Shalmali Kholgade is an Indian playback singer, songwriter, and composer known primarily for her work in Hindi and Marathi films. She has also sung in Bengali, Telugu, and Tamil. Her distinctive voice and energetic singing style have made her a recognized name in contemporary Indian film music.
She gained major recognition with “Pareshaan” from Ishaqzaade (2012), composed by Amit Trivedi. The song became a major breakthrough for her and earned her the Filmfare Award for Best Female Playback Singer.
Some of her popular songs include “Pareshaan,” “Daaru Desi,” “Balam Pichkari,” “Aga Bai,” “Shakira,” “Dhoom Dhaam,” “Baby Ko Bass Pasand Hai,” “Lat Lag Gayi,” “Chingam Chabake,” and “Mere Sawaal Ka.”Shalmali Kholgade was born in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India, and developed an interest in music from a young age. She began receiving musical training at the age of eight and performed publicly as a teenager. Her early musical experience included performing as a soloist and working as a backing vocalist.
She made her Bollywood playback-singing debut as a lead vocalist with “Pareshaan” from Ishaqzaade in 2012. The song, composed by Amit Trivedi, brought her widespread recognition and established her as one of the notable new voices in Hindi film music.
Shalmali subsequently contributed vocals to several successful Hindi films. Her popular playback credits include songs from Cocktail, Race 2, Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani, Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania, Mere Brother Ki Dulhan, Aiyyaa, Badrinath Ki Dulhania, and other films.
Apart from playback singing, Shalmali has developed her career as an independent singer-songwriter and composer. Spotify notes that she entered the independent music space in 2019 and later attended a summer programme at Berklee, where she worked on developing her original music. Her independent catalogue includes Hindi and English originals as well as collaborations with artists such as Sunidhi Chauhan, Vishal Dadlani, Rajan Batra, and Hanumankind.
Shalmali has continued to remain active in music. Her recent catalogue includes releases such as “Awaara,” “Holo Lolo,” “Kinaare,” and other recordings, while her 2026 activities and releases demonstrate her continuing involvement in the music industry.