Shalmali Kholgade has a problem with high volume music at Ganpati pandals

Shalmali Kholgade sang at the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne on August 12.

Ganesh Chaturthi is a festival that is celebrated widely in Maharashtra. And there’s a growing trend of playing Bollywood music, especially item numbers, at many Ganpati pandals across the city.

Shalmali Kholgade sang at the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne on August 12.

While many find this offensive and hurtful to religious sentiments, singer Shalmali Kholgade has a different perspective.

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“People can celebrate [Ganesh Chaturthi] in whatever way they want to — be it with item numbers or religious tracks. The only thing I have an objection to is the decibel levels of music. As far as sentiments are concerned, just as the religious lot has theirs, the ones enjoying the item songs too,” says Shalmali.

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Shalmali also feels that every artiste in the industry has his or her strong points, and that a film album is made in a way that it incorporates every artiste’s strengths. “Today, a film’s music album, has one or two party songs and a track about heartbreak. A unique-textured voice can’t do justice to all the songs. The golden voices of Monali (Thakur) and Shreya (Ghoshal) are better suited for them.”