Key Highlights:

  • Shreya Ghoshal is returning to the phrase "Bairi Piya," her Bollywood playback debut song from "Devdas," with a new personal track.
  • She called the upcoming song "deeply personal," reflecting both who she was as an artist and who she has become.
  • The new song releases on September 25, with a pre-save link already available.
  • Shreya was discovered by Sanjay Leela Bhansali on "Sa Re Ga Ma" and recorded "Bairi Piya" at just 16 years old.
  • She sang five songs for "Devdas" in total, including "Dola Re Dola" and "Silsila Ye Chahat Ka," with "Bairi Piya" being her first.

Returning to a Phrase That Started It All

Singer Shreya Ghoshal is all set to revisit a phrase that holds special significance in her musical journey with her upcoming song "Bairi Piya," a track that helped her step into Hindi cinema in 2002.

Announcing the New Song

Shreya, who made her Bollywood playback debut with "Bairi Piya" from the iconic movie "Devdas," starring Shah Rukh Khan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, took to Instagram to announce that she is returning to this phrase with a song of her own.

Reflecting on Its Significance

"'Bairi Piya' was the song that became such an important part of my journey as a singer, and today, years later, I am returning to this phrase with a song of my own," Shreya wrote as the caption, tying her new release directly to the moment that launched her Bollywood career.

Why the Song Feels Deeply Personal

The singer said that this song is deeply close to her. Revealing the reason why, she wrote, "This song is deeply personal, born from the artist I was, the artist I have become and a desire to explore a side of myself that feels freer and more instinctive. Feels like a beautiful full-circle moment. Coming out on 25th September. Pre-save link is available now."

About the Film That Started It All

"Devdas" is a period romantic drama film directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali. The film stars Madhuri Dixit in lead roles, alongside Jackie Shroff, Kirron Kher, Smita Jaykar and Vijayendra Ghatge. Based on the Bengali-language 1917 novel of the same name by Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay, the film narrates the story of Devdas Mukherjee, a wealthy law graduate who returns from London to marry his childhood friend, Parvati. However, the rejection of their marriage by his own family sparks his descent into alcoholism, ultimately leading to his emotional deterioration.

How Shreya Was Discovered

As for Shreya, director Sanjay Leela Bhansali discovered her during her appearance on the reality show "Sa Re Ga Ma," and she recorded this track when she was just 16 years old, marking an extraordinarily young start to what would become one of the most celebrated playback singing careers in Indian cinema.

Her Full Contribution to Devdas

She sang five songs in total for "Devdas," including "Dola Re Dola" and "Silsila Ye Chahat Ka," but "Bairi Piya" was the very first one she recorded for the film, making it not just her debut but the literal starting point of her entire playback career.

Shreya's Musical Journey Since Then

In the more than two decades since "Devdas," Shreya has gone on to become one of the most prolific and celebrated playback singers in Indian film music, lending her voice to thousands of songs across Hindi, Bengali, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam and several other Indian languages. She has won numerous National Film Awards and Filmfare Awards over the course of her career, and her songs have spanned virtually every genre, from classical-inspired compositions to contemporary pop and romantic ballads. Beyond playback singing, Shreya has also built a strong reputation as a live performer, touring extensively both in India and internationally, and has served as a judge and mentor on several reality singing shows, continuing to shape the careers of the next generation of vocalists in much the same way her own break on "Sa Re Ga Ma" once shaped hers.

A Career Marked by Continuity and Evolution

What makes this return to "Bairi Piya" particularly notable is how it reflects Shreya's own description of artistic evolution, moving from the artist she was at 16 to the artist she has become today. Her career has been defined by this kind of consistency paired with reinvention, staying rooted in the classical and melodic sensibilities that first defined her while continuing to adapt to changing musical trends and personal artistic instincts, a quality this new, more independent and "freer" release appears to embody directly.