Amy is in my life and veins.

What was your first brush with Bollywood?

A.R. Rahman’s Roja and Bombay albums are my encyclopaedia to Bollywood films, until 2012! And there was Ishaqzaade after that.

Who is the most exciting music director to work with?

My first experience was working with Amit Trivedi and he can do everything by himself! Who would not dream of working with A.R. Rahman? Pritamda has been like an angel in my life... keeping his hand over my head, with Lat lag gayee, Daru desi and now Balam pichkari. Sachin-Jigar are a great duo... different sound.

short cut

Pareshaan: Thank you!
Lat lag gayee: Edgy.
Balam pichkari: Fun.
The first song you sang: Neer bharan kaise jaun sakhi re. I was seven.
First song that was dedicated to you and by whom: I don’t remember, but if it were to be a song, it would be I’m Yours and I would want my boyfriend to dedicate it to me. (Laughs)

So, you have a boyfriend?

Yes I do!

Is he into music?

Not applicable!

One question you’d have liked to ask Amy Winehouse?

Why didn’t you come to India?