AA Edit | Asha Bhosle’s Legacy Endures
For someone who hesitatingly pitched her voice in an era of the metallic Noorjahan, the spirited Geeta Dutt, the enigmatic Surayya and the blossoming Lata, Asha, in hindsight, had probably everything going against her. A Howrah Bridge here or a CID there still did not launch the voice that not only survived the so-called Lata monopoly but also led to a myopic debate on who was the better singer
The voice has gone out of our lives, yet it is still with us. This voice is no ordinary one. It is a voice packed with a bulwark of effort, result and art. If Lata Mangeshkar and her voice are eternal haunts, Asha Bhosle and her body of work will always be a seductive facet of our music.
For someone who hesitatingly pitched her voice in an era of the metallic Noorjahan, the spirited Geeta Dutt, the enigmatic Surayya and the blossoming Lata, Asha, in hindsight, had probably everything going against her. A Howrah Bridge here or a CID there still did not launch the voice that not only survived the so-called Lata monopoly but also led to a myopic debate on who was the better singer.
First came Naya Daur and then Teesri Manzil, and in the midst of it all the unquestioned declaration of superlative talent. Her seminal work, established through the rhythm of O.P. Nayyar, displaced doubtless streaks of her multifaceted talent. She outlived and out classed the Nayyar era of her career.
Her collaboration extended to every music director of her time from Naushad to Anu Malik to A.R. Rehman; she sat with all and sang for all. As India’s Grammy Awards nominee twice over, her influence defined a genre of cinematic music that will remain arguably unmatched over the next few decades.
She anchored the later part of her music career brilliantly with her husband R.D. Burman. Their Dum Maro Dum was not just a song. It was almost an anthem of protest, a reflection of a youth protesting against social norms. “Think cabaret, go to Asha,” was a short-sighted understanding of a voice kaleidoscopic and talent unparalleled. One only needs to move beyond unforgettable seductive numbers to her work in Umrao Jaan. The dictates of the market forces often got music directors rushing to Lata Mangeshkar. In fact, this was a partial loss for the collective fandom of Indian cinema.
History or obituaries are not written on hypotheses yet the question arises: if Asha in the 60s and the 70s was given more opportunity, would this indelible mark have been even deeper? To the misfortune of her fans, she responded positively to: Koi door se awaaz de chale aao chale aao...