Versatile singer of Bollywood Asha Bhosle turns 85

By
Daily Excelsior
-

KOLKATA: The most versatile singer of Bollywood film industry Asha Bhosle, who is famous for her melodious voice, turns 85 on Saturday.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee wished her on the occasion.


.
On her birthday, The ”Nightingale” of Bollywood and Bharat Ratna recipient Lata Mangeshkar gave blessings and good wishes to her younger sister.”Namaskar. Aaj meri choti behen Asha Bhosle ka janam din hai. Main usko aashirwad deti hun,wo hamesha khush rahe aur gaati rahe ye meri ishwar se prarthana.” she tweeted.

Bollywood actress Madhuri Dixit tweeted,

Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju in his tweet said,

Cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar tweeted,

Singer Adnan Sami tweeted

Yash Raj Films tweeted,

Daler Mehndi in his tweet said,

“Thank you to everyone who’ve sent their greetings to me today & especially Shankar Mahadevan who sang it on stage in Houston @Shankar_Live,” Asha in her reply tweeted

From yesteryears` actresses Mumtaz, Zeenat Aman, Madhubala, Helen and Asha Parekh to the new-age heroines like Aishwarya, Kajol, Kareena Kapoor and Urmila Matondkar, are all bound by a common thread – the evergreen voice of Asha Bhosle
Asha performed her first song on a movie soundtrack when she was just 11 and then, she has given us the superhit numbers.
Having lots of trouble in her personal life, Asha never affected her professional career and surprised everyone with her versatility. She sung all the genre of music, be it bhajans, dance songs or the fusion music and proved that she is a ‘queen of songs.’
Sister of the legendary singer Lata Mangeshwar, Asha Bhosle is one of the best-known and highly regarded Hindi playback singers in India and has sung over 12,000 songs.
She started her career in 1943 and has spanned over six decades. Born on this day in 1933, the singer has recorded many private albums and has participated in numerous concerts in India and abroad.
O. P. Nayyar gave her a break in 1956 for C.I.D. Her duets with Rafi like Maang ke saath tumhara, Saathi haath badhana and Uden jab jab zulfein teri, earned her recognition.
Known for her voice range and often credited for her versatility Bhosle’s work includes film music, pop, ghazals, bhajans, traditional Indian Classical music, folk songs, qawwalis, Rabindra Sangeets and Nazrul Geetis. She has sung in many languages including Assamese, Urdu, Telugu, Marathi, Bengali, Gujarati, Punjabi, Tamil, English and many more.
“Aaiye Meherban” – The sensuous number picturised on then screen goddess Madhubala and Ashok Kumar in the 1958 film “Howrah Bridge” has the same magic effect today on listeners as it did six decades ago. “Jaaiye aap kahan” – A beautiful and soulful romantic number picturised on veteran actress Asha Parekh and Biswajeet, the song from the film “Mere Sanam” (1965) is one of the best songs of Asha Bhosle. Her silken vocals instantly strike a chord with the listeners.
“O mere Sona re” – A playful romantic song from “Teesri Manzil” (1968) represents Asha`s light-hearted, free flowing singing style. It was highly appreciated.
“Piya tu” – Asha always gave that extra zing to her voice while singing cabaret numbers, and “Piya tu” from the film “Caravaan” (1971) is one of the best among such songs. In fact, it was the catalyst in making Asha the queen of cabaret numbers. Her style of singing took the track to another pedestal.
“Dum maro dum” – A cult song, something very different from the usual songs created at that time. The versatile singer changes her usual voice for this gypsy track in “Hare Krishna Hare Rama” (1971). Free flowing yet powerful, it showed a completely diverse side of Asha.
“Chura liya hai tumne” – A romantic melody from the film “Yaadon Ki Baraat” (1973), the song has been a hit for decades. It still appeals to music lovers of all ages, making it an evergreen number.
Asha`s honey-tucked voice has done wonders for this composition, making it a hot favourite even after 36 years of its release. “Yeh mera dil” – Pacy, hip with a strong musical backing, the song from “Don” (1978) is still regarded as one of the best songs of the film. It seems that no one could have done a better job than Asha. The song is energetic and full on punch.
“Dil cheez kya hai” – Apart from cbaret numbers and romantic songs, Asha also proved her mettle in singing ghazals. A classic, “Dil cheez kya hai” from “Umrao Jaan” (1981) is a ghazal that pulls at one`s heart strings. The song marked a bit of a departure from Asha`s fast-paced avatar. A classically influenced song, this one is one of the milestones in the singer`s career.
“Mera kuch samaan” – A song that was ahead of its times, it pits Asha in a league apart from her contemporaries. Beautifully composed by R.D. Burman and penned by Gulzar, the lilting melody from the film “Ijaazat” (1987) proved Asha`s versatility in the true sense. Soft music and complete focus on the vocals, made it one of Asha`s best songs.
“Yayi re yayi re” – A 62-year-old Asha Bhosle sung this song in “Rangeela” (1995), which was picturised on Urmila Matondkar, who was only 21 years old that time. Her voice oozed freshness and punch even after so many years. Needless to say, the song was a big hit.
Asha has won seven Filmfare Best Female Playback Awards out of 18 nominations.
She has won the National Film Award for Best Female Playback Singer twice:1981: Dil Cheez Kya Hai (Umrao Jaan) and 1986: Mera Kuch Samaan (Ijaazat).
Asha received Padma Vibhushan from President Pratibha Patil on May 5, 2008. (AGENCIES)

WhatsApp Icon Follow our WhatsApp channel

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here