Premiere: Shalmali Kholgade’s ‘Impression’ Video Flips the Script on Desire

Mumbai pop artist Shalmali Kholgade is rewriting a few rules of attraction with her latest song and music video “Impression.”

The groovy Hindi-English single music video — directed by filmmaker Keerthi Raju with choreography by Sneha Singh — bursts with vibrant, unapologetic energy as Kholgade moves through expressive dance sequences that embody the song’s central theme: a woman confidently claiming her desire.

Kholgade tells Rolling Stone India, “Nearly all songs you hear are about a guy checking out a girl — we wanted to flip that!” The track was born during a songwriting camp alongside producer Rutvik Talashilkar, guitarist Amandeep Singhsoni and lyricist Shloke Lal. The result is a playful, self-assured take on modern courtship initiated by an observant and self-aware woman.

The release thematically follows love songs like “Way You Move,” which was released in 2025. With “Impression,” however, there’s some much-needed subversion added to the mix. “The way we experience love has changed, and music should reflect that. For decades, a lot of love songs followed very fixed emotional roles, especially for women. There was a lot of waiting, yearning and sacrifice. That’s not the full picture anymore,” she explains. The artist chose to go with a song that would make listeners feel “powerful” and not just vulnerable.

The song can be traced back to Talashilkar arriving at the session with a marching band beat he was excited to develop. Though Kholgade initially struggled to envision where it could go, Singhsoni’s melodic phrasing set everything in motion. “I loved watching Rutvik and Amandeep riff on melodic ideas that got me going. It immediately had me thinking of what I wanted the song to be about,” she recalls. Although initially hesitant about writing in Hindi, she later brought in Lal to refine the lyrics. “He knew I wanted the words to feel flirty but sharp, not submissive or overly sentimental. He made a few very interesting and important lyric changes. That’s when we knew we had the song.”

The production carries a distinct groove, leaning into what Kholgade calls “emotional clarity” expressed through a modern love language. Just before finalizing the track, she and Talashilkar made one last addition that sealed its identity. “We decided to add a tutari on the last drop to add that Maharashtrian stamp on a pop record,” she says.

For the video, Kholgade went through what she describes as a “gruelling schedule” with Sneha to prepare the choreography. “Dance is such a big part of how I express myself, so it felt natural for the video to lean into that. It’s expressive, a little theatrical, and a lot of fun,” Kholgade adds. The visual world mirrors the song’s colorful personality and doesn’t hold back on the attitude.

Kholgade describes it as a “get ready with your friends” song that’s best suited for a pre-party soundtrack, trying on outfits and dancing in front of mirrors. “But it’s also a proper dancefloor track, the kind where you don’t overthink, you just move. It has that late-night, carefree energy where confidence takes over, and you’re just enjoying being in your body and in the moment.”

There’s more dancefloor energy that Kholgade plans to serve up in 2026, including a dance EP, featuring “high-energy sounds meant to be felt physically as much as emotionally.” After that, there’s more inward-looking music that’s “slightly more for the soul.” Live shows across the country are also on the horizon. “Performing is my favourite part of all this, so I can’t wait to take these new songs on stage,” Kholgade says.