Asha Bhonsle- Rahul and I

The LOUNGE

RAHUL AND I

One of India's most accomplished singers Asha Bhosle freewheels on her life and times with the late RD Burman, who has been called the Mozart of Hindi film music…

IFIRST met Pancham somewhere in the '50s, when I was recording for his father SD Burman at Famous Studio in Mahalakshmi, Mumbai. He was a thin, wiry 15-yearold who looked about 12 because of his short stature.
Dressed in white, his outsized glasses and hair combed back with oil made him look quite quaint. He shyly asked me for an autograph and that was that. I must have been around 20 then. A few years later, he was back at the studios assisting his dad on Nau Do Gyarah. He and the late Jaidevji were assistants to his father. I remember him constantly playing table tennis whenever there was a free moment. So when he'd try to teach me a mukhda from the song to be recorded, I'd be dismissive and say I prefer to learn the song from Dada Burman and not his novice son. Pancham came to me finally as a music director with Pati Patni for the Maar dalega dard e jigar song.
Working with Pancham, I slowly realised that Dada had used so many of his tunes, like
Ae meri topi palat (Funtoosh) and Karle pyar karle (Talash). Dada being a classicallytrained singer knew the technical aspects thoroughly, he'd tell us where to fade-in, fadeout during recording. Pancham was big on sound. If the words didn't appeal to him, he'd add a tara para pup pup refrain to give the song zing. As I love challenges, Pancham always threw a challenge at me whether it was Aaja aaja (Teesri Manzil), Mera naam hai shabnam (Kati Patang), O meri jaan maine kaha (The Train), Meri nazar hai tujhpe (The Burning Train).
Of course, we'd have our numerous squabbles. Once I was recording the Ghadi mein tola ghadi mein masha duet with Rafisaab for Sabse Bada Rupaiya. I reached at 10 am. Rafisaab came in only by one pm. I was quite miffed with Pancham and insisted that he record my portions first and let me go as I had another recording after that. God, how he sulked that day! Even when we were recording Mera naam hai shabnam, I had long lines of dialogue before I broke into the song. Once he ticked me off saying I wasn't getting the words right. From the recording room, I yelled right back saying, 'sab lai mein bolne hain', this was the way I did it and he better learn to live with it.
I don't know when it turned into love. All that is in the books and fairytales. I think Pancham was in love with my voice and that was the basis of our relationship. Everything else came later. We'd hear music into the night, he'd constantly improvise with the form. Perhaps that's why his music sounds so mint-fresh even today. Pancham kept his cards close to his chest, he knew he was good, but always looked for approval. I was a mother of three kids and had already undergone my private hell, so I was outspoken and mercurial... Somewhere along the line, we forged a bond of songs and music. From 'Ashaji' he started calling me babua and later shortened it to 'Bub'. I too responded by calling him Pancham or Bub.
I don't know if an Abhimaan situation ever developed in our relationship. I never discussed the work I did with other music directors. Sometimes I'd tell him that some of the music guys were trying to imitate his style, and he'd retort with a laugh, 'Karne do Bub, apne paas bahut maal hai'.
When I'd argue with him that he gave other singers all the melodious numbers, while I got the racy ones, he'd say, 'If you don't sing my racy songs, I'll stop composing them'. Pancham was a true artiste and a rangeela kalakaar. He'd get inspired by a woman's eyes and he'd just take off to Khandala in the middle of the night and compose a tune! He never cared about material things.
When Dada got to know that Pancham and I were together, he called me and said, 'I don't know about you, Asha, but I know my son will be well looked after'. Some people around him, like his secretary, tried to create a rift between us and I'd tell Pancham not to get influenced by them because kuch to log kahenge, logon ka kaam hai kehna.
It's sad that so many producers and directors who came to the house and behaved like friends, short-changed him when it came to money and giving him films. But Pancham never complained. It was sad that he never got awards for films like Teesri Manzil, Caravan, Hare Rama Hare Krishna, Ghar, etc. Public memory is short, I'm so happy that through his music, he lives on forever. I only wish he hadn't tasted the ignominy of rejection in his last few years.
I'd always complain to him about his drinking and smoking, but he'd never listen. His mother, who is mentally unstable, is still alive. Some of Pancham's so-called wellwishers wanted to shift her to a mental asylum, but as a daughter-in-law, I've seen that she's well taken care of in Pancham's house even today.
Right from his tanpura to his harmonium, I've preserved his shirts, his LPs and spools carefully in his house. So many claimants have come and asked for these things, but I haven't given them away, they are a part of our memories together. Music is my heartline and Pancham was my soul. I just cannot bear to separate the two…
(As told to Jitesh Pillaai)