Pop star Shweta Shetty, the dusky beauty who made 90s kids go Deewane with her incredible songs and beautiful voice, talks to Verus Ferreira on her comeback, her life in Germany, her first love — music and being inspired by artists like Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey, the crux of which her show NCPA Legends was based on.

You performed at the NCPA Legends with Shweta Shetty a few months ago?

This was like a dream come true.  NCPA is a manifestations. I've performed there, but it's always with others. You know, this is the first solo show, and what a show, because this is the first time that an Indian singer gets to sing all these great songs of legends that you can only dream of. I mean, you sing in karaoke, you can sing in the bathroom,

You can sing at your friend's party. But to be able to sing all these legendary singers like Aretha Franklin, Amy Winehouse, Prince, Whitney Houston, and Mariah Carey, these are the singers I've grown up with. So, it's not; it’s a challenge because, you know, people are going to compare how you sing it and how Aretha Franklin sings it. As I said, it's a tough audience, but I've worked hard. I've worked for five months on the show. The NCPA gave me a free hand with the choice of my songs, the curation of the show, and the musicians. Luckily, I've got help from a guy called Andre, who got me all these fabulous female vocalists in a female band. I wanted a female band because I feel that women power; there’s nothing more combustible and powerful when like-minded musicians, women especially, come together.

So what did you do at the show?

This is the first time we have this all-women band coming together, performing really tough numbers. Even the octaves, I didn’t think I’d have someone to reaching that three-octave note in Time to Say Goodbye, which Sarah Brightman and Andre Bocelli originally sang. Okay, I have been trained under Sarah Brightman, performing with her for one year worldwide. So that's the best Guru Dakshina an artist can get to be trained by somebody like that. When I mean introduced, I don't tell, you know, she took me into a room and said, you know, you should sing like this. It was just the training and watching her. And yeah, there were songs, by outstanding musicians, and songs that people have grown up with.

So, the genre was very wide. Soul, jazz, funk, pop, rock, and all in English. Honor that I don’t think nobody has got because, typically, NCPA Legends always has artists from abroad, different artists performing different songs, but this was an honor.  I hope I could take this band and the show to different parts of India to show. We Indians also have that talent to sing these different genres of music, which they don't expect. Let this be a surprise and reach other cities with our music.

How does it feel to reconnect with your fans?

You know, there's one thing about India. A fan following is not fickle like in some parts of the world. We have a loyal fan following. And I'm not just talking about me; I’m talking about artists and singers. People still say, wow, you know, Lata Mangeshkar, bless her soul when she was alive. They had packed audiences, whether it's an actor or actress, and when you have made a mark with your talent, you will always have your fans. They will always support you. They will always build you because it is just your hard work. You know, and especially when they know there's been no godfather or no publicity which has given you that launch pad or anything,

People respect that because they know how hard it is. Forget making a name, but just being alive after all these years in people's memories. That's a big achievement. And when you earn that respect from your fans, they will be with you, keeping your music alive and busy. So that's what keeps us alive, the love of the fans. And, of course, the love of being on stage and singing once again is nothing compared to that. So, I hope I've answered that question.

How has your journey been right from the start when you got into music? What were the high points in your career?

Well, my entry into the music industry was at 17 or 16. I was still in Xavier's and the bug of acting, singing, and dancing between. It was a rocky start because I had a conservative upbringing in the Shetty household; nobody was in the entertainment industry then.

Nobody even thought about it. Because that's how it was, you know, you get married at a certain age, you have families, and you settle your families, and that was the end of it, the quintessential bunt girl. And I was anything but that. I was a black sheep and a proud black sheep of my color. And I just was, you know, I had to box my way through everything without really any support financially as well as emotionally, you know,

Because I decided to do and take up music, the only thing that kept me happy was singing and being on stage. There was no question of, you know, attaining that kind of popularity or fame and money. It was just a joy and the love of music because I think my mother was also an amazing singer,

She had a beautiful voice. So, I think that kind of was just passed on, and that's how I got into music. And then one thing led to another. Everything was just so unplanned, you know, because you don't have that kind of support from the family, you don't have godfathers, you don't have anybody you're having an affair with to push you or anything.

It has just been sheer grit, determination, and hard work. And, of course, if I didn't have the talent, I wouldn't have made it so far. So, talent is the number one gift that you can have to have a successful journey and, you know, sustain it.

Of course, we went through our highs and lows, and it was a rocky start, which eventually had a nice ending. And then I just got a lot more confident. And when you're a lot more confident, you can take that risk. But I never wanted to be stereotyped, whether it was my Hindi pop songs or Bollywood songs. I needed a little more substance to the songs I was singing, so I said no to many and yes to few. Yeah, and the rest is history.

In the 90s, it was more of a male-dominated music scene. What did you do to survive in such a volatile industry?

Yes, it was a male-dominated society in the 90s, and I still think it's a male-dominated society even now. And I think that will always remain the same because that's just a tradition. We believe in goddesses and everything, but the real power is always with the men. Andthat hasn’t changed, maybe to a small extent, but it's still the same. So, I am still trying to figure out what I did in a male-dominated society at that point. I just was myself. I was just Shweta Shetty. There were no pretenses, nofaçade; therewere no masks. It was just me. Like it or leave it. And,of course, you make many friends; you make genuine friends because then they don't mess with you. After all, I had my view. I did get into trouble many times with important people,

but you know, that's the way I am. I'd rather be truthful than do something that will not work or make me happy or the other person happy. And that has stayed the same.

Your pop songs like Deewane Toh Deewane Hain, Johnny Joker, and Bollywood hits like Rukmani Rukmani, Mangta Hai Kya, and Poster Lagwa Do are trademark Shweta.  What did you always prefer, Indi pop or Bollywood?

I think if you ask any singer this question, even today, they will tell you, of course, Hindi pop. The simple reason is that it's your trademark; you take credit for it. It's your face, your music; it’s your talent that's on the platform for everybody to see. So obviously, because it's your baby, you prefer doing something like that. And, of course, Bollywood reaches much, much higher; there’s no question about it. But then it's always that the success is divided, you know. So, parts of it probably go to Kareena Kapoor, parts go to maybe Ranveer, and parts go to the music director and the singer. So, for me, it's always been pop.

And when I did any Bollywood song, I sang it in such a way that I could get some recognition, you know what I mean? You have to be different to cut into a song so that you're different. You know, you usually hear a song, and you say, that's Kareena's song; that’s Ranveer's. The singer is always like, oh, you know, things are changing now. Singers are also getting that credit.

But I still feel that as a pop song, you're going as an entity, you know, that nobody can take from you.

Around two years back, you came up with a disco version of your 90s top hit,Jalne Mein Hai Mazaa. What made you decide to rework it?

Jalne mein Hai Maza happened because, I think, during the pandemic, that's 2020 and 2021, we were all locked at home. Deewane to Deewane had a rebirth, a resurgence. And suddenly, everybody was like, oh my God, di, Khidki pe aauna, baharnajaao, I was tagged. That song just went viral.

And the younger generation who didn't know about the song or hadn't heard about me suddenly discovered and recognized me. And I fell in love with the music, video, and concept. It was just one of a kind. The whole thing just fell into place. And that just got so popular once again that I said, God, I have to do something and ride along this wonderful high wave. And I've always wanted to do Jalne Mein Hai Maza because it was just such a lovely ballad that we didn't do, sadly, a video for it. And I wanted to do a funky style. So there was this DJ called Addy who came up with the idea of doing a song during the pandemic because Deewane was such a, like I said, had such a rebirth. So, you know, we were all stuck at home.

We had only video cameras. It was an experiment. There was nothing where we thought, oh my God, this video will go viral. We just did a song called Darona, where I wrote the lyrics and was shot in my room at Altamount Road room and sent to Addy. It was different from the professional thing. It was just one of those fun things that we did. And, you know, basically entertain in our way. But I also wanted to see what it was like to slowly get into a world I had left behind a very long time ago.

That encouraged me to do Jalne Mein Hai Maaza once again. I said, Addy, let's do a little funky thing to it. And yeah, then we put in our money and decided, OK, the song has come out well. Let's do a video of it. And I think things were just slowly opening up, and I went to Goa and shot that video.

And that was very nice video. It was very well received. And this was all during the pandemic. So, this was to bring a little cheer to people's lives. And also, this was important for me to realize that I still have it within me. The artist in you never dies. You know, when God gives you a talent, it has to be utilized. It will stay dormant.

But at some point, it will stay dormant only for a certain point. But at some point, it has to overflow. And that was the beginning of, you know, small things. When you get the encouragement, you take bigger risk. And then, of course, the other show happened at the Royal Opera House. And now, for me, the NCPA legends. This is, of course, the cherry on the icing.

Your looks with the permed hairstyle in your music videos have always been very distinctive. How do you manage to create it?

Well, I do have curly hair. I perm it once in two years because it’s very South Indian wavy hair, which I hate, and all over the place. So, the perm happens once in two years so that all the crazy wavy hair comes together and gives it some structure. It’s below my shoulder, and I have cut it really short. Yes, it has become a trademark like Diana Ross, Chaka Khan my hair is my USP. Every time I cut my hair short, I get comments from all quarters from friends and people in the music industry that it’s your trademark. I would love to do something different, but I just have funny hair and you can’t do much. It has been with me for so long that any change is detrimental. I have cut my hair short, and you’ll see it for the show. I wanted to cut it short but chickened out that let’s leave it where it is. 

When you were doing well in your music career, you one day decided to give up everything and move to Germany. What made you make such a significant decision, knowing you would leave a successful music career back home?

Yeah, one of those die-hard, hardcore romantics, which is why I love ballads. You will see much soul in my music; I put my heart and soul into anything that I love. And it just happened to be that I just fell in love with a guy. I didn't look at his religion, color, or where he lived. It just knocked, and I opened it, and that's it.

I just flew away. And at that point, I didn't really think about it. There were people around me saying, my God, what are you doing? And I'm like, nothing. I'm just getting married. He says you're not going to be here anymore. I said, yeah, I know, but what do I do? So, of course, when I went there, I did have my doubts, but it was not that I disconnected.

I did come back when I was married. I did Tote Tote and I did Ore Ore from Ziddi. So I did a coupleof shows in Europe. I did come to India also. But then, I think when pop music started dying, so did the artists. So the artists that did Bollywood, they were the ones who stayed alive. And the ones who didn't do Bollywood were just like, you know, forgotten. Well,still. I wouldn't say forgotten. My songs kept me alive. But you know, I was just so happy. I was traveling the world. I also got to do a couple of gigs with artists like Jam and Spoon and Gregorians, Frank Peterson, and then the extensive world tour with Sarah Brightman. So it was not that I didn't do anything. It's just that the few that came my way, I've always been very selective. I did get in Germany to sing on cruise ships and, you know, in Mallorca and all these little bars and everything. But I wanted to do something else. And that was not the journey that I wanted to take. So I was thrilled being a housewife. I was comfortable doing my music. I was coming to Bombay, of course, to meet my parents once a year.

But yes, it would have been very different had I stayed in Bombay. But I don't think about this. What would have happened had I not got married? Had I stayed in Bombay? What were the heights of success that I would have reached? Would I have had that villa in Alibaug? I don't think about all that because what has to come when the time is right will all come to me. Nobodyis going to take that away from me. So, there are steps that I am taking in the right direction. And I think that's all that matters is not to give up. If God has given you a talent, you should follow that because not everybody has been gifted. And that's the only thing that I have. I don't know about anything else. Everything comes with an expiry date: your hair, teeth, face, and eyes. The only thing that has yet to expire is talent. And you should make use of it till you breathe your last.

You’ve returned back to India. Was it different to start all over again?

I moved to India on the 18th of August 2015 to be with my dad. was getting a little older, and since I didn't have that kind of bond with my mother, I couldn't spend so much time with her because I lived abroad; I didn't want to make that mistake. It was also the right time to come and spend time with him. I'm happy I did because I spent two wonderful years with my dad.

We had lunch together; I helped people with my yoga and slowly got back into my music. It took a little bit of time to get my foot into the music industry, but yeah, I'm happy that I managed to do that. There's much proving to do, how do you look, can you dance, can you sing, can you still hold an audience, can you still hit those notes, all these things.

It was a journey that I took; I took that challenge head-on. India is my home; Bombay is my home. It's become noisy and crowded, so I have moved to Alibaug. I come to Bombay every weekend, but I shifted base in Alibaug.

Reports also say you had an accident and post that you went into yoga and started a yoga school Shwetasana and meditation. Can you share your thoughts on this?

Yes, I had an accident in Corsica. I was engaged at that point to Clemens, and I had a really bad accident and was rushed to the hospital in Germany. Ididn't speak that language. It was a depressing phase for me because A, you are in a country that is cold that got dark quickly, and I just got engaged. So, I wasn't used to them; we have 24 -7 suns over here, also in a hospital with a broken leg.

I was just about to release Deewane To Deewanr Hai, and here I was in a hospital. I was recording for 50 years of India's independence in Corsica. Apna Ye Zaman Hai. There were all the other singers Sonu, myself, and Shaan. It was just something that happened, and I was laid up. It took a long time for me to get back into action. At that point, I took yoga very seriously because the doctors told me, yeah, we're not too sure whether you could run and walk and dance, and you might have a limp. These are things that I didn't want to hear. Even if doctors tell me I have ten days, I'm one of those people who will say; I’ll prove you wrong.

I think of something positive that will give me that extra run from the expiry date that the doctors have given me. So, when I heard all these things, oh my God, not be able to dance, walk, this, all that, I started taking my yoga seriously. I started meditating because it was a little bit of a low depression that you go through when you can't do much. Your mind works over time. So that's when I decided, Isaid, when I get better, I'm just going to help other people with yoga and meditation because that's the real thing that got me out of it. I also was in a land where I didn't know anybody except my ex-husband. I didn't have too many friends at that point. I still don't, because you don't have the kind of friendship you have in India. I have my godmother, Uta, a amazing journalist, and my ex-husband, whom I’m extremely close to. So that's my family in Germany.

Do you still visit Germany often, or has your base now shifted to India permanently?

I go to Germany once every year and spend time with my ex-husband and godmother; I have a few friends. I love Hamburg; I love the oceans, the lakes, the places, the openness, the nature, the beach. So, it's always a place I need to go once a year to energize myself and spend quality time with my family. They're the only family that I have. So yeah, I love Hamburg, I love Germany.

How has the music scene changed in India compared to when you were making music in the 90s, which I would say was the golden years of the Indian Indi-pop music industry?

Well, everything has changed as far as entertainment is concerned. Not just music. The golden era that everybody had and rode on. I'm happy that we did. At least we've experienced it. I feel sorry for the people coming in now because it's a real uphill task, especially post COVID and recession.

It has been hard on all of us, but the tough ones keep moving forward. And I wonder if things will ever be the same again. And even if it will be the same again, it will take a little time. But people are buckling up because we can't do the things we did then and expect to have a change. After all, you must understand that our audience today differs from the gullible audience we had then.

They're very discerning. They know their music. They have talent in every fiber of their beings. So, you cannot fool them with anything substandard or mediocre or things that have been done many times before. It's a tough audience.

Once you crack open that nut, it's easier to prove yourself, but you must prove yourself. Because these are the ones that make you, these are the ones that make you. These are the ones that give you that love, that respect. And it has to be earned. And that must be achieved with something reasonable today. And I'm thrilled because the standards are so high.

And it's the audience that has raised the bar. And if we don't rise to that, we’ll fall.

Interviewed by Verus Ferreira