Shreya Ghoshal’s Biggest Regret? ‘I Wish I Had Spent More Time Learning Music’

She is revered for her flawless, pristine artistry but Shreya Ghoshal feels she could have done even better. At the recently concluded All About Music conference, when host Roshan Abbas asked the playback superstar to share the one regret she has in life, she gave a response that not many expected. “I started my journey into music at a very young age. I wish I had spent many more hours practicing music… That’s all I can say. I don’t really have any regrets but I wish I had spent more time learning music.’

Ghoshal was a teenager when she made her Bollywood playback debut with “Bairi Piya” (Devdas, 2002), capturing the imagination and fascination of the nation with her saccharine voice. In the Hindi film music industry, she was a breakout artist by every measure, breaking records as well as breaking the playback monopoly held by a privileged few.

Roshan Abbas in conversation with Shreya Ghoshal

“I had the best life possible,” said Ghoshal, reminiscing her remarkable career, which spans across Bollywood and regional industries. The four-time National Award-winning is also one of the country’s most sought-after touring artists, having played hundreds of sold-out concerts both in India and abroad over the years. When asked to name the one dream collaboration that she is still looking forward to, Ghoshal thought long and hard. “I used to be a big fan of Rahman saab’s,” she said about the Oscar and Grammy-winning composer who she has teamed up with on a few projects. “And although those collaborations have happened, there is a thirst for more.”