Thanks everyone for your responses and comments.
When I first heard this song in C2005, I liked it very much because Ravindra Jain's composition was just outstanding and Nihira did perfect justice to it. I had not then heard the original version from Asha-ji. So for me it was like listening to a newly composed song directly from Nihira. For the next several days, I heard the song again and again from my recording. It just stuck in my ear. Only Nihira's version.
When bangboy posted it recently, I heard it again and again and I though if Nihira has sug it so well, the original version of Asha-ji must be out of this world. And then I hunted for Asha-ji's version on musicindiaonline. When I heard Asha-ji's original, I could not believe it. After hearing a new singer's song, when you hear original, you immeditely see the difference. In this case, I did not find Nihira's version very different to Asha-ji. She sung it so.. well. I never had this experience with any singer in the past. When Alka Yagnik, Kavita in their young age used to sing Asha's songs I could very well see the difference. But with Nihira, especially with this song, I did not see a great difference and I wanted a validation of what I was thinking. So I posted this topic. Nihira is definitely different. I heard Alka and Kavita when they were in their 20s many times on Bombay Doordarshan (when I was in India) but honestly I did not find them so close to Asha-ji in when they were of Nihira's age.
I am telling you this girl is different. Never came across so promising singer in my last 10 years of watching SRGM/SRGMP (may be Shreya is an exception).
You go Nihira, you are the girl... you are the diamond, you are The Blue Diamond.
Edited by salilu - 19 years ago