Versatility
could well be Asha Bhosle's second name.
No type of song has been beyond her vocal
range be it a club dance, sad song, bhajan,
ghazal, pop etc.
Like her older sister Lata Mangeshkar,
Asha also initially did a small stint as
a child artist. But being trained in classical
music by her father Dinanath Mangeshkar
it was more natural she too turn to playback
singing like Lata did.
Asha made her playback debut in 1948 with
the film Chunariya. But it took a
long, long time for Asha to make it to the
top. It's not as if singing opportunities
didn't come her way. In fact in the 1950s
Asha sang more songs than any other playback
singer but the bulk of these were in small
films with no distinction. And if she did
get a chance to sing in an A film it was
probably just the song of the heroine's
friend or a female duet with bigger singers
like Lata, Shamshad Begum or Geeta Dutt.
But Asha had no choice. Having made an ill-advised
marriage which alienated her from her family,
she had to take up all the assignments she
got to fend for her children.
1957 was her breakthrough year when OP
Nayyar used her to sing the heroine's songs
in Tumsa
Nahin Dekha and Naya Daur. The
same year SD Burman
had his rift with Lata. And though Geeta
Dutt could have been his next choice after
Lata since she was already a mature singer
and familiar to Burman Dada while Asha was
still raw, Geeta's troubled marriage did
not make her easily available for rehearsals.
Consequently S.D. Burman chose to groom
Asha along with OP
Nayyar rather than wait for Geeta. The
following year Asha made it right to the
top with hit songs in films like Howrah
Bridge (1958), Chalti ka Naam Ghadi
(1958) and Lajwanti (1958). She
also got involved with OP Nayyar and thereafter
she remained his premier singer till their
break-up in the 1970s.
Initially Asha's voice did sound influenced
by Geeta Dutt's style of singing but post
1957 she came into her own and how! By the
end of the decade she was second only to
Lata on the playback scene and the two sisters
have ruled the playback scene well into
the 90s.
The 1960s saw Asha at her best as she belted
out her best songs particularly under OP
Nayyar's baton - Aankhon se Jo Utri hai
Dil Mein from Phir Wohi Dil Laya
Hoon (1964), Jayiye Aap Kahaan Jayenge
from Mere Sanam (1965) and Woh
Haseen Dard De Do from Humsaaya (1968)
to name but a few. However In spite of her
incredible emotive ability she was getting
typecast in songs that were more on the
sensual side.
OP Nayyar and Asha split in the 1970s but
not before he composed the prophetic gem
Chain se Humko Kabhi which won her
the Filmfare Award.
The 1970s also brought her close with RD Burman
who gave her a new hip and happening sound
altogether. Piya Tu Ab To Aajaa (Caravan
(1971)), Dum Maro Dum (Hare
Rama Hare Krishna (1971)), offered fresh
and stimulating challenges to her voice.
Jaane Jaa from Jawaani Diwaani
(1972) had her switching from the higher
scales to the absolute lower ones within
the song with ease!
But as she had been typecast in mainly
sensual songs earlier so also with RD Burman
and other composers she now got typecast
in mainly Western type of songs.
It was Umrao Jaan (1981) which showed
further new possibilities in Asha's voice.
Khayyam got her to sing the ghazals in the
film two notes lower and the result was
magical! Dil Cheez Kya Hai, In
Aankhon ki Masti, Yeh Kaisi Jagah
hai Doston, Justaju Jiski Ki represent
some of the finest singing Asha has ever
done.
Ijaazat (1987) saw her in top form
winning a National Award for Mera Kuch
Samaan, a most difficult song to sing
as the lyrics were more in prose form rather
than standard rhythmic verse.
In the 1990s Asha has even further widened
her horizon by succesfully coming out with
albums in Indipop and beating the Indian
pop artists on their own turf. Though she
has cut down on her singing now she still
makes an Urmila Matonder or Aishwarya Rai
sizzle in Rangeela (1994) or Taal
(1999).
The biggest feather in Asha's already crowded
cap has been the Dada Saheb Phalke Award
for her contribution to Indian Cinema.
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