This may be the year of collaborations across the film and music industries, but for Shalmali Kholgade, collaborations are about artistic pursuits rather than any possible business strategies. With a career that spans several Bollywood hits and deeply personal independent music, the Balam Pichkari and Pareshaan singer talks about exploring new music and cultures while staying true to her artistic identity. Excerpts from a chat:

While Bollywood shaped Shalmali’s career as a playback singer, she believes that her true passion lies in independent music. “I started with the intention of creating music that I identify with, but Bollywood just happened. It did help me understand essential lessons of delivering a song and learning rhythms but, in the last 10 years of doing Bollywood, I always felt like I had to be at my optimal level at all times,” says the Lat Lag Gayee hitmaker.

However, during the lockdown, Shalmali took a step back to see if she had something personal to express through music. “That marked the beginning of my independent music journey. People realized I had a mind of my own and directors let me arrange songs and experiment. In a way, playback and independent music have complemented each other throughout my journey,” she shares.

Shalmali talks about the need to provide more support to independent musicians who operate without the backing of major labels and says, “Not all songs can have the mammoth budget of a Bollywood release. I also don’t know how much I appreciate the reel audio culture, yet. You get to hear the same song repeatedly, whether you like it or not, but there’s so much more than those 30 seconds of music that we want you to listen to.”

Despite having hit songs to her credit, Shalmali values the personal connection with fans more than viral success. “Even if one person tells me they discovered me through a lesser-known track like Regular, it makes me happier than seeing millions of views on Bollywood hits,” she adds.

Shalmali’s Maharashtrian roots play a vital role in shaping her music. Talking about her song Follow along with Bebhumika and pixl, which has a blend of Afrobeats along with Tamil and Marathi music, she says, “Singing in Marathi wasn’t planned—it just felt right because I am a Maharashtrian.”

Working on the music for the Marathi film June also made her gravitate more to her roots. “After the songs for June, I realized Marathi music can have a modern, youth-centric approach,” she says. 

However, as much as music is an essential part of her life, she also believes in taking breaks from it to stay creative. “I need mental space to let the music come back to me. Not doing music can be very refreshing—it lets me reset and approach work with a fresh perspective,” says Shalmali.

“Collaborations have taken precedence over many decisions for people. These mostly come from a business perspective. Since I am an independent artiste, I’ve never felt the need to collaborate with someone just because it would benefit my career,” says Shalmali, adding, “I have done it purely out of wanting to work with someone for what they bring to the table.”

Shalmali has fond memories of Pune. “I was part of a Latvian cabaret, and we rehearsed in Pune while staying in Koregaon Park. I spent a lot of time in Vimannagar too,” she shares. About her experience of working in the Marathi industry, Shalmali says, “I think Marathi artists are the most intelligent and passionate in India. Take that!”