Payal Dev's last hit track was Bhaare Baazar from the movie Namaste England. She speaks with SHALINI SAKSENA about working with Sanjay Leela Bhansali among other things

• Does it surprise you each time a song does well?

Yes, I am happy that Bhaare Baazar from Namaste England has done so well. And yes, it does leave me surprised when people compliment me on my success. The same had happened with Haseeno Ka Deewana from Kaabil. At that time, I didn’t expect the song to do so well. After that hit, this is the second song where I think I have done well.

• Are there any common challenges you face in the studio?

There are challenges; it depends on the genre you get. There are times when you get a song which you have not sung before. In that case, the task is how to modulate your voice and do variations to give your best for that song. One has to always give one’s 100 per cent.

• Is it tough to sing for Bollywood given that you are a classical singing?

I was in Class X when I graduated in classical music. That was a time when I started getting interested in listening to Bollywood songs. Classical singing is tough as compared to songs. At that time, I only wanted to sing for movies. But my mother insisted that I make my base strong so I stuck to classical. She was my guru since I was an impatient student and couldn’t learn from others.

nWhat does your mother think of your singing for Bollywood?

She is happy for me. She is thrilled that I can sing classical and Bollywood. She feels that the reason why I can give my modulation to different genres and sing in different languages because I shifted to singing for movies.

• Don’t you think that the reason why you can sing in different genre because of your classical background?

It is God’s gift that I can sing in many languages and genres —  pop, western, jazz, ghazals, hip-hop, rock. I have been lucky too that people give me different genres to experiment with.

• How was it to work with Sanjay Leela Bhansali?

It was such a fantastic experience. I was in Class VII when I was hooked to listening to songs from Dev Das; I would hear the songs the whole day. At that time I never expected to work with him back then. Then I started working in the industry and then one day I get a call from his office. He made me listen to a composition and asked me to practise it. I recorded the song in my studio and sent it to him. To my utter amazement, he loved my voice and I ended up singing for him — Bajirao Mastani.

• Is there a favourite song?

Yes, I love Ab Tohe Jane Na Doongi from Bajirao Mastani.

• What about working in indie space?

There is a song for a film starring Sharman Joshi where I sound as if I was drunk. Then there was a song for Jack and Dil. I released two singles already. I am working on two-three more.