"When humans accommodated me, they cannot chronicle that I am the articulation abaft songs like 'Woh Ajnabee' and 'Khuda Jaane'", said the abundantly accomplished Shilpa Rao if we met her for a affair at her cosy Andheri apartment. She may not be a accepted face but there is no abstinent the actuality that Shilpa is a name to account with a part of the accepted crop of singers in Bollywood today.

In this copy of Musically Yours, we contour the Simple- Humble- Intelligent- Loving- Passionate and Artistic Shilpa Rao who shares her adventure from the baby boondocks of Jamshedpur to the allure of the chiffon apple in Mumbai.

Claim to Fame
"The song that is absolutely abutting to my affection is 'Tose Naina Lage' (Anwar) but I assumption the accepting which 'Khuda Jaane' (Bachna Ae Haseeno) gave me was way above expectations."

Family Background
"I am originally from Jamshedpur. My parents still reside there. My dad is alive with Tata Motors at a chief level. As far as music is concerned, it consistently had a appropriate abode in my activity and my family. My dad has done his M.A. in Music but he could never accompany it as a full-fledged career as he had to abutment his family. Moreover, authoritative a career in music was not advised such a astute advantage during those days. However, if I was small, I admired alert to music and my training in music began from a actual aboriginal age. In fact, I didn't even apprehend it that I was getting accomplished for music by my dad. After finishing school, I came to Mumbai in 1997 and abutting Xaviers Academy for my B.Sc in Statistics. I aswell went on to do my post-graduation in Statistics. During that time, I met Hariharan who heard me sing already and acquainted that I should added breeding my talent. I never absolutely anticipation of myself as a abundant accompanist but if anyone of the ability of Hariharan sir said acceptable things about me, it affectionate of hit me that I should yield up music added seriously. Harirharan alien me to his authority Ghulam Mustafa Khan saab. It was alone again that I started acquirements and practicing singing seriously."

The Aboriginal Days
"In 2001, while singing at a competition, Shankar Mahadevan one of the board took apprehension of me. He was afflicted with my articulation and asked me to sing in his shows. Later on I aswell did absolutely a few jingles with Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy. That acquaintance helped me a lot. I aswell developed a lot of contacts and met composers like Vishal-Shekhar and Rajat Dholakia during my chime days."

First 'Big' break
"As luck would accept it, my aboriginal big breach came with a song composed by Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy- 'Saiyaan Re' from Salaam-e-Ishq. I had already accepted Shankar able-bodied by that time and one accomplished day, he asked me to appear and almanac a scratch. Nikhil Advani, Sameerji were all actual blessed with what they heard and the blow as they say is history."

The Hits that followed....
"Luckily for me, my aboriginal song 'Saiyaan Re' went on to become actual accepted in animosity of the blur not accomplishing too well. After that, my next song was 'Tose Naina Lage' for Anwar. This was a absolutely adverse song as compared to 'Saiyaan Re'. Mithoon (the composer) and I were alive on a song which didn't materialize. He again alleged me to almanac the blemish of 'Tose Naina lage'. And this time too it formed able-bodied with the administrator Manish Jha and I was on. The song is a part of one of my favorites and I am blessed that in animosity of it getting a slow, abatement number, it begin so abundant accepting a part of the alert audience. Post that, I articulate some absolutely acceptable songs like 'Woh Ajnabee' (The Train), 'Ek Lau' (Aamir) etc..."

'Khuda Jaane' - The 'Big' Turning Point
I had accepted Vishal-Shekhar for about 4 years and had even done a lot of ad plan with them. They were aswell searching to accord me that one song which would clothing my appearance and voice. One accomplished day, I got a alarm from them allurement me to appear to the flat to accept to a song. I heard the tune and anon cool out as it was a admirable adventurous song, something which I had never articulate before. They asked me to just go into the recording allowance and try it out. I gave it a attempt and Siddharth Anand (the director) acquainted that the articulation was absolutely apt. That absolutely congenital my confidence. The song went assimilate become such a huge hit and won us 3 awards at the Screen awards (Best Macho Playback- KK, Best Lyrics- Anvita Dutt Gupta and Best Female Playback). I absolutely had a bang alive with Vishal- Shekhar, K.K., Anvita and Siddharth on this number."

Music I adulation alert to....
"I accept to any and every affectionate of music. As a kid, I grew up alert to a lot of Ghazals. My dad was a big Mehndi Hassan fan so I heard a lot of that. I aswell heard a lot of classical music be it Aamir Khan saab or Prabha Atre. My dad had this addiction of putting on music aboriginal in the morning, so the aboriginal affair hat I heard in the morning was music. During top school, like any added youngster, even I was absorbed assimilate Dire Straits and Deep Purple etc. If I was in college, I listened to a lot of active music, applesauce and blues. So you can say that I accept consistently been accessible to any brand of music. In actuality I just angle in foreground of my CD accumulating and aces up a CD depending on my affection at that point of time."

What's arena on my iPod?
"These canicule I am alert to Cassandra Wilson. I am absorbed assimilate that at the moment."

Role Models
"Well...it has to be Hariharan easily down. I artlessly admire his appearance of singing, his articulate range, his delivery and aggregate about his singing. He is just perfect."

Favorite Contemporary Singers
"There are a lot of abundant singers that I admire. I absolutely adulation and admire Rekha Bharadwaj, Shruti Pathak etc. Dominique is addition admirable accompanist who has been actuality for so long, she is like this Chime Diva. I am blessed she has assuredly got her due with the Rock On amount ('Yeh Tumhari Meri Baatein'). A part of the macho singers, I absolutely attending upto KK, Mohit Chauhan and even this new accompanist Tochii (who has articulate the song 'Pardesi' in Dev D)"

I ambition I had sung...
"'Zara Zara' from Rehna Hai Tere Dil Mein. That's such a absurd song; a ablaze agreement by Harris Jeyaraj and Bombay Jayshree's vocals took the song to addition level."

The extra I ambition I could sing for…
"I don't apperceive how it will complete but I would adulation to sing for Tabu. I am a huge fan of her plan appropriate from Maachis to Cheeni Kum. In fact, I met her at a affair and even told her 'I would adulation to sing for you someday'. She smiled and said 'Sure'."

My Future Projects
"I accept just recorded a song for UTV's blur Aage Se Right starring Shreyas Talpade, Kay Kay Menon and Mahie Gill. It has music by this new guy alleged Amartya and he has done a absurd job. You can aswell apprehend me in YRF's Shahid-Rani starrer Hadippa. I've articulate the promotional clue with Mika and it is a absolutely racy, peppy, top activity number. I accept aswell articulate a song in Onir's blur Kill Chhabra which has music by addition new artisan Gaurav Dayal."