Tell us about yourself, your background and what you do currently
I’m Shirley, was born in Daman, but moved to Auckland, New Zealand with my family when I was very young, hence I’ve lived most of my life there. A few years ago, when I randomly uploaded a video of me singing a version of Tum Hi Ho on YouTube, it went viral. It was then when it struck me that I could sing, and that I should give it a go. I’ve now moved to Mumbai, and for the past 10 months have been really enjoying my time here working and slowly chasing my dreams.
Tell us about any current projects or initiatives you wish to promote
I started off doing cover versions of the songs I liked but I am working on a lot of originals as of now. I feel they help me better express my feelings, and I’m really enjoying the process of making those come to life.
What has been your biggest challenge in achieving your success?
I feel that I have a long way to go still as I have just started to do what I love, but one of the challenges I‘ve faced has definitely been trolls or negative comments on social media. Because that’s how I began my journey, initially it all used to affect me a lot. But slowly I realised that they do it just to grab your attention. You would rather give that time and energy to something more positive and constructive. It’s very easy to get clouded by a lot of opinions, but as long as you know what you’re doing, and your family supports you’ll be fine.
What has been your greatest achievement personally?
Initially my parents were unsure about me moving to India to pursue a career in the entertainment industry. Since no one from my family belongs from this space, it was surely a big move for me and for them for letting me come and try. Now when I see them happy and so supportive of my work, it’s the best feeling ever – possibly one that cannot be replaced.
If you weren’t doing what you do now, what would you be doing?
I would probably be working in the digital marketing space as that’s what I studied and graduated in at university.
Who has been your biggest inspiration?
My parents are my biggest inspiration. They’ve always worked so hard to give me and my brother the life that we’ve lived and I could never thank them enough for it. I just hope I keep do good work to make them proud someday.
What does the future hold for you?
I am someone who truly goes with the flow. I surely am working on originals, but if other good opportunities come my way, I‘ll be sure to grab them.
