Asha Unlimited: B'wood's original diva
How does one define Asha Bhonsle the versatile singer who recently turned 75? The word playback singer, which springs to mind, cannot do justice to the diverse roles and personas Asha has donned in one lifetime. Asha Bhonsle nee Mangeshkar has been there and done it all, many times over. We live in an era, where sometimes packaging and brand building become as important as the product itself. Asha has learned this lesson brilliantly. Every time her critics swear that she should retire, Madam Bhonsle is back with a new avatar. The younger singers with groovy music, funky tunes and zany visuals disappear in a couple of years whereas Asha Bhonsle continues to make the concept of shelf life, redundant.
Emerging from the shadows
Some wise man once said, "Greatness is often generated due to adversity". This phrase aptly sums up Asha's life and music. Playback singing was the only way she could support her family.
She started her career in 1948 but remained on the sidelines for almost a decade. While her illustrious sister Lata Mangeshkar bagged all the choice assignments, Asha dominated the regional and B-grade Hindi films scene.
However, in 1957, OP Nayyar gave her a break and Asha recorded some of her finest songs for him. In fact it is rumored that Lata Mangeshkar cut all ties with him, as she felt threatened about Asha, who was now beginning to overshadow her. Initially, some people felt Asha was consciously imitating Geeta Dutt but she soon created her own niche. And while her older sister preferred mournful melodies or songs which spoke of strife and suffering, Asha unhesitatingly took over the sexy, crooning numbers reserved exclusively for the vamps of yesteryear. O P Nayyar passed away recently, estranged from his family. It is rumoured that the rift with his family happened because of his closeness to Asha but people hesitate to talk about it even now.
Like she had used O P Nayyar to revive her career a decade ago, she once again unhesitatingly used R. D. Burman and revived her flagging career with super hits Hare Raama Hare Krishna (1971), Jawani Diwani (1972), Yaadon Ki Baaraat (1973) and Hum Kisi Se Kum Nahin (1977). Unluckily, she once again got stereotyped as a western-style singer. Insiders insist about the shabby treatment she meted out to him when he fell on hard times. RD passed away a short time later.
