Tanvi Shah’s comeback song is in Sinhalese — and it came after a life-changing year

Singer Tanvi Shah is getting used to greeting people with ‘Ayubowan’, the Sinhalese word to welcome someone. Post a major health setback after getting diagnosed with breast cancer in 2023-2024, the Jai Ho singer has now made a quiet comeback: with a Sinhalese track, titled ‘Baala Kaale’.

“I did not think I would ever get into the studio and sing again,” she says, “But it is happening, and I’m going with the flow.”

The first Indian woman to get a Grammy, Tanvi’s latest song was born during a chance meeting with Sri Lankan musical artiste Jo Perera in June 2025. “He was shocked that I had heard some of their Sinhalese tracks,” she grins, “They were fun and Gen-Zish.”

One thing led to another, and after a few conversations, the two got together to croon a track on young love. Titled ‘Baala Kaale’, which means ‘the times when we were young’, the romantic duet is produced by Dilru Costa (Cozzy) and has lyrics by Jeewaka Weerasinghe, with backup vocals and harmonies by Samcy Philip. “It talks about two people who realised that they were in love all along, despite having drifted apart after childhood,” she explains.

Tanvi Shah
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While Tanvi is no stranger to studio sessions – thanks to her popular songs with multiple Indian music composers including AR Rahman and Yuvan Shankar Raja – ‘Baala Kaale’ presented three sets of challenges: a different language, a scale and genre she was not used to, and her post-cancer anxiety. “I kept thinking, ‘Will I be able to do this?’,” she recalls, “I needed to change my entire thought process to deliver it, but I was thoroughly happy doing it, and that’s what really matters.”

Tanvi Shah went through a rough health patch in 2023-24 when she was diagnosed with breast cancer, which led to months of surgery, chemotherapy and radiation sessions. During this phase, she also had second-degree burns and hair loss due to radiation. . What helped her stay with the times was actively listening to her favourite musicians. Her current playlist is diverse, filled with the tracks of Spanish musician Pablo Alboran, Brazilian singer Mari Froes and British singer-songwriter Olivia Dean, apart from Indian singing sensation Arijit Singh.

With another track up her sleeve, Tanvi is slowly, but surely, eyeing a comeback to the music scene. She is also keeping herself busy by teaching children vocal therapy. “Being with children helped me. When they ask me questions related to music, it helps me stay sharp and connected,” she says, “I feel this is a new life I’ve got, and I am trying to make the best of it.”