Celebrating Asha Bhosle - Page 4

Asha Bhosle with Kronos Quartet (plus two) at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts San Francisco, 22 September 05.

I've never been a fan of Kronos Quartet. They seem to be a rudderless ship grasping onto whatever world music trend is in the air & trying to cash in. But they finally reached out to Bollywood, added instruments beyond four fiddles, and most importantly, hired the world's greatest lead singer! The audience, many of them South Asians in their finery, arrived promptly to discover that the first half of the program was a new piece by Terry Riley for quartet, squeaky toys and tape loops, so we dozed fitfully through an interminable suite with special effects that alternated between vapidity (quotes from the "Sugar plum fairy" and "Siberian sleigh ride") and profound dysharmonic sawing. After a brief intermission it was time for the main attraction. The tiny resplendent Asha walked out to the appreciate crowd of about 1000. Asha was dressed in sparkling white: a sari with spangles woven into it, white beads at her wrist, white pearls tying back her black hair and only a large coral pendant to set it all off. She said, "I've been performing for 63 years and for the first time I am really nervous." You could see why: she usually sings with a slick 150-piece orchestra and here were four Americans, a Chinese woman, and a tabla player attempting to do "R.D. Burman's most difficult songs," (as she said). But after she relaxed and the group warmed up, it was bliss. There were a few logical problems with sound effects so they did resort to a rhythm track on one or two numbers, but Wu Man on the pipa (a 4-string Chinese lute), who was outstanding, doubled for various plangent strings and even a psychedelic sitar. Hank Dutt, the viola player, also doubled on keyboard, mostly a Farfisa whirr in the background. Asha blew her nose as she explained how sad some of the songs were and then complained of the cold SF weather! She had a great degree of comic timing for one so nervous. She also joked with the audience in Hindi, then explained that she would only talk English -- although she didn't really know how! Gradually she warmed to the crowd, and the sextet. They got over their nerves and tackled a complex array of Bollywood favourites from Asha's repertoire of 15,000 songs. They even performed the hauntingly lovely "Mera Kuchh Samaan" with its high floritura -- the story of her life, as she said in introducing it. She left while the ensemble worked out on "Mehbooba Mehbooba," the wild gypsy number from SHOLAY (the Indian version of a spaghetti Western), with Wu Man jamming on the pipa. This was followed by another song originally sung in Bengali by her late husband, R.D. Burman, "Nodir pare utthchhe dhnoa" -- a song about a person seeing smoke across the river and realizing it is their lover being cremated. Lead violinist David Harrington introduced it by saying he imagined it could only be a cello solo and this was a great way to introduce the newest member of the quartet, Jeffrey Zeigler, who was making his debut tonight (in addition it was the premiere of their four-stop tour with Asha -- UC Los Angeles, Carnegie Hall, New York, and Barbican, London, are the other venues). The ambient sounds (elephants, lightning, birds) were again on a tape. It might have been better to skip the attempt to slavishly recreate the originals and work with what they had, and allow a wider latitude for improvisation. On the originals Asha sings to a polished orchestral track so wasn't quite ready for the ad hoc-ness of some of it. There was a jerky start to "Chura Liya" (with which they opened): I was afraid their lack of rhythmic fluidity would ruin it, but they got into it by the second number, thanks to the metrical foundation of tabla player Debopriyo Sarkar (Zakir Hussain's understudy, who was sadly undermiked). The sound was miked for "classical" so you couldn't hear the bass distinctly (the cellist plucked his strings: he should have used a double bass) and the bottom end was weak for most of it, but finally Asha started belting it out like a rocker, her stamping foot causing tidal ripples to billow up her gown. The years melted as she piled it on like a teenager for the 1971 "Hippies-come-to-Katmandu" classic "Dum Maro Dum (Have another toke)," and Hu Man sang the "Hare Krishna Hare Ram" chorus (or seemed to -- it may have been on tape, because she also pretended to lipsynch the deep male voice singing "Monica, oh my darling!" on the encore). "Koi aaya aane bhi de" was the most complex piece and one which she had never sung publicly before, she said, because of the difficult arrangement. (The chorus is a nursery rhyme sing-song which contrasts with the varied attacks of the instrumentation.) Wu Man was the most spirited player though each of the Kronos got to solo at least once (all of them reading from sheet music). Sarkar also doubled on congas for "Mehbooba" which was in a sense his solo, though John Sherba got to play the "out" violin part.

For Asha, you could see it was also a real challenge, having to adapt to this small combo of quirky talented foreigners, but she put all her youthful zest into "Piya tu ab to aaja (Love come to me now)", the encore, with its excited panting contrasting with her girlish innocence. It's said that Asha got her start in playback singing when the producers needed a natural laugh and the singer they had hired couldn't deliver. Asha, hanging around the studio, was able to laugh properly on cue and got the gig. Appropriately she ended the show with a girlish laugh. Was it nervous relief?

Originally posted by: Qwest

jayc1234 ji,Thanks for that post please.

A BIG THANKS to YOU QWest'ji for always enlightening us with such great posts 👏👏👏

16 Oct, 2005

http://www.kronosquartet.org/#

Kimmo

Interview With Asha - A day After

A DAY AFTER

She's been widowed twice. And the tragedies have taken their toll. Asha Bhosle broke down, at the Filmfare wards function on February 12, just a month and eighty days after the sudden passing away of her husband. She announced the R.D.Burman award to be given to the best debutant music composer, from next year. Today, she looks much leaner and her trademark laughter and wit are missing. She's with her grand-daughter, listening quietly to the little one's non-stop patter. And you can't help asking...

What're you thinking of at this very moment?

Of life... of death. Of what death leaves behind... troubles, traumas, a sense of isolation. Nothing could have prepared me for the death of R.D... of my husband whom we all called Pancham. I've gone through so much in life, once I nearly went to pieces. It's common knowledge that my first marriage to Bhoslesaab wasn't a happy one... yet I pulled myself together.. and I survived.

verything seemed to be flowing smoothly... then Pancham died. I broke down completely. I'm older now, I'm no longer the young woman who refused to take nonsense. I'm surprised with myself, somehow I've managed to get a hold of myself. This Asha Bhosle won't be defeated that easily, there is a well of anger inside. me.

What has caused this tremendous anger? Surely, your family has rallied around you?

Of course, my three children are standing beside me, giving me all the support they can. I can't expect anything more from them.

But I'm angry at the way other people are treating me. From the moment Pancham died I'm being stabbed in the back. My marriage has become a household topic, it is being turned into a scandal. If I was a 16 year old I could have taken the a .....ating me. From the moment Pancham died I'm being stabbed in the back. My marriage has become a household topic, it is being turned into a scandal. If I was a 16 year old I could have taken the abuses and the accusations in my stride. But with my children and grandchildren around the publicity has been disturbing.

What has promped the accusation that you weren't married to R.D.Burman?

Search me. People talk, it's not possible for me to shut everyone's mouth. But I'm terribly unahppy... I'm upset.. that circumstances after his death have forced me to display my marriage certificate. We didn't want to make a hungama of our marriage. At our age, the groom couldn't have possibly come astride a horse with a lot of band baaja. We couldn't have possibly hosted a big reception at the Taj Mahal Hotel. Pancham and I were no coy, young couple. So we had a very quiet ceremony, we had an Arya Samaj wedding and also a civil registrar marriage. Thank God!! I have the marraige certificate with me now. Our close friends and family members - Gogi Anand, Ramesh Behl, Sapan Chakroborty, Badal Bhattacharya, my bhabhi Bharati and didi Lata Mangeshkar and my secretary Babubhai were all there.

Why didn't you change your name to Mrs.Burman then?

He dissuaded me from changing my name. He said that Asha Bhosle had been very lucky for me. He pointed out that Geeta Roy's career had nose dived once she took on the name of Geeta Dutt.

Didn't Lata didi dissuade you from marrying R.D.Burman?

Not at all. We Mangeshkars follow the policy of non-interference. We're there if we need one another.

What made you opt for a second marriage?

I wanted to stop tongues .....Not at all. We Mangeshkars follow the policy of non-interference. We're there if we need one another.

What made you opt for a second marriage?

I wanted to stop tongues from wagging. If we hadn't married people who have said, "Dekha, she has no shame, going around with him."

Since you lived separately, it did seem that your marriage was on the rocks.

What rubbish! I wasn't a nai naveli dulhan who had to go into a new house and touch her saasu's feet! Before our marrige, I had told Pancham that I would look after both our houses. He was ware that I was totally devoted to my children (Anand, Hemant and Varsha). If my children weren't around perhaps I wouldn't have married again. I didn't want them to feel embarrassed; I wanted them to hold their heads up high.

How did your children take to R.D.Burman as a step-father?

He was no stranger to them. They'd call him Pancham uncle.

You're first marriage had ended bitterly. So didn't you hesitate before taking the plunge again?

You tell me... do all marriages have to end bitterly? All marriages have their own specific problems. And the second time around, I was more alert. Once bitten twice shy. We both had our independence and yet we were bonded. He wanted me to have my own identity.. and I tried not to be the typical nagging wife.

Were there things about him that you wanted to control but couldn't?

I didn't approve of his drinking. He had diabetes, so I also tried to control his eating habits. But he wasn't a two-year old kid. I couldn't possibly have taken him on my lap and spoon-fed him! Since I'd have to go for recordings or concerts, he'd slip back into hi ....ntrol his eating habits. But he wasn't a two-year old kid. I couldn't possibly have taken him on my lap and spoon-fed him! Since I'd have to go for recordings or concerts, he'd slip back into his old ways. I didn't like his late nights as well. He'd stay awake late into the night listening to music.. or he'd go out for a party or two.

He'd just returned from a party the night he died. Do you feel guilty about not being there when he needed you?

Who says I wasn't there? I'd gone to Pancham's house at Khar around midnight. But since he'd gone out I went to my house in Prabhu Kunj. When I got a call that he wasn't feeling well, I rushed immediately to his house. My son drove like mad; we reached there in 15 minutes. He held my hand, he spoke a few words to me... we tried all we could, but it was of no use.

He died and the talk started that I was trying to grab his money. I'm not money mad. Otherwise, I wouldn't have married Mr.Bhosle who was earning Rs.100 a month. I'd have married a lakhpathi! Mr.Bhosle died in 1966, till 1970 his mother was alive. I've supported their family.. I give money, I don't take it.

Tell me, when did you first meet R.D.Burman?

I remember the day very clearly. It was years ago, I was recording the song Lehron mein jhooloon for Armaan. Pancham must have been in his final year in school then, he dropped in at the recording studio one day. Sachinda brought him to me and told him, "Meet her, yeh bahut badi singer hai."

Pancham didn't complete school; he began to assist his father. i remember yelling at him then - I was already married. I had children and looked matronly.. he was thin and gawky. I knew more about life than he di .....
omplete school; he began to assist his father. i remember yelling at him then - I was already married. I had children and looked matronly.. he was thin and gawky. I knew more about life than he did; I told him that he should have finished his studies. Years later, Pancham told me that he was upset by what I'd said. "If I'd run after books, I wouldn't have become a music director."

Which was the first song you did for him?

He'd started working with his father in films like Nau Do Gyarah. In our free time, we'd go into an adjoining room and play table tennis. His first independent composition which I sang was Maar dalega darde jigar (Pati Patni). That was the beginning; we worked together on many films. I came to know him better. I even attended his wedding!

Didn't R.D.Burman live in his father's shadow?

No. Temperamentally, the two were very different. Sachinda was more like a raja, Pancham was more of a commoner, he mixed with others freely... some people said that Pancham copied his father's music, I don't think so. Ever since he became a music director in his own right, he lived separately. Sachinda preferred folk tunes while Pancham would incorporate several kinds of music into his compositions.

Pancham had a great deal of respect for his father - and dada was fond of his son. I remember Sachinda saying with pride that someone on the road had cried out, "Dekho, woh R.D.Burman ka baap ja raha hai."

According to you what was the hallmark of R.D.Burman's music?

His music had some aag, fire in it. His rhythms were challenging. Like O haseena zulfon waali (Teesri Manzil). He was among the first music directors to blend f .....
R.D.Burman's music?

His music had some aag, fire in it. His rhythms were challenging. Like O haseena zulfon waali (Teesri Manzil). He was among the first music directors to blend foreign and Indian styles. Pancham started the double bass here.

He introduced me to jazz music, and he'd listen to Santana, Blood Sweat and Tears and the Rolling Stones. He also loved classical music; after all he'd been a shishya of Ali Akbar Khan.

What was he like as a husband?

He was crazily in love with me. But he was more of a friend than a husband. He'd grown up all alone, he'd spent most of his childhood with his grandmother in Calcutta. So he didn't understand the routines involved in a marriage, he couldn't understand why one had to get up at a particular time or eat at a fixed hour. We lived together as friends.

How would you describe R.D.Burman the man?

He was a gentle soul. He lived his life to the full; he must have died a contented man. I don't think he had many desires left. He didn't like hurting anyone and he was very sentimental. Once when his old car went into a ditch, he was in tears! When his dog Tipsy died, he was inconsolable - he wept for days.

Did he resent any of your earlier relationships? Didn't you rush into marriage soon after breaking up with O.P.Nayyar?

No, it didn't happen that way. And I'd like to make it clear here, that I have never left anyone voluntarily. I've been pushed to a point where I have had no option but to walk away... Pancham wasn't the jealous type. He knew that I had made some mistakes. He understood that no human being is perfect.

Living apart as you did, what sort of a social life did y .....
away... Pancham wasn't the jealous type. He knew that I had made some mistakes. He understood that no human being is perfect.

Living apart as you did, what sort of a social life did you share?

Earlier I used to accompany him to parties but I found myself drinking cups of chai throughout the night. I couldn't do that for long, it would have affected my voice. Moreover, I had to remain fresh for my recordings the next day. So I stopped going to parties with him.

I'll always cherish whatever little time I snatched with him.. I wish we could have been together forever.

Of late his career had reached a stalemate. Did his health slow him down?

Not to the extent of affecting his career. But the industry is a harsh place, if a couple of your films do well, you are put on a pedestal. One flop and you're pulled down into the gutter.

How did he react when other music directors copied him and raced ahead?

He would get angry about this but wouldn't say anything. He knew some people were imitating his style of music and getting away with it. At times when I came home after a recording, he'd smile, "Aaj tumne mere style mein gaana gaaya kya?"

Couldn't you have refused to do such songs?

I was helpless. I had to do what the music directors told me.

Wasn't he upset when his regulars like Shakti Samanta and Dev Anand switched to other music directors?

He couldn't possibly have gone out and begged for work. Pancham was a very self-respecting man. He didn't like what was happening, but he was also very conscious about maintaining his dignity. After all, he was a raja's son.
ncham was a very self-respecting man. He didn't like what was happening, but he was also very conscious about maintaining his dignity. After all, he was a raja's son.

Which are your favourite R.D.Burman's compositions?

It is impossible for me to single out four or five songs. I used to love his jazz music. It's easier for me to remember the music of his films which kept me enthralled - Mere Jeevan Saathi, Teesri Manzil, Ghar and Kati Patang. And now there's 1942 - A Love Story.

Do you think enough is being done to keep R.D.Burman's memory alive? What would you like the music companies to do?

Music companies are taking an interest... but what more will they do than bring out one cassette after another? It's sad, when a man is alive he's ignored, after his death people comes in droves.

What are you doing to make sure that people don't forget him?

I am grateful to Filmfare that it has announced an award for a fresh new music director. Even after my death the R.D.Burman-Filmfare-Times FM award will keep his memory alive.

Just one last question.. what are you busy with right now?

I'm recording non-film songs, singing for a few films. Soon I'll also be busy with my concerts which were planned over a year ago. Let's see.. tomorrow is another day.

Shraddha
Jahagirdar-Saxena

Asha Bhosle

Launch of G album by Amitabh Bachchan and Asha Bhosle

Asha Bhonsle and R.D.Burman

Asha Bhosle, pushing 70, still oozes sweetness and sensuality.

The lights dimmed and the voice, that has for over six decades, enthralled, mesmerized and enchanted generations of music lovers and still retains its sultry sensuality, it freshness, its melodious perfection and pitch, soared from the interiors of the back stage, and strains of the sizzling number "Kambaqht Ishq" from the film Pyar Tune Kya Kiya were welcomed by a roar from the audience.
Resplendent in a gorgeous white ensemble, slim and sexy, oozing a sweetness and sensuality that makes her appear far younger than her soon to be 70 years, Asha Bhosle strode on stage at a sold out concert in Atlanta. Asha has said that she has worked for years to create a voice and a style that was different from her legendary sister Lata Mangeshkar, so that she could carve her own niche and not be banished to live her shadow and went on to show just how well she has succeeded in her efforts, as she enthralled the audience with numbers that showed the ageless quality of her voice.
Even those who love the Mangeshkar sisters, don't know the long and arduous road they walked to reach the heights that they have, but had life not thrown so many curveballs their way, perhaps they would be content middle class grandmothers in a suburb of Mumbai, humming melodies for a lark to their grandchildren, instead of wowing their fans worldwide.
Anand Bhosle is the youngest of Asha's three children, and while older sister Varsha is a hard hitting political columnist for The Times of India and older brother Hemant dabbled in music direction and then quit to fulfill his dream of being a pilot, Anand studied business in college and film direction, before mom decided he was to help her manage her career. His creativity came in handy as he directed her in the super successful television show Yeh Hai Asha. In an exclusive interview with Little India, both mother and son shared memories and special moments of the musical and personal journey, the grit and the grind that has made Asha the legend and the woman that she is today.

You came from a musical family but the goal was not to become a singing star.
Asha: My father was a very gifted man and he left home at a very tender age to learn singing. He formed his own drama company and had almost 200 people working for him before he forayed into films. Music was an intrinsic part of our life, and we all learnt music but the goal was the usual — to marry and have a home and family. It was the death of my father at a very early age that pushed Lata didi who was not yet 14 to go out and sing to make ends meet and I sang my first song at the age of 10. I did get married at a very young age to a man who was 20 years older than I was. It was a love marriage and Lata didi did not speak to me for a long time. She disapproved of the alliance. The family was very conservative and they could not handle a singing star for a daughter in law. There was abuse and ill treatment and I finally was asked to leave when I was expecting my youngest son Anand, and I did go back to my mother, sisters, and brother. I do not blame anyone and have no ill will. I feel if I had not met Mr. Bhosle, I would not have had these three amazing children and life turned out okay.
Anand: My memories of growing up were happy memories. We lived in a joint family with my grandmother, aunts and my uncle and cousins, and I was the baby of the family and my grandmother's favorite child. As kids, we had no clue that my aunt and mom were these famous singers. It was only when I went to school that people around me told me about it. Even then, I did not believe them. I had never seen them sing at home, only my uncle, and said to them, oh, no you are mistaken, it is my uncle who is a singer. We have this small room, which substitutes for a music room, and uncle would practice there. I think the hours mom and aunt put in at the recording studios, singing so many songs and rehearsing for them, gave them their practice. In fact, to this day we stay away from the glitz. Most celebrities have not been to our house and occasionally when one of them does show up, it is like a pilgrimage!
While it is expected that the children of celebrities will follow the same path, you kept the children deliberately away from the industry.
Asha: It is a very tough line. My daughter Varsha is a very talented singer, but realized very early on that she would have to live her life being constantly compared to her aunt and her mother and she was not willing to put up with that kind of nonsense. She was always politically conscious and wanted to study law, but eventually ended up being a journalist.
Hemant is very musical, and gave music in films, but saw how frustrating and tough things were and finally decided to become a pilot. In fact, there was a time when R.D. Burman would play a wonderful tune and the producers would yawn, and then he would play another tune and pretend it was by his father and people would say "wah wah" and he would just look at me in disgust. That is how ignorant and fickle the industry is, and I steered Anand towards business and am very happy with that decision as well.
Anand: I think because the singing career was thrust upon them, and not something they really strived for, there was no focus on their kids carrying on the family name. Hemant who did venture into giving music in films and did some quality work discovered the fact that a lot of producers and directors are tone deaf and would disregard a lot of the wonderful tunes he came up with, sometimes settling on mediocre stuff because they did not understand music and rather than compromise on his creativity and what he had to offer he quit the scene, and went on to become a pilot. His older son Chaitanya is part of a very successful boy band, his daughter who is a teenager, has no clue about Hindi music. My uncle's daughter is in her early 20s and was very good, but she too has no intentions of pursuing this as a career. I had to come into this business in the early 1980s when concert tours were beginning to gain popularity and mom needed someone to handle the business and management end of things for her, otherwise I too would not be around.

How hard was it to carve a niche for yourself and not languish in the shadows of your famous older sister?
Asha: Very hard and not just her, there were already some very established stars like Noorjehan, Shamshad Begum, Geeta Dutt and others who were leading the way. Therefore, in the beginning, didi and they would get the cream of the songs and I would get the songs filmed for B and C grade films. I studied many different styles so that I could create a style that was different from didi's. You can see that if you clone yourself on a star that is alive, you will get nowhere. As long as Kishore Kumar was alive, no one who even remotely sounded like him was anywhere in the running. It was only after he died the clones thrived. I don't give up easily though. The one gift that my mother gave me was the gift of self-confidence. She always told us we to forget about household chores and just focus on music. She also told me that there was no one more beautiful, or more talented and that we should be so proud of who we were. That self-confidence and a very strong will power have stood me in good stead.
Anand: That is true. Mom has an amazing will power. The more you tell her it cannot be done, the more she will go out and prove that it can. Some time back, she was on this tour, sick, her voice in a mess, she could barely croak and we were in two minds whether to cancel the show or just let Varsha go and fill in for her and let the other singers also sing. When mom was told, she would not hear of such a thing. She went and started singing and unlike other singers, her voice keeps on getting better as time passes. Suddenly in the middle of the show, her voice that had been tired and weak, suddenly soared and then there was no looking back. She brought the house down. At another time, she broke a finger in her foot and went about business. By the time, she saw the physician the fractured had healed by itself, and the physician was shaking his head wondering how she had managed to even walk, in that kind of excruciating pain for so long.
The stories about the rivalry between Lataji and you, and how she tried to be one up on you have done the rounds of gossip mills. The movie "Saaz", was supposedly based on your life story. How true is the gossip?
Asha: Its not true at all. To have two women in long plaits, take a couple of incidents and exaggerate them into a 3-hour film is such a waste of time. We are indeed different people. She thinks with her head and is very image conscious, and even when hurt feels she needs to uphold that image of being reserved and gracious, while I think with my heart, am blunt and say it like it is. In fact, once we were having dinner and someone said something that I could not take, but because Lata didi was on the table, I was biting my tongue. Finally she said, "Asha go ahead, blurt it out, otherwise you won't be able to digest your food!" Well I did and what a relief it was. I think the reason why I live my life honestly is because truth has a way of coming out and in the end the only person you are trying to fool is yourself. Lata didi is a different person at home. Many people do not know this, but she can be fun and she is a very good dancer, but you will never catch her dancing on stage. While I just go out and have fun, because I think it is necessary to change with the times, to go with the flow and not take life your yourself too seriously.
Anand: Mom and aunt are really like North Pole and South Pole and if you see them on stage together, you will know what I mean. Even as singers, their styles are so different. Mom has to be very careful with her throat, while Lataji can eat anything. Lataji has been quite frail from the time she was a child and is always falling sick. She has had stomach problems, but as a child, she took some homeopathic medicine for diphtheria and for some reason it cured her of any throat problems for life. Mom on the other hand will deprive herself of ice cream that she loves and will have one cone of softie after a tour ends, but she is so strong willed that even if she is sick she won't bother and it will be business as usual. As sisters, they were the closest. Mom is four years younger than Lataji and was this cute chubby child and Lata ji used to treat her like a doll and carry her all the time, in fact one time she fell down the stairs carrying mom and there is a scar on her forehead that is very visible in pictures. Also they were so inseparable that when Lataji went to school she would take mom with her, but one day the teacher protested and said we can't have two students on one fee, and Lataji refused to return to school without her and quit her studies. To this day, she teases mom that she is uneducated because of her. Mom is very protective about Lataji. Once a music director was talking about a singer, who had a bachelor's degree, a real big deal in those days and made a snide comment about how well educated the singer was. Mom just bluntly told him, he may be educated, but he still cannot be Lata Mangeshkar.

So how true are the stories that the Mangeshkar sisters monopolized the music industry and would not let anyone else in?
Asha: It's like the saying "Nach na Jane angan teda" (the dance floor is warped, so I can't dance well). Okay so we monopolized the industry, but tell me has there been anyone who is as good as the Mangeshkars? The fact is we had no godfather to display our talents and we worked long and hard to be where we are today. There were other singers who were established before us and still we managed to carve a niche for ourselves. In fact, once, for a movie, all the songs had been sung by Sudha Malhotra, but the producer on hearing them had them scrapped and got them re-recorded in Lata didi's voice. He said only she could do justice to those songs. In the industry, no one will give you a plug even if you are related to them if you don't have what it takes and people who talk about politics are the ones who either don't have the talent or are not willing to work hard. The fact is if you have the talent no one can keep you down, but today most people think they can become famous and great artists just by cutting an album. Let me also tell you that there are some wonderful albums that I have sung on, but they have not seen the light of day because of rivalries between the music houses and some other petty politics. Therefore, the Mangeshkar sisters are not that influential.
Anand: It is an unfortunate part of showbiz, and it is true that some wonderful albums that mom has done, one with Hariharan for example, and many others were not even marketed well. I agree with mom that today most people who have never seen wealth or fame can get dizzy, when it is showered on them. Fortunately, it is a temporary phase, because these types usually lose the fame pretty soon and get back to square one. As my Mom very well puts it, "Every artist, when he walks out on stage, must be prepared right in the beginning that the curtain has to come down at the end of the show" I guess the sisters think like this because their father was a huge celebrity in his time and they have seen the difficulties of life. They try to preach their philosophy to new entrants in the music world, but I guess one does not hear much through the din of the audiences' applause. My mom and aunt had sung for over three decades in films before they ventured out for a concert tour. That is why wherever they perform the show is sold out. Mom tells a lot of these newcomers to slow down and work hard and go on tours after a few years, but today the newcomers have a CD in one hand an a plane ticket in the other. In addition, most people do not realize that mom and aunt stayed at the top because of their dedication and discipline. Look at their career span. There is no substitute for hard work.

Your career has been divided into two main halves: the O.P. Nayyar days, when you came into your own, and the R.D. Burman days when you reached dizzying heights of success.. What has been the contribution of each music director?
Asha: O.P. Nayyar felt that my voice sounded better when I sang at a lower pitch and created songs accordingly, but there was no challenge for me, those songs were easy to sing. However, the person who I credit with really having the courage to give me my first big break was B.R.Chopra. He by passed all established singers and gave me, a newcomer who till then had been relegated to B movies the opportunity to sing all the songs in the Dilip Kumar-Vyjanthi Mala starrer Naya Daur, and later songs for Dhool Ka Phool and Waqt. Of course, I did sing for other music directors and they all had their good points. Madan Mohan was a wonderful singer too, but did not like it if you sang the song differently from the way he sang it, but my personal favorite was Salil Chaudhry. His music had the complexities and challenges that makes it exciting for a singer to sing, and I found very few people who could do that for me. My regret is that I did not get to sing that many songs for him, but my all-time favorite of course is S.D. Burman, and of course, it was Pancham (R.D.Burman) who really exploited the full potential of my voice and challenged me to greater heights. I first met him when I was a mother of two and he was in 10th grade having dropped out to pursue music and I scolded him and asked him to not give up on studies. He told me later he was a bit irritated with me because he felt he would be wasting his time in school when music was his passion.
When he offered me Aaja Aaja from Teesri Manzil, I was petrified. I had never sung a song with such heavy western influence, but didi said you are a Mangeshkar you can do it. Shammi Kapoor thought I would do an excellent job and kept teasing me do not sing it better than Rafi, I don't want Asha Parekh to sound better than me! After rehearsing and quaking at the knees for 10 days when I finally sang the song, R.D. was so impressed he handed me a 100-rupee note! Between Lata didi, Kishore Kumar and I, we sang all of Pancham's songs and Kishore always improvised on the spot, and I think he knew that I was the only one who could keep up with him. A lot of time, we would finalize things and then when we went in front of the mike he would sing something very different, and I would match him with improvisation of my own! Pancham was a genius, and the first musician to blend east and west so beautifully. Today all the musicians do is plagiarize from others and pass it as their own.
Anand: I think the reason why the Burman-Mangeshkar-Kishore partnership worked was because Pancham gave them a free hand to improvise. Often the tune would start as an ordinary one and then these people would start experimenting and improvising and before you knew it, the song would turn into a b blockbuster. There were times that Pancham felt that his talent as a music director and arranger did not get the recognition it deserved and that the singers were the ones who hogged the limelight. Mom said to him that may be true, but try and get someone else to sing your tunes and then see the difference and he agreed that the magic was created because of what these three contributed to his tunes. In fact, mom has made every song come alive. She gave an example in a show recently, when she took the song "Chura liya hai tumne jo dil ko" and showed the audience how she sang it in that very sultry way to make match Zeenat Aman's personality and make her look like an excellent actress. Had she sung it in a flat voice, all of Zeenat's oomph could not have redeemed the song. Perhaps it is this allure and ability to incorporate so many different nuances and emotions that has made her cross all barriers of time and language and age.

You must enjoy singing with A.R. Rahman. He is the closest anyone has come to R.D.Burman's talent and style of mixing east and west?
Asha: Yes and he is very talented, but I think Pancham was still in a different league. I think Rahman, is very open-minded and lets me improvise.
Anand: If you check out Rahman's top 10 hits you will notice that 7 out of 10 songs are sung by mom, and the reason that is so is because he lets her sing and improvise. Mom can sing the same line in 20 different ways. His genius lies in the fact that he can pick the best of each line and put it together. There are several other music directors who will not budge and ask mom to sing a song as they want without her own contribution and both my aunt and mom in spite of being a treasure houses of musical knowledge will graciously do as they are told. Pancham was indeed leagues ahead of anyone. While Rahman is an excellent music arranger, Pancham was both an amazing musician and an arranger, and Rahman has told mom that there is nothing left for him to innovate because Pancham had pretty much done it all in spite of the limited technology at his disposal in those days.

You have experimented with remixes, sung with Boy George, and many other boy bands, and also in English, Russian and Malaysian. I heard you just picked up some English cassettes went for a walk and returned to give a flawless rendition of your hit Ave Maria. How has the entire experience been?
Asha: Well after you have sung in Tamil, English, Russian and Malaysian are a cakewalk! When I met some of these very successful artists wearing rags, I thought they were very poor and needed financial help! It was when Anand told me they are rich as anything and this is just the way they dress that enlightenment dawned! It was fun and very easy. I believe in moving with the times and enjoying myself. I think I decided to get into the remix scene because as Lata did said every body is botching things up, at least you will make less of a mess of it. Luckily, Rahul and I was greatly appreciated.
Anand: Mom has a very finely tuned ear for music and languages. She has such a wide range that once when she was being nominated for the Grammies someone asked which category does she qualify for and I said she can sing anything from Pavarotti, all that is in between, to Michael Jackson. She has covered every aspect of music so it is not possible to slot her. In fact, in the song "O meri Jaan maine kaha" she has hit a note that is out side the keyboard!

What do you think of today's music and singers?
Asha: Not much really. In those days apart from having great musicians we had amazing songwriters, that is why those melodies are evergreen. Today for how long are you going to listen to songs like "Kambaqht Ishq" and "Ishq Kamina." In addition, television has given mediocre music an extended lease on life. A song is aired. you can see it is average, but when it is aired repeatedly, you start accepting it, but it never ceases to amaze me how people with such limited knowledge of music or little talent can go and release albums at the drop of the hat!

What are the things that make Asha Bhosle the person and the singer that she is?
Anand: As a singer, I guess no one can touch her in terms of talent and versatility. However, as a person she is a wonderful mother, grandmother and mother-in-law, and very popular with her grandkids, kids and daughters and son-in-law. She has a child-like curiosity about everything and a great ability to pick on things. The other day I was discussing NRI investment and she immediately picked up on the fact that NRIs have contributed very significantly to India's economy and wanted to incorporate that observation in her show. Then of course, she has had to make a lot of sacrifices and her determination is amazing. In addition, she is such a little girl at heart. We were on tour and reached Los Angeles and she wanted to stay one more day, why, because she wanted to go to Disneyland! In addition, I still remember this incident where we were taking a tour of Versailles and there was this very impressive and tour and a tourist guide waxing eloquent about the palace, the history and what was mom doing? She was totally oblivious to everything but the softie she had finally earned, after the concert tour and was licking it from top to bottom, not letting even a drop fall. My sister and I thought it was really funny and started giggling. Then an American man looked at her and he started chuckling. She looked up when she heard the laughter and asked, "What's so funny?" She is very honest and thinks with her heart and maybe that is why she has not received her due from so many people.
Asha: I do believe in living life with honesty, and I have taught my children the same thing. The difference is they are more diplomatic, but I just take the liberty to say it as it is. Well it has been a great journey and yes, I think with my heart and won't change that. I am glad I have the ability to never give up, and to change with the times, to see the positive in the negative. I am looking for new challenges, to build a legacy. I really enjoyed doing the Legacy album with Ustad Ali Akbar Khan, and I am planning a couple of exciting new albums, and working on my autobiography.