Shalmali Kholgade had been apprised about the fact that creating a music album, in this day and age, isn’t a sound decision. In a world dominated by music streaming apps, albums were only infrequently consumed by listeners, she was told. But Kholgade had grown up modelling her life on the many American musicians that repeatedly form part of this discussion. 

“These artistes created their body of work [via] their albums, and it was important for me to experience what happens when I make one. I am old-school; I wanted to live the life that I had grown up admiring. The process of creating an album, and this body of work, was part of that plan. This may not be the best thing to do, but I want to invest time in seeing how this grows,” says the Balam pichkari singer, admitting that Bollywood musicians like her cling on to opportunities that give them the freedom to express themselves. “There is a sense of accomplishment.”