Asha Bhosle – A Tribute
Every refrain in Asha Bhosle’s iconic song “Jhumka gira re, Bareilly ke bazar mein” (‘Mera Saaya,’ 1966) asks, “Phir kya hua?” Well, something did happen after 54 years. In February 2020, the Bareilly Development Authority erected a 14-ft-high brass and copper statue of a jhumka (earring) in the city. Weighing 200 kg, the statue, erected at an intersection on NH24, has now become a major tourist attraction.
The Jhumka Chauraha project was privately funded, the money coming from well-wishers and institutions. That’s Brand Asha for you. No wonder the lady strode like a Colossus on India’s songscape for over 80 years. On a lighter vein, she had once said, “Mein Angrezo ke zamane ka singer hoon.”
Asha was a modern Ulysses, whose goal was “To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.” In ‘Teesri Manzil’ (1966), her first major collaboration with Rahul Dev Burman, she practised the “Aha ha aaja” from the song “Aaja Aaja, mein hoon pyar tera” in her car so intensely that her driver thought she was gasping for breath and needed immediate medical help!
A few years later, in ‘Fariyad’ (1971), a Bengali film starring Suchitra Sen, the heroine had to laugh hysterically in the midst of the song “Nach acche, gaan acche.” Mrs Sen told director Bijay Bose, lyricist Pulak Bandyopadhyay, and music director Nachiketa Ghosh that she herself would do that bit. Not to be outdone, Asha did it so well at the recording that the Mahanayika had to change her mind.
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In another incident, Asha, with a 102-degree temperature, came to the studio to record a Kabir bhajan, “Kaun thagwa nagariya lootal ho,” for the film ‘Ankahee’ (1985). She felt she had to do it because composer Jaidev was her ‘rakhi-bandh bhai’ and director Amol Palekar was a good friend. Picturised on heroine Deepti Naval, the song sounds serene and refreshing even today.
It’s often said that in her struggling years, Asha sang for second-lead heroines and vamps, while the heroines’ songs went to Lata Mangeshkar and Geeta Dutt. Well, not quite—because even in her prime, from the 1960s to the 1990s, Asha sang for heroines as well as other artistes. Prominent examples were ‘Caravan’ (1971) and ‘Khushboo’ (1975).
Asha was also the go-to singer for child artistes. Consider the song “De di hamen Azadi, bina kharg, bina dhal, Sabarmati ke sant tu ne kar diya kamal,” from ‘Jagriti’ (1954). Picturised on child star Ratan Kumar, written by Kavi Pradeep and composed by Hemanta Mukherjee, the song became an instant hit, especially during Independence Day celebrations in schools.
Another popular number was her duet “Nanhe munne bachche teri mutthi mein kya hai” with Mohammad Rafi from the film ‘Boot Polish’ (1954). Picturised on child stars Baby Naaz and Ratan Kumar, this song also became a superhit. In addition, Naaz earned a special mention at the Cannes Film Festival in 1955.
Asha’s tryst with child artistes continued even in the ’70s. Remember Baby Shalu on the piano, singing “O sathi re, tere bina bhi kya jeena” in ‘Muqaddar Ka Sikandar’ (1978)? Though Kishore Kumar also sang the same number, it was Asha’s version that has attained immortality.
Now let’s enter the second-leads territory. Here are two sequences from two films, twelve years apart. In ‘Shree 420’ (1955), Nadira entices Raj Kapoor by crooning “Mur mur ke na dekh mur mur ke.” In ‘Jewel Thief’ (1967), Tanuja first tries to seduce Dev Anand by singing “Raat akeli hai.” She then takes a giant leap of faith with “Jo bhi chahe kahiye.”
Helen’s contemporary Bindu was also no drop in the ocean. Asha’s “Mera naam hai Shabnam,” picturised on the legendary “evil woman” in ‘Kati Patang’ (1970), is Bollywood’s second-oldest rap song. The first was Ashok Kumar’s “Railgadi, railgadi” (‘Aashirwad,’ 1968). Bindu’s intimidating steps and Asha’s theatrics made this Anand Bakshi–R.D. Burman number a tour de force.
Sometimes, Asha did playback for completely unknown actors. Take ‘Bandini’ (1963), for instance. There, a woman jail inmate yearns for her home and sings “Ab ke baras bhejo bhaiya ko babul.” The deep, melancholic strains of this Shailendra–S.D. Burman classic convey the rigours of prison life. The second song is “Aage bhi jaane na tu” from ‘Waqt’ (1965), Bollywood’s first multi-starrer film. Picturised on socialite Erica Lal, this Sahir Ludhianvi–Ravi gem held a special place in Asha’s heart. This was evident in 2018 when, after receiving the Yash Chopra Memorial Award, Asha said she considered the opening lines of the song as the essence of the ‘Bhagavad Gita.’
No film showcases Asha’s versatility like ‘Caravan’ (1971). Here she croons for three actors—Helen in “Piya tu ab toh aaja,” Aruna Irani in “Ab jo miley hai,” and Asha Parekh with her doll-like movements in “Daiya yeh mein kahan phasi.” In mood and character, each song is different from the other. Composer Rahul Dev Burman and lyricist Majrooh Sultanpuri contribute equally to all three. Without Helen, the Asha story remains incomplete. After “Piya tu,” the duo’s most popular number remains the Filmfare Award-winning “Yeh mera dil” from ‘Don’ (1978).
Helen’s contemporary Bindu was also no drop in the ocean. Asha’s “Mera naam hai Shabnam,” picturised on the legendary “evil woman” in ‘Kati Patang’ (1970), is Bollywood’s second-oldest rap song. The first was Ashok Kumar’s “Railgadi, railgadi” (‘Aashirwad,’ 1968). Bindu’s intimidating steps and Asha’s theatrics made this Anand Bakshi–R.D. Burman number a tour de force.
Another song that comes to mind is “Jab chhaye mera jadoo,” the extremely fast-paced nightclub number from ‘Lootmaar.’ Though the film had Dev Anand and Tina Munim in lead roles, this song featured dancer-actors Simple Kapadia and Kalpana Iyer. Around this time, Dev Anand had shed the Burmans tag and opted for Rajesh Roshan as his composer.
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Between 1967 and 1979, Asha won seven Filmfare Awards for Best Female Singer. Two songs—“Hone lagi hai raat jawan” (‘Naina,’ 1973) and “Chain se humko kabhi” (‘Pran Jaye Par Vachan Na Jaye,’ 1974)—deserve special mention. The first, set in a kotha, shows Padma Khanna in a song-and-dance routine to entertain the hero Shashi Kapoor. The song is repeated in another sequence featuring heroine Moushumi Chatterjee. This was Shankar–Jaikishan’s swansong. The film was a late release, as Jaikishan had passed away a couple of years earlier.
The “Chain se” case is unusual. The song has the chiming of bells as a prelude, the flute plays softly throughout, and S.H. Bihari’s words delicately probe a relationship gone sour. One of Asha’s best—yet it was the only song from the film (eight in all) not shown on screen. According to one version, director Ali Raza found the song too slow for a fast-paced dacoit drama.
Another story suggests that Asha herself was against the filming of this song. The reason was simple: her 15-year partnership with composer O.P. Nayyar had reached a breaking point. According to news reports, Asha did not attend that awards function that year, and though Nayyar collected the Black Lady on her behalf, he threw it away on a roadside on his way back.
Asha’s stint with lesser-known Bengali actors
1. “Aha pata kete chul bendhe” (unknown actor in ‘Kaal Tumi Aleya,’ 1966)
2. “Mon niye ki morbo” (Rakhi, then a debutant, in ‘Baghini,’ 1968)
3. “Raat je madhumati” (Subrata Chatterjee in ‘Megh Kalo,’ 1970)
4. “Jodi kaney kaney kichhu” (Kalyani Mondal in ‘Jiban Rahasya,’ 1973)
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Abhijit Sen spent nearly two decades as a senior journalist for a renowned English daily. He now divides his time between writing columns, listening to music and watching movies of his choice. He also likes to sing songs composed by Rabindranath Tagore.
