Asha Bhosle: Lata didi and I rarely discuss music (Interview)

By Natalia Ningthoujam  

New Delhi, June 8 Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhosle have unanimously been deemed melody queens of India for decades, but Asha surprises you when she says music is normally not the preferred topic of discussion between the sisters.

Books have been written on the two legendary singers, so would Asha want things taken to the next level and have someone make a biopic about them?

“Lata Didi and I rarely discuss music. We are a family and we talk of very normal everyday things. Our lives are private and personal, and as far as I’m concerned, I wouldn’t like us to become a topic for a movie,” Asha told IANS.

They are currently living in different apartments. “She is 90 years old and in peace with her life and surroundings,” she said, about her elder sister.

Asha has been keeping herself busy, even during the lockdown.

“I have been doing my singing, exercising at home, inventing new meals, watching movies, launching my new YouTube channel and above all spending quality time with my family. In other words, I am keeping myself very busy,” said the “Chura liya hai tumne jo dil ko” singer.

She has been composing music too.

“I have composed several tunes but I haven’t written the lyrics. That’s a speciality I may ask Prasoon Joshi and Javed Akhtar to help me out with. Regarding recording the works, I’d like to do so and introduce them on my YouTube channel. I have several great tunes left behind for me by the late shri Rahul Dev Burman,” she said referring to her late husband, who had scored numerous hit compositions from the 1960s to the 1990s.

Amidst the lockdown, Asha recently launched her YouTube channel to communicate with fans and to document several interesting episodes of her life.

“There’s nobody from my generation who can narrate that era anymore. My first song was recorded in British India, in 1943. I have seen the Partition of India and lived through World War II, several epidemics and conflicts. So, there are many tales to tell through my YouTube channel,” said the 86-year-old.

Talking about interesting tales, she reminisced the time spent with actor Rishi Kapoor, who passed away in April this year.

“I have known the Kapoor khandaan (family) from the time of Prithviraj Kapoor ji. All his sons: Raj ji, Shammi ji and Shashi ji were close to me, and Rishi held a very special place for me. He was always there when I needed him. Not only was he a fine actor but a nice person too. Like all the Kapoors, lived life kingsize. He was a regular at Pancham’s residence, listening to music till the wee hours of the morning. He thought I was the best chef in the world. My last meeting with him was at a computer store in Bandra, Mumbai, where we cut a cake together and he asked me to make his favourite kaali daal for him. Saying this, he dashed off to Mehboob Studios for a movie shoot,” she recalled.

Asha will be 87 on September 8, and she wants to explore more in life.

“So much to do and so little time,” she signed off.

(Natalia Ningthoujam can be contacted at natalia.n@ians.in)