She was an engineer. Then, she decided to sing!

Why Shalini Tomar decided to follow her dreams.
Text, video: Hitesh Harisinghani/Rediff.com

This story begins when a young girl, Ess Tee aka Shalini Tomar, shifted from Faridabad to Delhi, with the dream of making it big in showbiz.

She spent the last six years hosting numerous events, including the first and second season of India's Dance Idol, slowly turning her dream into reality.

Shalini's Instagram account describes her as an Anchor/Model/Emcee/Entertainer/Fashion Blogger.

One more label might soon get added -- Singer.

While hosting events, she would sing along with her friends just for fun! "And they encouraged me to pursue singing as they thought I was good," she laughs.

Shalini will soon release her first single, a peppy number starring her and shot in Dubai.

Tell us about yourself.

I'm a very passionate and fun-loving girl. In short, I can be described as a perfect entertainer.

I have done my engineering from HCE college in Sonepat.

My strength is my positive attitude and my will to achieve my dreams.

Did music always fascinate you?

Yes.

Music relaxes me as it brings out true emotions.

Millions can relate to a single song; isn't that fascinating?

Who are the people who inspire you?

My mom is my biggest inspiration.

We belong to a middle class family jahan itni azadi nahi hoti ladkiyon ke liye (where girls don't have that much freedom). But I stood up for myself and have been trying to prove myself.

My mom has always wanted to see me become something in life and this makes me work harder everyday.

How supportive were your parents about your choice of profession?

They are very supportive.

They have always given me the freedom to live the way I want so that I can fulfill my dreams.

Koi bhi dress pehen ne ke liye nahi rokha (I could wear what I wanted).

As an anchor, who are the coolest people you interacted with?

B Praak, Sourav Ganguly, Gulshan Grover and Suniel Shetty, to name a few.

Tell us about your journey from anchor to a singer.

Life is a rollercoaster and one should do whatever they are capable of.

Anchoring is my profession whereas singing is my passion.

People are going to be surprised by my singing :)

What does Ess Tee mean? Why did you chose it as your name?

Ess Tee is the initials of my name, Shalini Tomar. It symbolises my style and passion.

Many celebrities have a stage name, so why not me :)

Tell us about your single.

We will soon be coming out with the title of the song. The idea of the song came randomly.

The song will be produced by Vineet Chaudhary who used to manage Yo Yo Honey Singh and Indeep Bakshi.

Weez Muzic has created the lyrics and music.

Watch Shalini sing Zara Zara!

She shares her love for shayari (poetry).

Shalini's dedication to women.

Feature Presentation: Rajesh Alva/Rediff.com