Celebrated playback singer Shreya Ghoshal has shared her candid thoughts on the practice of lip-syncing during live performances, calling it “lazy work” and emphasising the importance of dedication and honesty in an artist’s craft. Known for her powerful and melodious voice, Shreya has built a reputation for delivering flawless live performances, often singing without heavy musical backing. Her comments have reignited discussions about authenticity in concerts and stage performances.
In a recent podcast with entrepreneur and content creator Raj Shamani, Shreya spoke openly about singers who rely on lip-syncing instead of performing live. She did not hold back in expressing her personal views on the matter.
“That’s just a lazy act. Apne mehanat nahi kari (you haven’t put in the hard work). In my personal opinion, it’s not a good approach,” she said during the conversation. According to the singer, performing live is a key part of an artist’s responsibility, and audiences deserve to hear genuine vocals rather than pre-recorded tracks.
Shreya further explained that beyond lip-syncing, there is another issue she often notices in performances—artists taking the stage without maintaining the quality and standards expected from them. While she acknowledged that audiences may have their own preferences, she believes performers should hold themselves to higher personal standards.
“I can’t discredit what the audience likes, but I have certain principles as an artist,” she said. “I have a problem with any performance of mine being played publicly that I myself wouldn’t even be able to listen to.”
For Shreya, the idea of a subpar performance circulating publicly is deeply uncomfortable. She described it as humiliating and said artists should feel uneasy if their work does not meet their own expectations.
“For me, that is extremely humiliating and insulting,” she added. “An artist should feel uncomfortable if a song or live performance of theirs is being played around that has already failed. You’ll always think, ‘Why did I do that?’”
The singer stressed that success should never make an artist complacent. Instead, it should motivate them to work even harder. According to her, artists who have achieved recognition must continue to practice and improve their craft every single day.
“Either you work hard on your craft because you’ve earned that crown or throne — don’t take it lightly thinking you’ve already achieved it. You have to work hard every single day,” she said.
The conversation comes at a time when lip-syncing has once again become a topic of debate among audiences. In February, Indo-Canadian singer AP Dhillon appeared on the comedy show The Great Indian Kapil Show. During the episode, he was seen lip-syncing to his popular track With You. The moment quickly sparked criticism online, with several viewers questioning why the singer did not perform the song live.
Shreya Ghoshal’s own journey in the music industry began remarkably early. She was only 16 years old when she made her playback singing debut in the 2002 film Devdas, directed by acclaimed filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali. Her song Bairi Piya from the film earned her the National Award for Best Female Playback Singer, marking an extraordinary start to her career.
Over the years, Shreya has become one of India’s most versatile and respected singers. She has recorded songs in several languages, including Hindi, Bengali, Kannada, Telugu, Tamil and Malayalam, building a vast and diverse discography.
Among her most loved songs are Jaadu Hai Nasha Hai, Dheere Jalna, Yeh Ishq Hai and Pherari Mon from the Bengali film Antaheen. Her ability to effortlessly adapt to different musical styles has made her a favourite among music directors and audiences alike.
Most recently, Shreya lent her voice to the song Maatrubhumi from the film Battle of Galwan starring Salman Khan. The track has already started gaining attention among fans of patriotic music.
Apart from her singing projects, Shreya is also currently appearing on television as a judge on Indian Idol Season 16 alongside fellow musicians Badshah and Vishal Dadlani.
Adding to her busy schedule, the singer has also announced her upcoming world tour titled The Unstoppable. The tour will take her to several international destinations, including the United Kingdom, the United States, Abu Dhabi and various cities across India.
Through her latest remarks, Shreya Ghoshal has once again emphasised the value of authenticity, discipline and dedication in music—reminding artists that true respect from audiences comes from genuine talent and relentless hard work.