Shirley Setia Turns 33: The Inspiring Journey of the 'Pyjama Popstar'

Shirley Setia's journey from a digital sensation to a mainstream actress is an inspiration for her fans. She started recording popular YouTube song covers in her bedroom in her early days and her hard work helped her make it to the big screen. The Indo-Kiwi artist, also known as the "Pyjama Popstar" by her worldwide fan following, is celebrating her 33rd birthday on July 2, 2026. 

Her Journey from Youtube to Bollywood

The social media platform YouTube is a source of entertainment for many people, but Shirley saw it as the first step of her career. She recorded a cover of the song “Tum Hi Ho” and uploaded it to YouTube in her bedroom while wearing pajamas and participated in the T-Series competition. After that, people became fans of her voice, and the New Zealand Herald gave her the name “Pyjama Pop Star.”

But Shirley did not stop at singing. In 2020, she appeared in her first Netflix film “Maska”. In the film, she played an important role of an independent and intelligent girl named Persis Mistry. After that, she also worked in Nikamma and the Telugu film Krishna Vrinda Vihari.

Shirley’s career has been a wonderful journey, starting as a YouTube singer (“Pajama Pop Star”) and becoming a lead actress in Bollywood and South Indian cinema.

What did Shirley say on her birthday?

“Whenever it’s my birthday, it rains, and I feel that God is blessing me through the rain.”

At the same time, fans also wished her a happy birthday in the comments section. 

Built a career in singing while studying Marketing

While Shirley was studying Marketing at the University of Auckland, she started uploading song covers on YouTube as a hobby. Her cover of the song “Tum Hi Ho” won her the winner of the global T-Series competition. At the same time, Forbes magazine named her “Bollywood’s Next Big Singing Sensation.”

In 2017, she entered Bollywood with the song “Disco Disco” from Sidharth Malhotra’s film A Gentleman. She gave many hit singles such as the Punjabi song “Koi Vi Nahi,” “Naiyo Jaana,” and “Faasla” with Darshan Raval. She also worked with famous singers like Atif Aslam and Armaan Malik.

During this time, she also started performing live concerts around the world. She also came to be known as the ‘National Crush’ among fans.

Became a businesswoman 

Apart from Shirley's film career, she also launched her personal skincare brand named “Island.”

Shirley Setia was born on July 2, 1995, in the Union Territory of Daman, but she spent her childhood in New Zealand. In fact, shortly after Shirley’s birth, her parents moved to New Zealand. At present, Shirley is living in Mumbai.