My work was recognised, but I wasn’t: Shilpa

Singer Shilpa Rao can be termed as one of the most successful singers in Bollywood right now. So, when conversations around mental health of people in showbiz caught fire recently, it came as a shock when she revealed what a tough time she went through in 2013, mentally. The singer says that in developing countries like India, the common man is always more concerned about the “basic necessities” and hence, one’s mental health always takes a backseat.

“I know for a fact that a lot of my friends, who are not from the music industry, face mental health problems. This is common among people across the world, and it is not a career specific problem. All of us are going through it. A lot of us have our ways and means to deal with it, but some don’t,” says Rao, while adding that in 2013, after the release of her hit song Manmarziyan in Lootera, she reached a point where she could see a “dead end”.

“I was doing a lot of work, and it was getting the kind of recognition that it deserved from the audiences, but I wasn’t achieving the stature that I should have. It used to really hurt when a lot of cover singers who have gained popularity singing my songs, were more popular than me. After Manmarziyaan, I completely went into a shell, and I gave up,” adds Rao.

The singer, who is known to not be very visible in the media, says that at that point, she started going to only recording studios and live gigs because that’s where “she would thrive”. “I was raised in an environment where I knew I had to sing well and that’s how I function, not by marketing or publicity. I’m a little old school but that hasn’t changed even now. I still feel nervous going for a recording,” she says.

Hence, Rao believes that it is important for everyone to see a therapist. “We all have friends and well wishers but when we have a therapist, we have a person who we know will be there whenever we need to talk. If you have a fever, you won’t consult your friends right? And to be brutally honest, when you cut your finger, the bruise is visible, but the emotional trauma that people go through leaves deeper cuts which cannot be seen,” says Rao, who adds that she healed herself by travelling a lot.

“In 2013, I started to travel a lot because I never spoke to anybody about my issues. I met a lot of new people, who had nothing to do with my profession, and with whom, I just had conversations. It changed my outlook towards life. However, even though travelling helped me, it may not necessarily help others,” she concludes.

Shilpa Rao