Asha Bhosle: Main sach bolu toh main aaj ke gaane sunti hi nahi hoon
For “the last Mughal standing in the film industry”, age is just a number as she stands as a timeless testament to the enduring power of melody. In an exclusive conversation with us, ahead of a Broadway-style concert in Dubai, legendary playback singer Asha Bhosle offers her perspectives on the contemporary music landscape.
Being candid, the versatile veteran singer admits that she is not in tune with today’s music. “Main sach bolu toh main aaj ke gaane sunti hi nahi hoon. If I have to listen to songs, I hear (late vocalist) Bhimsen Joshi’s songs, classical songs and ghazals as I get to learn and simultaneously, polish and practice my songs better through that. Because of this, my capability of singing gets better, and I improvise and sing better,” she says, adding, “I don’t really find songs with excellent lyrics today, but I listen to them occasionally and sometimes, I come across good songs by (singers) Rahat Fateh Ali (Khan), Sunidhi (Chauhan) so yes, I do find some of them good, but I rarely listen to music. If I have to, then I listen to the old songs.”
After having started singing at the age of 10 and captivating the hearts of generations across decades, music still plays a major role in her life. “Umar toh badta hai lekin dil nahi badta, dil wahi hai abhi. Gaana mera jeevan hai”, says Bhosle. Having lent her duclet tones to an array of timeless compositions, Bhosle’s melodies have been re-imagined through numerous remix versions over the years, such as the iconic Dum Maro Dum (Hare Rama Hare Krishna, 1971), Yeh Mera Dil (Don, 1978), among others. When asked about her perspective on this trend, the 89-year-old remarks, “Nowadays, everyone does it, but it has been going on for lot of years so it’s not anything new. I feel that even if the remix versions come up, no one forgets the real and original music and the artiste. It’s like giving you my phone number today and you are most likely to forget it by evening, unless you save it in your phone. However, earlier, before phones existed, people would remember most contact numbers by heart. Similarly, people cannot recall today’s music, but they know the old classics by heart. For dancing and other things, such remix versions work but the listener knows at the back of their mind that it is Asha Bhosle’s song. So, I am okay with it.”
She further adds, “In today’s world and its changing times, we should also evolve and adapt to the changes. I have also been keeping up with the changes with my new singing styles. I feel I also brought changes in the industry since years, and no one can beat my difficult pancham songs as they were modern for that time. I didn’t come here with a silver spoon. I worked hard and so, newcomers will come and sing and experiment and that’s how the world works.”
