I'll surely catch up on 'Sairat' when my album tour is done: Shilpa Rao

If not for the inspiration she garnered from her father, and musician Hariharan's coaxing her to focus on music after hearing her at the age of 13, stepping into the music industry and making a mark probably wouldn't have been on the cards. From jingles to playback singing and collaborations to exploring the live stage, Shilpa Rao has sampled it all. During her recent visit to the city where she launched her new album, Pune Times caught up with the singer for a chat.Excerpts:
How challenging was the process of lending a touch of your own to classical tracks like Ankhiyan Udeek, Duma Dum and Latha; music that's already timeless, in the album? I don't think the process just comes to you when you're creating it. It takes a lot of time because one needs to live with the music for a certain amount of time to be able to make it your own. That way, when you're actually recreating and executing a song, it feels like it's coming from a convincing place. It was hence important for me to spend a lot of time with each song while doing this album. Formats change with time, but what the song conveyed back then stays the same today. We approached each song with a production that the youngsters could actually relate to. However, I have tried to keep the soul of each song intact; Duma Dum being one such example. Being a prayer, we've tried to retain its essence.
Speaking of Latha, you planned to feature in a music video for the track. Does an artiste's visual presence help boost a song's value? Back in 2011, when I did The Dewarists and the Unplugged and Studio series, it was nice to have people come up and say that it was great to actually see me do my songs, and that's most important; being yourself. This is something that I constantly endeavour to do. So while Latha is a beautiful piece by itself, there is a music video which will start doing rounds soon. We're looking forward to people liking that as well.
Performing live is something that's close to you, something that many singers cannot pull off very easily. What about collaborations, considering you've done a lot of those too? Actually, singing in a studio and singing live are both equally difficult; each has its own journey and mind space. For each form, one can't really generalise or have a fixed plan. Live performances also come from the fact that I enjoy being with and in front of people. But yes, I'd like to be known as a good recording as well as live musician.Talking about collaboration, I think it's the best way to take your music forward. But it's also important for the collaborating artistes to gel. When we did I Believe in Pune for The Dewarists, I knew Agnee, but I had never met Parikrama before that. But working on that song got us to be friends for life. It's the same case with Karsh (Kale). Even when we aren't working together, it's great catching up or going to each other's gigs. There are some interesting collaborations happening in the coming months too and I'm really excited about them.
You love watching films. Where do you think mainstream Hindi cinema is headed in terms of its content today? I think Hindi cinema has really evolved because people have too, and cinema is but a reflection of society. But still, there's a space where we can work and look at cinema more as a form of art that influences as opposed to pure entertainment.
And have you watched any Marathi films lately, language not being an issue for you? I haven't caught up on any Marathi films lately, but Chaitanya (Tamhane) is a good friend who gives me my daily dose of news from the Marathi film circuit. This is just the last round of work pertaining to my album. Once my tour is done, I'll be at peace. I'll probably catch up on 'Sairat' then, besides some rest and travel!
Lastly, you have supported several causes in the past, including performing with Parikrama and Agnee in the city last year to help sponsor meals for the underprivileged. Maharashtra has been reeling under severe drought conditions this year... The drought conditions in Maharashtra this year are harrowing. But if this is a platform where I can put out a message, I'd love to do something for the cause. If there's any concert or project being done to support the drought-hit regions, I'd be glad to pitch in as a musician and help better the situation to the best of my capability.
Listen to the songs of Shilpa Rao on gaana.com
WATCH: Arijit Singh, Shilpa Rao Live Concert Hit Songs