I LOVE BOLLYWOOD BUT IT DOESN’T DRAW ME Shefali Alvares

I LOVE BOLLYWOOD BUT IT DOESN’T DRAW ME

Shefali Alvares on listening to her ‘badtameez dil’, about how it isn’t just ‘party on my mind’ and going ‘bananas’ about music

    Her playback career in Bollywood paints her as quite the party child. The real Shefali Alvares is anything but. “I sleep at 11 pm, I’m up at 7 am and head out for a swim at 9 on most days,” she insists. Well, even if you buy the truth in that schedule, there’s no denying the effervescence in her nature. She’s someone who has been singing forever now, a band butterfly, featuring in several over the years. Here, she talks about her constant in the Bollywood scene (Pritam), her career in Bollywood (so far), and the way ahead. 

Pritam’s gone out and given you yet another party song in Hey Mr DJ. (Laughs). Like most of our songs together, I had no idea what Hey Mr DJ was about when I went into recording. But with Pritam, it just works. 

Just works? Like Badtameez Dil did? Now, that’s one nautanki song. I was asked to sing over, under and around Benny (Dayal), who I’m also singing with in Phata Poster Nikhla Hero’s Hey Mr DJ. There was a lot of layering happening and I was to contribute to the choral tracks as well. And a lot of changes happened before the final track was put out. It was something of a tongue-twister. I was surprised. All I was told was that I had to sing a duet with Benny. What can I say, it works! 

Subah Hone Na De (Tu Mera Hero), Party On My Mind, and now these two songs. What do you think Pritam (or any other composer, for that matter), goes looking for, when he wants you on board? I remember Pritam telling me they were looking at new voices. A Western element is what they called it. All the others here are classically trained in Hindustani/Carnatic music. I think they want me to sound like... me, I guess. 

You’ve worked with Pritam for what seems like forever! I have Pritam’s sound engineer Sunny to thank for that. I met Pritam through Sunny. This was around four-five years ago. One thing led to another... 

And you’ve worked with Amit Trivedi and Vishal-Shekhar. Speaking of the latter, it’s surprising that your track Gulabi Aankhein (The Girl's Got Everything) didn’t make it to the finished OST of Student Of The Year. 

But it did make it to the film! It’s just that we didn’t get the audio release rights [the song is a reworking of the Mohd Rafi classic from The Train]. Vishal (Dadlani) was quite upset, too. 

There are some in the indie community who would compare singing in Bollywood to selling one’s soul. You've been on both sides of the fence. What’s your take on that? I find it strange that they’re calling it that. I mean, to see how it works, you have to be a part of it. The industry is all about choices. While it may seem like a competition at times, it shouldn’t be that. How do I put this? As of now, I enjoy, I love Bollywood but it doesn’t draw me. I completely dig it, though, that people love it. 

Bollywood lends visibility to a singer. But what about the credibility of work that comes your way? When you're visible, there’s more work. And this country is going through something of a Bollywood frenzy. So there is visibility and there is work. Credibility, I’m a bit confused about. It’s not necessarily credible if you consider that sometimes, people who don't sound good also do get work. 

I know you first as a jazz singer. Speaking of jazz, how do you balance the two genres? For me, Bollywood is high-energy and pulsating, jazz is for the soul. But singing, in general, releases my energy. Tomorrow, even if I were to only sing in the bathroom and not in a film, I’d be cool with that. It’s the feeling in the heart that counts. 

Your father, Joe Alvares is one of jazz’s leading lights in this city. How supportive is he of your career? I do get criticism. He gets really frazzled by the lyrics of the songs I sing. So instead of making him listen to scratches, I now play it back to him only after I’m completely done with the track. But he’s super supportive. He’s proud that I crossed over and have not changed and that I want to be the same Shefali he has always known. 

What’s up next? Dhating Naach from Phata Poster Nikhla Hero. The Dhoom 3 title track, I think? An item number in Joe B Carvalho composed by Amartya Rahut who also composed for Aurangzeb earlier this year. I’m also working with Amit Trivedi later this year on a number in Bombay Velvet, but I can’t say for sure. 

You recently got engaged and are getting married soon. Congratulations. What direction do you see your career taking post marriage? Thanks. (Laughs) For one, I expect to get less work. Let’s face it. I’ll be moving out of Mumbai to a place that’s three hours outside Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh. It’s too early. So, I’m just going with the flow. Haven’t given it much thought yet. It’s a definite change of direction... a new googly, if you will. But I’m looking forward to this new phase in my life.

Shefali Alvares