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[Sharmila-Sweet]

Unforgettable Asha


Asha Bhosle’s returns to puja songs with her Bengali album Mone Rekho

By Sonashree Basu
Posted On Tuesday, August 25, 2009 at 07:33:27 PM


Asha launches her new album

The golden voice of Asha Bhosle, that has rendered timeless classics, is set to rekindle the essence of Bengali pujor gaan after 15 years. The new album of Bengali modern songs Mone Rekho was released in the presence of the eternal songstress herself at The Park.

The gracious lady arrived wearing a subtle white and pink sari. In the midst of the razzmatazz, the singer tried to pacify the paparazzi in her broken Bengali by saying, “Amar kotha na shunle amii kintu ebar ragbo”. As she unveiled the album, she asked if she was looking good on the cover. “Yeh bees saal purani tasveer hai,” said the singer, revealing her sense of humour.

As to why it took her so long to come up with a Bengali album, the diva replied, “Pujas are special for Bengalis. Pancham and I did a lot of puja songs during the 70s and 80s but after his death, I lost interest in singing those songs. I heard many compositions but perhaps that chemistry between Pancham and me that created that magic was amiss. Nevertheless, I met this talented man Babul Bose and asked him to create something exclusive. I had also promised to sing for Mahua Lahiri who had started Asha Audio Company with my name 25 years ago. I thought I owed an album to her and thus the album.”


The diva with Usha and Babul

The album is a melange of eight tracks representing diverse moods. Lyricist Shaymal Sengupta who had assisted RD Burman has penned down the lyrics of the songs. The songs range from classical to semi classical like Hoyto aebhabei, Jete parini to kaache while Shey je amar kaalo is a folk song fused with contemporary music. There is a haat or market song Haat bosheche shukrobare and a devotional song O Ganga Ma. Churir chunn chunn is soothing track with a retro touch while Baje guruguru is a peppy number.

Lastly, there is a nostalgic song Din gulo bhola galo na, the video of which was shown to the audience reminiscing the presence of Pancham in Ashas’ life. “I was stunned when she told me she wanted to do Bengali songs. It’s a dream come true for me,” said composer Babul.
On audience request, Asha sang two lines of the famous song Jabo ki jabo na that received a generous round of applause.

Present at the launch were veteran singers Babul Supriyo, Usha Uthup, and Raghab Chatterjee. Usha Utthup pointed out, “Ashaji is an icon and evolving year after year. The jodi of Pancham Da and Asha Di is evergreen.”

“The album’s name is Mone Rekho but there’s no need to remember someone who is unforgettable. We Bengalis should be honoured to receive such a puja gift,” said Babul Supriyo.

From Sarat Chandra to the beauty of Sundarban Asha has a great fondness for Kolkata. She also seemed to have a weakness for Parshe Macher Jhol, Islish Maach Bhaja, Notun Gurrer Shondesh.

“I think Kolkatans are cultured and intellectuals like the Maharastrians,” reflected Asha.
About today’s music and films, she opined, “The simplicity and innocence is absent in today’s films. I don’t see any logic behind names like Kaminey.”

“I feel sad that people download music from Internet. So how will the new singers and audio companies survive? Therefore, I request people to stop piracy,” insisted Asha.

Voted as number 37 on the World Music List, the diva plans to do a Rabindra Sangeet album soon. Asha, who will complete 75 years on September 8, however, remained mum about working with sibling Lata Mangeshkar.

Photos: Goutam Karmakar

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[Sharmila-Sweet]

Asha Unplugged over the years
08 Sep, 2009 12:00 am ISTlINDIATIMES MOVIES


From Helen to Urmila Matondkar, we have seen several seductive strokes of Bollywood actresses over the years. But there has been one common element that continues to impart that extra sizzle to these screen seductresses. It’s the evergreen voice of singer Asha Bhosle.

Born on September 8, 1932 in a small village near the Sangli district of Maharashtra, India, Asha Bhosle celebrates her 76th birth anniversary today. As the supremely talented singer continues to rock even after her platinum jubilee, we trace down her life history from a musical Marathi family to being a global singing sensation.

Asha Bhosle was born to Dinanath Mangeshkar, a classical singer and theatre actor from the Mangeshi village in Goa (from where Dinanath derived their surname). She was trained in classical singing by her father till the age of nine when he passed away of heart disease. Subsequently the Mangeshkar family shifted to Bombay and elder sister Lata Mangeskar started singing and acting in films to earn their daily bread and butter.

Asha Bhosle followed the footsteps of Sister Lata Mangeshkar and sang her first film song Chala Chala Nav Bala for the Marathi movie Majha Bal in 1943. In 1948 she made her Hindi film debut with the song Saawan Aaya from a film named Chunariya . This was the same time that she eloped from her family and married a much-elder Ganpatrao Bhosle who was a personal secretary to her sister Lata Mangeshkar. She was only 16 and he was 31. The Mangeshkars strongly disapproved of her marriage and Lata was not on talking terms with Asha Bhosle for a long time. However with the ill-treatment from her in-laws and suspicious behaviour from her husband, the marriage didn’t survive long. A repentant Asha Bhosle returned to the Mangeskhar family with two children and third still in her womb. She severed ties with Ganpatrao but the Bhosle surname remained with her.

Asha Bhosle continued to sing in films to earn money for her family. But she only got to sing for the supporting actress or vamps, which were the songs rejected by the leading female playback singers of that era like Geeta Dutt, Shamshad Begum and her sister Lata Mangeshkar.

With the texture of her voice Asha Bhosle got a chance to sing for Bimal Roy’s Parineeta and Raj Kapoor’s Boot Polish . But it was with O P Nayyar that she got her first big break in CID which was followed by her first big hit in B R Chopra’s Naya Daur . Soon she collaborated with composers like S D Burman and Ravi. In the 70s, there were speculations of a romantic relationship between Asha Bhosle and O P Nayyar and on August 5, 1972 they parted ways personally and professionally on a bitter note.

In late 60s and through the 70s, Asha Bhosle struck a great alliance with music director R D Burman which subsequently resulted in their marriage. She soon became the voice of Helen who sizzled in the item numbers of 70s. Despite her wide vocal range, Asha Bhosle got somewhat typecast in this period and got slotted for singing only sensuous numbers (for O P Nayyar) or Westernized hip-hop tracks (with R D Burman).

This image of Asha Bhosle changed with the Urdu film Umrao Jaan (1981) where Khayyam extracted the finest nuances from her voice in poetic ghazals . She recreated the same magic with Gulzar in Ijaazat (1987) which fetched her The National Award. While Sister Lata Mangeshkar is known for her sugar-coated sweetness, Asha Bhosle is known for her wide-ranged versatility.

Unlike Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhosle remained active in playback singing for a much longer period and her songs from Dil To Pagal Hai, Taal, Company, Devdas, Lucky and more recently Aap Ka Suroor are still fresh in the minds of her fans. Rangeela needs a special mention for the way in which A R Rehman got the best out of Asha Bhosle.

Asha Bhosle has lent her voice to several private albums, Indipop remixes, regional films, live concerts and also many international albums. In 2006 she was nominated for the Grammy Awards in the category of Best Contemporary World Music Album.

At 76, Asha Bhosle’s golden voice still continues to rule our hearts and minds with the same magical effect like it did six decades back.

Chartbuster Track Record

Sar Pe Topi Lal – Tumsa Nahi Dekha (1957)
Maang Ke Saath Tumhaara – Naya Daur (1957)
Uden Jab Jab Zulfen Teri – Naya Daur (1957)
Aaiye Meherbaan – Howrah Bridge (1958)
Haal Kaisa Hai Janaab Ka – Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi (1959)
Jayiye Aap Kahaan Jaayenge – Mere Sanam (1965)
O Haseena Zulfon Wali – Teesri Manzil (1966)
Piya Tu Ab To Aaja – Caravan (1971)
Dum Maro Dum – Hare Krishna Hare Ram (1971)
Jaane Jaan – Jawani Diwani (1972)
Hum Tum Ek Kamre Mein Band Ho – Bobby (1973)
Chura Liya Hai Tumne – Yaadon Ki Baarat (1973)
Yeh Ladka Hai Allah – Hum Kisi Se Kum Nahi (1977)
Yeh Mera Dil – Don (1978)
Dil Cheez Kya Hai – Umrao Jaan (1981)
Mera Kuch Saaman – Ijaazat (1987)
Tanha Tanha – Rangeela (1995)
Le Gayi Le Gayi – Dil To Pagal Hai (1997)
Kahi Aag Lage – Taal (1999)
Khallas – Company (2002)
Lucky Lips – Lucky (2005)


Interesting Trivia

- Between 1948 and 1957, Asha sang more songs than any other playback singer, though most were relegated to insignificant films or as second singer in duet with the bigger singers like Geeta Dutt, Shamshad Begum and Lata Mangeshkar.

- Initially it was complained that Asha Bhosle used to imitate the then popular singer Geeta Dutt (wife of Guru Dutt). But soon Asha came out of that image and developed a distinct style of her own.

- Asha recorded her last song for O.P. Nayyar for the film Pran Jaye Par Vachan Na Jaye . Though the song Chain se got many awards, it was never included in the actual film.

- Reportedly Helen used to attend the recording sessions of Asha Bhosle so that she could get a proper feel of the song and plan her choreography accordingly.