Shreya Ghoshal recalls how Sanjay Leela Bhansali turned a casual studio test into her Devdas debut Bairi Piya: 'Mujhse ho nahi raha tha'

For millions of music lovers, Shreya Ghoshal’s voice has come to embody grace, melody, and timeless emotion. But for Shreya herself, it all traces back to one unforgettable day when Sanjay Leela Bhansali, the filmmaker with an instinctive ear for music, transformed what seemed like a casual rehearsal into the beginning of her playback journey.

The ‘Bairi Piya’ recording

The memory is etched in her mind: the recording of “Bairi Piya” from Devdas. “Bairi Piya was a beautiful experience, and it was so magical,” she recalled, as quoted by News18. Shreya had been attending rehearsals, with Bhansali encouraging her to get comfortable. “Ek din aise studio bula liya, and I am talking about Western Outdoor. Toh unhone bola ki arrangement is done, so let her just wear the headphones, sing, and see if she is comfortable.

Just run through once.”Believing it was only a sound check, Shreya sang freely, without pressure. “I thought they just wanted to see if I was comfortable,” she said. But as she poured herself into the song, she noticed Bhansali’s expression from behind the glass, urging her to keep going. “Then he said, ‘Ab suno apna.’ Main toh apni hi awaaz dari dari sun rahi hoon, and Sanjay ji mujhe dekh rahe hain.”

A ‘test’ that became the final take

What she didn’t realise was that the so-called “run through” was already her final take. Bhansali, convinced of her gift, had made his decision. “Daman Sood ji ko ‘maine kaha tha na,’ woh bhi bahut khush hain. Ismail ji ko bhi Sanjay ji dekh rahe hain, ‘maine kaha tha na,’” Shreya remembered with a smile. “The fact is, that was my test also, and that was my final take also.”The only element re-recorded was a laugh in the song, which Shreya admits never came out quite right. “Yeh mujhse ho nahi raha tha. Isliye woh hasi badi ajeeb si hai. Aap sunna kabhi,” she confessed with a laugh.