Reading Time: 7 minutes
Asha Bhosle is one of those rare gems in the Indian film scene who has spent 80 years in the musical world and is also ready to do a concert on her 90th birthday.
The songstress says that the energy and the effort – despite being a senior citizen comes from those eight decades of dedication. “People praise me a lot today for my work, but one has to remember that it is only after eighty years of hard work. I started singing professionally at the age of 10. After coming to Bombay… er… Mumbai, I started singing for Hindi movies between 43 and 46. Most of the artistes performing with me at this current concert in Dubai too are those who have been born in front of me. But then there are those old music directors, artistes, singers, musicians who have contributed to me becoming what I am today, but then I realise that I am the Aakhri Mughal of the film industry,” says Asha who lost her elder sister Lata Mangeshkar last year.
Having worked with around three generations at times of filmmakers and musicians, Asha says that she will take days to narrate stories about them. “I am the only one who knows the life of each actor, director, producer, singer and music director of this film industry. I will take quite a few days if you ask me to narrate anecdotes,” she smiles.
How does it feel to turn 90? “Who said I am turning 90. I am turning 19 now.”
Her shows
Asha however takes pride in speaking about Sudesh Bhosle who has often helped her out in extreme circumstances. Once we were performing a show in a village near Kolkata and the male singers fell ill. I called Sudesh Bhosle and his wife picked the phone and I told her to tell him to come immediately to the village as the show was slated to happen that night. He flew in without asking a single question on why I was calling him and what he would get. Similarly once I was down with swine flu and I just could not sing on stage during a Pune concert. He came next to me on stage and sang all my songs including Dil Cheez kya hai. He could hold people with his style. I remember him telling people in the balconies –“ooparwaalon, taali bajao”. I told my son Nandu (Anand) that she should call him for all our shows and he has been a part of every show I have done,” she says.
Asha says that Indians across the globe have been her strength. “I was a bit nervous once when I was performing with the Krnos Quartet in London. I was not sure how the Britishers would react to my singing, but then I heard voices that asked me to speak in Hindi and Marathi as well and that was such a welcome relief,” she says.
Then came a trip to Paris. “Oh, all of them were in suits and gowns and my son had instructed that I should speak in English. So I went up and said, “I do not know English, but I will try my best.” After that I think they understood what I said in English,” she laughs an d adds. “If the French wanted to hear a song again they would clap in a 2+ 3 tone which meant I had to do an encore. If they clapped normally it meant that the song was over and the thak thak – thakk thakk thakk happened many times and Anand kept indicating I had to sing again and again! They perhaps didn’t understand a word I sang, but they understood my sur,” she reminisces.
What she remembers the most is her show in San Francisco. “I have come across many Indians who have sung my songs along with me at my shows, but out there in San Francisco, there was a huge contingent of Maharashtrians. My daughter Varsha had sent a message to her friends about my show and there were loads of Maharashtrians who came in and started whistling. They only stopped when I tried to whistle back. I heard that a lot of these Marathi kids who are into computers went to San Jose to work and they were all there,” she chuckles.
Sibling revelry
The conversation veers to the so-called rivalry and competition between the two sisters. “You know once, Didi said in 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 of anyone’s life. “If someone looks good, 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
Caption – 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 love all these little things. They make me happy.”
Asha’s range
Asha has sung all kinds of songs in her illustrious career – be it romantic songs, fun numbers and cabarets as well. “A playback singer needs to be able to sing everything. I can’t say I can’t do this or that to get stereotyped and the playback singer needs to do everything. The lead actor also does comedy and plays villains too. I have to be able to sing in this situation. I have to think of who I am doing playback for – is it Zeenat Aman, Helen, Nargis or Madhubala.
Remixes and Gen Zee
Caption – DJ Tarun Makhijani remix of an old Asha Bhosle and Kishore Kumar hit
“Times have changed,” says Asha, talking about the multiple remixes and reduxes of old songs in Bollywood flicks. “If I just say my telephone number to a new generation kid, they won’t remember it, but people will remember in those days. Technology is the guiding factor here. People don’t remember the new songs, but they all know the old songs because their parents and grandparents have been humming these songs. Since these old songs are so good, filmmakers use these songs after remixing them for the new generation so that they can remember these songs for a longer period of time. We won’t be there forever, but our songs and traditions will remain. My granddaughter Zanai keeps telling me about all these remixed songs. If the current generation is able to carry off these songs and our tradition ahead, that will be our victory,” she says emphatically, addingss that the generation should try and learn a bit of classical music to aid their career goals.
Music
Asha says that she loves to listen to music as well. “I hear all kinds of music, from classical to ghazals and filmi songs – except my own songs. I also listen to Tamil and Telugu songs. I have sung in all the south languages myself apart from Gujarati and Marathi, Spanish and Italian. I also listen to music by today’s generation. It is good and new. The older generation is gone now and it is time for the new generation to bloom,” says Asha who has sung in over 20 languages in Indian and foreign languages including Russian.
What is the wish now?
“I am still singing at 90 now. I can’t learn anything new now, but I do wish that all my grandchildren do well in life. It is my time to go and not come and it is important to do good things and go to god and I want to do good things and not hurt anyone at all,” she signs off.
Dr Ramachandran Srinivasan is a veteran journalist and filmmaker and has directed Asha Bhosle in her music videos – Asha and Friends.
