With her versatile voice, singer Monali Thakur has definitely made a mark in Bollywood. She has received a lot of appreciation for her song Moh moh ke dhaage from Dum Laga Ke Haisha. The singer, who is nominated in the Best Playback Singer (Female) category at the Times of India Film Awards (TOIFA), talks about it. Excerpts:

How do you feel about being nominated?
I didn't even know that I was nominated; it definitely comes as a pleasant surprise to be chosen for such a prestigious award. I am delighted and I really hope I win, since we all worked very hard on the song.

How was your experience singing this song, considering it was about two protagonists trying to find love...
I was extremely excited when I heard the melody for the first time; I felt lucky, as we seldom get such rich melodies these days. In an age, where we mostly have digitally-produced sounds, purely organic music is a treat to the ears. Also, I was slightly scared if I would be able to do justice to it. I focussed on the soul of the song that involved showering love through melody and voice. Anuji (Malik) gave me absolute freedom and I recorded it when he wasn't around. To my surprise, he simply loved the way I rendered it.

Do you think your classical background helped?
I am trained in Thumri from the Patiala Gharana and my teachings definitely helped me strike a balance between the semi-classical and filmi notes, giving it a natural flow.

How did you like the lyrics of the song?
Varun (Grover) has definitely become one of my favourite lyricists. He's extremely talented and knows the art of weaving simplicity and exuberance in lyrics. I think that's what beautiful writing is all about.