Singer Palak Muchhal, who has sung several songs in Bengali, Kannada and Telugu films, apart from her many Bollywood hits, says that she didn’t know anybody in the industry when she came to Mumbai. “I come from Indore. When I came to Mumbai, I was an absolute newcomer. I was fortunate enough to have met Salman Khan sir in the first week. That protected me from the struggle that I’d have to go through otherwise. As soon as I met him, he told me I’d sing a song in his film. For him to believe in an outsider and give me a chance was a very big thing,” recounts Muchhal, who sang Laapata in Khan’s Ek The Tiger (2012) soon after.

The singer adds, “Even when I got a chance to sing in Aashiqui 2 (2013), I was a complete newcomer. I don’t think nepotism has affected me at all but there are people who have faced it. As for me, I have not faced anything like that, I have been absolutely lucky.”

Muchhal calls herself an out-and-out Bollywood playback singer. But with indie music also calling for equal amount of attention among listeners, she too wanted to try her hand at it. So, she has released a new single in collaboration with her brother Palash Muchhal, and Ash King.

“I’ve been working in Bollywood primarily, and singles are a still a world that I am trying to explore. This is a good time for independent music as people are receiving it with all their heart,” says the singer.