Why Shalmali is focused on making her own music

Three years after composing the song Aye as a part of a TV show which focused on women empowerment, singersongwriter Shalmali Kholgade has released the song again, as she felt that it represented not just women, but men as well.

“Since the show was centered around women empowerment, I was in the headspace of writing music that had freedom of thought at its core. After the show, I felt there was a need for men and women to be represented together — as such Aye was written as a song that was as much for men as it is for women with the basic idea being ‘Don’t tell me what I should and shouldn’t do; I am capable of deciding for myself’,” she says.

The 29-year-old, who has sung popular songs such as Balam Pichkari (Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani; 2013), Besharmi Ki Height (Main Tera Hero; 2014), and Baby Ko Bass Pasand Hai (Sultan; 2016), shares that the number of songs for women in films have decreased, which has helped her focus on establishing herself as an independent musician.

“It isn’t pleasant. I spent a while wallowing about it, as do most of us. But what this has prompted me to do is something I’m grateful to the situation for,” she says, adding that she is making her own music due to the dearth of songs for women in films.

“This is something I’ve always wanted to focus on, and with indie music making a headway in the Indian music scene, this is the time to do just that,” adds Shalmali.

She insists that working in the independent space is better for her. “How I look at indie music isn’t primarily to create opportunity for work, but more as an opportunity to express an idea or emotion that is mine. I don’t know about female independent artists being less recognised than their male counterparts. I just haven’t ever given that a thought,” she signs off.

SHALMALI KHOLGADE SAYS THAT INDEPENDENT MUSIC ALLOWS ARTISTS TO EXPRESS THEIR OWN IDEAS AND EMOTIONS