MUMBAI: Last we heard her when she crooned the iconic Aaj Jane Ki Zid Na Karo for Saba in Aye Dil Hai Mushkil, played by Aishwarya Rai. And here she is, singing for Rani Mukerji’s starrer Hichki after one and a half years.

Commenting on her unintentional hiatus, Shilpa Rao says, “These hiatuses are not actually planned, as movie releases are not in our hands. So, as and when the movie releases, our songs are heard. Like Bang Bang was supposed to release in 2013, but by the time it released it was 2014.”

Her new song that has released is for Rani Mukerji’s movie Hichki, called Phir Kya Hai Gham. The song is about how one shouldn’t give up on their dreams no matter what the hurdles. The song is a part of the narrative and not a lip sync song. “When I was first approached for the song, I didn’t know it was for a Rani Mukerji starrer, but only after I recorded the first draft did I know the movie and the actress,” says the singer who has been the musical voice for actresses like Aishwarya Rai, Deepika Padukone, Vidya Balan in the past.

Shilpa Rao’s first song that released was for movie Anwar in 2007 and she won her first Filmfare in 2009 for the song Khuda Jaane from Bachna Ae Haseeno. Her journey has graduated from talent hunt contest to singing for jingles to playback singing. Speaking about her journey, “I have been fortunate to meet, interact and work with great people. It has been a learning experience and great journey.”

She has also taken formal training from Ustad Ghulam Mustafa Khan on which she says, “I am really blessed. Whatever I sing today is because of him, Hariharan Uncle (noted singer Hariharan) and my father. It was Hariharan uncle who took me to Ustadji and I am forever grateful to him for that, as Ustadji’s training has done miracles for me.”

Shilpa is also one of the rare singing talent currently, who has worked with varied music composers. Be it the legendary Ilyaraja for Paa or currently with Jasleen Royal for Hichki or Amit Trivedi for Lootera, Shilpa has worked with the best. She shares, “It is a fulfilling experience to have worked with each of them. The styles are different, but at the end of the day one thing stands common with all the composer is that all of them want their song to sound great.”

Shilpa has also been part of Coke Studio and is one the rare singers to have been part of Coke Studio Pakistan too. She is also looking forward to her new single, on which she says, “I am working towards my single with music composer Sudhanshu. It should be out after I am back from US tour, which I start in April.”

She is glad about the resurgence of non-film music in the industry, “I think its great and definitely something that industry needs. It’s a great development and I hope it progresses further.”