How Shreya Ghoshal Changed Her Voice for Aashiqui 2

National Award-winning playback singer Shreya Ghoshal recently revealed that she had to re-record her famous song Sun Raha Hai Na Tu from the 2013 film Aashiqui 2 to fit Shraddha Kapoor's character. In a new chat with Billboard India, Shreya spoke about how a film's characters shape her singing style and choices.

Re-Recording the Track

Shreya first recorded the song in her usual decorative style while working alone in the studio without the director present. After hearing the track, director Mohit Suri and producer Mukesh Bhatt called her back. They explained that Shraddha's character was a simple club singer who had not yet become a professional star, meaning the song needed a much simpler tone.

Finding the Right Tone

With this new context, Shreya went back and re-recorded the track using plain notes with very little ornamentation, keeping it in just two spots. She noted that while she sings the song with her own style during live concerts today, knowing the movie character's background helped shape the original recording.

Context

Playback singers in the Indian film industry often work closely with directors and music composers to match their vocals to the emotional state and background of actors on screen. Shreya Ghoshal made her Bollywood debut at the age of 16 in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Devdas and has since earned five National Film Awards over a career spanning two decades.