Page 8 - Seniorstoday September-2023 Issue

sisters. “You know once, Didi said in of anyone’s life. “If someone looks good,
an interview that she cannot sing some
songs that I do. Even RD Burman gave her
some very sweet and romantic songs and
I would get to voice all his experiments
from Piya tu ab to aaja, Oh meri jaan
maine kaha, Aaja aaja, or Oh mere sona.
So we have been different singers. If I even
copied her it would have been harakiri
because despite being different there were
comparisons,” she says.
Continuing in the same vein, she says
that the rivalry story was also a piece of
someone’s imagination. “There have been
troublemakers who have spread such
stories. A family will always remain one
but there were people from the music and
movie industry who were close to her,
would try not to even interact with me as if
they wanted to prove that they were in her
camp and we would come back home and
chat about it and laugh,” smiles Asha.
Proof of the fact that there was no real
rivalry also emanates from the statistics.
The sisters sang as many as 80 songs
together. “So the challenge here was for me
as to how I can sound different from her
and give my lines a twist after anticipating
what she would sing. So, yes, here was
something that I would term as healthy
competition,” explains the songstress.
Having said that Asha explains that
she came into the singing world after her
elder sister who has been a legend. “Why
would someone want two Taj Mahals? So
I needed to be different. Didi was not my
competition. She never sang the songs
that were offered to me. But there were
others like Geeta Dutt who pitched in to do
similar songs,” says Asha about her era.
Nifty at ninety
Asha says that hard work is the essence
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and can act well, he or she should pursue
it. If someone feels that education is good
for them and they are good at studies they
should follow it. But then whatever the
field, one needs to really work hard and
persevere. I wake up early in the morning
and take a bath, so I make my own tea. I
don’t wait for the maid to do it. Similarly
I have seen my father and his disciples
and did also sing since childhood. I never
thought I would be a playback singer when
I grow up. But I used to do my riyaaz and
sing. Even today, if I wake up at 5, I sing
at 5 or I surely sing from 7 to 9 am. If I am
unable to sleep at 2 am at times, I sing then
too. A lot of senior citizens who are my age
still do that and that is why they are fit,”
she tells the story of her success.
Asha says that she has the gift of Goddess
Saraswati. “That also means that one
should know how to use their tongue. If
you know how to speak with everyone – be
it your family, your team, your co-workers,
your music directors, you will rule. I have
used my tongue well and that is one reason
why I have ruled your hearts,” she adds
with a smile.
Asha’s idiosyncrasies and energy levels
Asha’s – This one in Dubai
Asha turns a nurse at times taking care
of someone who is unwell at home and a
chef at times cooking for her guests– yes
– she has her own set of restaurants in the
UK and Dubai. “I love doing everything. I