She has been spinning moh moh ke dhaage with her mellifluous voice for almost a decade.
She's also displayed her acting chops by playing a 14-year-old trafficking victim at age 29, is a trained salsa dancer and has launched an apparel line in Calcutta.
Meet Monali Thakur (31), the multi-faceted National Award winning singer, who is scheduled to perform in Jamshedpur on Chhath Thursday.
Born in a Bengali musical family and trained in Hindustani classical music, Monali is one of those rare singers who has made a mark in several genres of music.
After reality show Indian Idol 2 in 2005 shot her to fame, Monali took Bollywood by storm with chartbusters like Zara zara touch me and Khwab dekhe.
"Being trained in classical music helped me try out different forms of music," she said.
It's almost been a year since Monali received her first National Film Award for Moh moh ke dhaage from the movie Dum Laga Ke Haisha.
Yet, she prefers to stay grounded.
"I'll always be very thankful to Anu ji (Anu Malik) for remembering my voice and trusting me with such a beautiful melody," she said.
In the early stages of her career, Monali strove hard to carve a niche. "Initially, I never got a chance to sing a semi-classical song or even a romantic number. It took me few years to convince music directors and get into the romantic space. But it has been a lovely journey so far."
There's more to her than singing. From gaining plaudits for her power-packed role of a trafficking victim in Lakshmi to sharing screen space with Aamir Khan in the recently released Secret Superstar, the singer considers herself to be a true entertainer.
"I feel lucky to be able to express myself as a singer, actor or a dancer. Sharing screen space with Aamir Sir is like a dream come true. I was so nervous initially as in my very first scene I had to fight with him like a madwoman. But then considering how brilliant an actor he is, the scene went off smoothly."
As an Indian Idol contestant who went on to judge Rising Star and Sa Re Ga Ma Pa, Monali shares a personal connection with reality shows. "I feel these shows definitely help performers when to comes to live gigs and get noticed."
She promised Jamshedpur a melodious Chhath. "I had performed in Jharkhand years back. I promise to entertain the audience this time too," she signed off.