As the unstoppable singer shares details of the show, she reminiscences about her long playback career and reveals what turning 90 means to her.
“Mein iss film industry ki aakhri Mughal hoon (I am the last Mughal of the film industry),” says playback legend Asha Bhosle. The singer, who turns 90 on September 8, is full of beans as she announces a Broadway-style show, titled “Asha@90”, to be held in Dubai on her birthday.
“I was around 10 when I started my singing career in 1943. Over the decades, I have worked with the industry’s best and come to know them closely. Whatever I am today is because of my 80 years as an artiste,” says the singer, known as a dynamic stage performer. The unstoppable artiste, while addressing a press interaction at a suburban hotel, said: “People are amazed that I will be 90 soon. I don’t look at my age that way. But I am a strong believer of naseeb (destiny).”
The ambitious musical show which will feature nearly 55 performers, including 23 dancers, will not only take the viewers through the illustrious journey that she has had but also entertain them with some of her best songs. For those who assume she is doing something “unusual” by headlining a major stage show on her 90th birthday, the legend has a disclaimer. “I am not doing anything extraordinary. I keep performing. A month ago, I did a show in Pune,” she shares.
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The upcoming show marks her return to the stage in Dubai after over a decade. “If the response is good, we may take it to America or London,” she adds. The show will feature well-curated throwbacks — ranging from classic Bollywood hits, ghazals, and melodies delivered by Bhosle.
To celebrate her return to the stage, some admirers and junior colleagues had turned up at the press meet. Actor Jackie Shroff when asked to pick his favourite Asha song said he would refrain from mentioning Rangeela (1995) since it features him. As if on a cue, Bhosle started humming “Yaai re yaai re mil ke dhoom machaaye re…” her famous number from Rangeela. Others seated on the dias started tapping on the table, matching the beats.
Actor Poonam Dhillon mentioned “Aaiye Meherbaan” from Howrah Bridge (1958) as one her favorites while Padmini Kolhapure spoke about her trademark voice modulation in “Zara Holle Holle Chalo” in Sawan Ki Ghata (1966) and “Dum Maro Dum” in Hare Rama Hare Krishna (1971).
When asked about her message for the new generation, she said, “Everyone should look within and figure out what they are good at. But whatever they may choose as a career, hard work is essential for success.” Calling herself “an accident singer”, who used to keenly listen to her father Deenanath Mangeshkar, his disciples and elder sister Lata Mangeshkar sing, Bhosle talked about the regular riyaaz she does every morning.
“No matter what you want to do, immerse yourselves in it,” says Bhosle, who was born in Maharashtra’s Sangli and recorded her first song for a Marathi film Majha Bal (1943). She went on to sing over 12,000 songs in various Indian languages.
Being one of India’s leading artistes for almost eight decades has not been an easy task. “I had to balance the demand of recording songs with running a household and bringing up my children. But many people relate to the struggle I have undergone. That’s why they call me ‘tai’ (elder sister) or ‘mai’ (mother),” says the singer. It’s not just work pressure that she had to cope with. Over the years, she has also dealt with the loss of many close collaborators and family members.
When asked about how she manages to stay “positive” even after the roller-coaster ride she has had, Bhosle responds with the song “Zindagi kaisi hai paheli haae, kabhi to hasaaye, kabhi ye rulaaye” from Anand (1970), sung by Manna Dey. “My life has been like the waves in a sea. I have reached this stage after going through that (the restless movement),” says the legend, who is still riding the wave of public adulation.
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First published on: 09-08-2023 at 04:46 IST