As the world mourns the loss of a legend, journalist and filmmaker S Ramachandran reminisces about the beloved artiste’s lesser-known facets
The writer with Asha Bhosle in 2006. Pics/By Special Arrangement
My first encounter was with Ashatai over three-and-a -half decades ago as a rookie journalist, when she was recording for a Marathi song at a suburban recording studio. When the film’s director realised that I was a journalist, he was perturbed because he thought that I would leak the music of the film, and Tai promptly put her arm around me and said, “To lahan mula aahe. Tu tyachyaavar sanshay kasa gheu shakto?”
The late Asha Bhosle captured here in the kitchen of her South Mumbai residence, after receiving the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 2000. Pic/Rane Ashish
And her arm continued to be around me when I directed several music videos with her. Starting with the Aap Ke Dil Mein song with Sanjay Dutt as part of the Asha & Friends album. She would often make fun of me and mimic me pulling up my trousers during the shoot, as I had lost weight by then. She was a terrific mimic, and she even imitated the legendary Sunil Dutt, who was like a brother to her, when she met Sanjay Dutt.
1991
Year ‘Bow Down Mister’ was released
Sanjay Dutt and Asha Bhosle shoot for the music video of ‘Aap Ke Dil Mein’
Sanju’s surprise
In fact, how we got Sanjay Dutt to sing for her is a funny story. When we called Sanju and told him that Ashaji would like to speak to him, Sanju thought it was actress Asha Parekh calling him to attend a Cine Artists Association meeting. When he realised it was Asha Bhosle wanting to sing with him, he almost fell off his chair. Later at the recording, she narrated how she had even sung with Sunil Dutt once and put Sanju at ease. She did the same with Urmila Matondkar as well, telling her to calm down and just sing.
A field of her own
That’s the reason why she took on breezy numbers with OP Nayyar, the rocking ones with RD Burman and went on to collaborate a lot with international artistes from Boy George for Bow Down Mister in 1991, Kronos Quartet for You’ve Stolen My Heart, Michael Stipe for The Way You Dream, Code Red for We Can Make It, and finally with Gorillaz for The Shadowy Light in 2026.
Damon Albarn of Gorillaz was a fan of her psychedelic work with Panchamda in the 1970s, and was amazed at her ability to reproduce the same magic at the age of 92.
With Urmila Matondkar at Mukesh Mills in Colaba
Culinary prowess
Once we had a 6 am call time for a music video shoot of hers with Urmila Matondkar at Mukesh Mills, Colaba, and she was there at 5.30 am, all cheery and perked up, gobbling up the breakfast she carried from home, also bringing extra for all those working on the shoot. No wonder she had everyone, from Tom Cruise to Amitabh Bachchan, to British boxer Amir Khan, eating out of her hands, be it in the music domain or at her global restaurants. She cooked so well, like her sister, the late Lata Mangeshkar. I have had the fortune of being fed by them and listening to her fun comments on not being able to taste their best dishes, as I am a vegetarian.
Iconic duet
Interestingly, when we were set to sing and shoot a collaborative song with Brett Lee, the Aussie pacer was a bit apprehensive. “My wife is delivering a baby, and I don’t want to be linked to a lady.” Then we showed him Ashtai’s picture and body of work and explained that she was 72 and 43 years older than Brett, who was 29 then. So Brett came in and recorded, and later, when he came to the shoot, she told him, “If you get a son, call him Sachin!” not after Sachin Dev Burman, but her favourite cricketer and Brett’s bête noire, Sachin Tendulkar.
Asha Bhosle offers her blessings to then up and coming cricketer Mali Richards, the son of West Indies cricketing great Sir Viv Richards, at the CCI in 2005. PIC/Santosh Harhare, mid-day archives
What sibling rivalry?
The legend once spoke to me about the so-called rivalry that the entire industry and fans felt existed between her and her legendary sister. “We sang 80 songs together. How can she be a competitor? She was already a star when I started. How can one have two Taj Mahals? So, I had to pick a niche for myself. In fact, Geeta Dutt was a competitor. I was just her younger sister,” she said.
A perfect symmetry
Incidentally, both sisters passed away at the age of 92 and died four years apart, as their age difference was four years. And both died on a Sunday at the Breach Candy hospital. It is as if fate itself aligned to a perfect symmetry, leaving fans in silence and to play their swansongs — that only their melodies can fill.
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