Popular playback singer Shreya Ghoshal made her Bollywood singing debut with Devdas, directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, at the age of 16. She sang 5 songs in the film, which became an important turning point in her career. Since then, Shreya has established herself as one of the most recognised playback singers and has worked across several Indian languages. However, the singer has also become more careful about the kind of songs she chooses to sing. In a recent interaction with The Male Feminist Podcast, Shreya opened up about rejecting some songs because she was not comfortable with their lyrics and overall presentation.
When Shreya was asked if she had ever refused songs because of inappropriate lyrics, she explained that the issue is not limited to the words. According to her, the composition and the way a song is sung also matter. “The lyrics are one thing. There is also a composition and singing style. There were some popular songs which did very well, but I said no. Thankfully, now, those songs have become quite less. After a point, the songs in films became such that only those types of songs were given to female singers. The rest are male songs, and there are some romantic duets.”
Shreya also spoke about the larger gender imbalance she has noticed in the music industry. She said the issue affects singers, actresses and others working in films. “So we have to see where it is stemming from. The problem is for singers and actresses and everyone who is part of this industry. It is a slightly patriarchal, gender-based thing. But the good thing is now, because of independent music, it is changing. But still, I feel it is very male-heavy. I have spoken very strongly about it earlier, and I don’t mind if it is taken in a good way or a bad way,” she said.
Shreya had also discussed the subject during a chat with Lilly Singh in 2025. At the time, she admitted that she had sung raunchy songs such as Chikni Chameli, but said she would not choose to sing the song today. She explained that there is an important difference between sensuality and objectification, especially when young children repeat lyrics without understanding their meaning. “There is a very fine line between being sensual, sexy, and being outright objectified, or objectifying women in general. The reason I’ve become more conscious over time is that I see little girls singing these songs without understanding their meaning. They’re just dancing to them, and they come to me saying, ‘Oh, we love your song! Can we sing it for you?’ and I feel very embarrassed. A little girl, just five or six years old, singing those lyrics, it doesn’t sound right.”
Over the years, Shreya has lent her voice to popular songs including Ye Ishq Hai, Manwa Laage, Sunn Raha Hai, Saathiyaa, Agar Tum Mil Jao, Deewani Mastani, Teri Ore, Barso Re, Dola Re Dola, Angaaron, Tum Kya Mile, Ve Kamleya and Maatrubhumi. She has also received several honours, including five National Film Awards.
