In an exclusive conversation with mid-day`s  The Bombay Film Story , singer Shilpa Rao opened up about the personal choices and emotional journey that shaped her, from changing her name to navigating a demanding guru-shishya relationship with her father, who trained her in music.

Shilpa Rao on changing her name Apeksha

Clearing long-standing confusion around her name, Shilpa revealed that she was always “Shilpa” at home. “I was born as Shilpa at home,” she said, explaining how names were often decided informally at birth. The name Apeksha, she shared, entered her life later. “Apeksha was when I went to school and you had to write a proper name.” While her school certificates still carry Apeksha Rao, official documents like her passport read Shilpa Rao.