In 1942, she was just 9 years old when her father, renowned stage and music artist Dinanath Mangeshkar, died. Those times were such that father at home and Hitler in the world played the same role. We all know about Hitler, his five children were scared of Dinanath ji as well. But when he died, the whole family was about to disintegrate. But his Gujarati wife Shevanti and eldest daughter Lata Mangeshkar were determined to manage the household both emotionally and financially. Where Lata ji started working in films, she decided to teach music to her sisters.

In those days, his third sister, Asha, used to go to Mangeshkar Music Center to learn ragas. One day he was being tested. Her teacher asked her to sing, Asha ji started singing with fear. It was a folk song on Shri Krishna. Without listening to him completely, his teacher interrupted him and said "Enough".

Asha ji got so scared on this that she immediately said, "Enough, have I failed?" On hearing this, he laughed and said, "Oh no, you are the topper in my eyes." Asha ji was surprised, "But I have not written anything yet, nor told anything."

Hearing this, he smiled and said, “Look Asha, where there is real talent, there is no need for all these formalities. Your voice is so melodious that you don't need anything else, you come for recording tomorrow” and thus Asha Mangeshkar sang her first Marathi song at the age of ten. The film was Majha Baal. His sister Lata Mangeshkar was in the lead role in this film.

After this, Asha ji kept on giving her voice in some Marathi songs and on the other hand, Lata Mangeshkar, performing the duty of elder sister, started working completely in films. However, his father, Dinanath Mageshkar, considered the film line very bad and did not want any of his children to appear in films. But there was time, whose strength could last on time. Lata ji herself did not want that she should do anything other than classical music. Nor did Asha ji have any such wish.

But all of them understood their responsibility very well and kept on doing whatever work they got. In 1948, Asha ji sang a song in the first Hindi film, the song was 'Sawan Aaya' and the film was 'Chunariya'. This was the time when she fell in love with Lata Mangeshkar's own secretary, Ganpatrao Bhosle. Asha was then only 16 years old and Ganpat was 31 years old. The whole family including Lata Mangeshkar was against their love, instead of separating, Asha ji married Ganpatrao and left the house. This incident created a huge gap in his family which took a long time to fill.

At the same time, Lata ji started getting more and more songs and after the refusal of Lata, Shamshad Begum and Geeta Dutt, if any song was left, it would go to Asha Bhosle. Due to this, Asha ji started getting songs only from C grade films.

But at that time, a music director emerged who not only changed the music trend in the film industry but also gave proper recognition to the career of Asha Bhosle. This musician was none other than OP Nayyar, the only Lahori Punjabi in a music industry full of Bengalis. OP first saw Ashaji in the studio of the film Chham-Chham-Chham (1952). They also gave him a chance in the film Mangu (1954) but when C.I. When D (1956) was released, Ashaji's entire image changed. Although he had only one song in this film, that too with Shamshad Begum – Le Ke Pehla Pehla Pyaar, Banke Aankhon Mein Khumar, Jaadu Nagari Se Aaya Hai” but in this song, Asha ji's voice was liked more than Shamshad Begum. .

After this, when Dilip Kumar's new era came and Nayyar Saheb decided to keep only Asha Bhosle in the female lead, then the director of the film BR Chopra was a little confused. In those days no big film was made without Lata Mangeshkar's voice. But OP was the only one with his temperament, no one could argue with him. He clearly said that he will never lose any song from Lata. This news proved to be a boon for Asha Bhosle and all the songs of Naya Daur, especially “Maang Saath Tumhaara, Maine Maang Liya Sansar, Ude Jab Jab Zulfe Teri, Reshmi Salwar Kurta Jali Ka” became very popular. It became so popular that even today its remixes are being made.

Just after this, Asha Bhosle stopped looking back at least from the career side. After Naya Daur, OP started casting Asha Bhosle in almost every film. Among these, how can one forget the song “Aaiye Meherbaan” from Howrah Bridge or “Yeh Reshmi, Zulfon Ka Andhera Na Gharabiye” from Mere Sanam, then “Aao Huzoor Tumko, Sitaron Mein Le Chalen” from the movie Kismat. Asha and OP's choice of music was also similar, so both of them also had a estrangement with the same person 'Lata Mangeshkar'. This quality forced both of them to come closer.

Ashaji got divorced from her husband in the year 60 and returned home after some 12 years holding two children by the fingers and one child in her arms. From here his career started taking a jump. He was given all kinds of cabaret songs. Alam so happened that Asha Bhosle started recording 6-6 songs in a day.

An incident from Shammi Kapoor's film Rajkumar is very interesting. The dance number in this film was “Dilruba Dil Pe Tu Yeh Sitam Kiye Jaa”, this song was a duet with Muhammad Rafi and no female singer was ready to sing this song.

At that time, except OP Nayyar, only the musicians did not get more than Rs 50 thousand for a film, whereas apart from Kishore Kumar, Muhammad Rafi and Lata Mangeshkar, other singers also used to sing songs for a few hundred rupees. But after reading the lyrics of this song and understanding the scene, Ashaji said that I want Rs 3000 for this song.

The musician was Shankar Jaikishan, he got up from the seat. The entire crew was shocked as to how Asha could ask for so much money. Then Shammi Kapoor came and said “Kyun shor kiya hua hai? Can anyone sing that song except Asha? No? So give him four thousand rupees instead of Rs. 3” The specialty of Asha ji was that she never fails to speak and express her views.

Asha ji gave more than one song, she also holds the world record for performing on more than 12 thousand songs. But when it comes to Kishore Kumar or his sister Lata Mangeshkar, she says with folded hands or holding her ear that Kishore Kumar and Lata Didi are like God for me. She is so upset with today's era of remixes that she openly says, "How dare you even think of remaking the songs of those God-like singers, music directors again?"

Similarly, when Himesh Reshammiya compared himself with RD Burman, then it came out of Asha ji's mouth that such a person should be slapped who compares himself with Pancham and starts considering himself as Kishore Kumar. (On remaking the film Karz) Asha ji clearly said that Himesh can't become Chintu (Rishi Kapoor) and can't even wander around Kishore Kumar. How can anyone reach the level at which he was, the level at which Laxmikant Pyarelal composed?

Similarly, on the remake of the film Don, she says that she cried when she heard 'Khaike Paan Banaras Wala'. He didn't watch the movie just because he would have to watch the songs.

Regarding the relationship between herself and Lata ji, Asha ji says that whatever was there at that time, there was resentment, a childishness, it was there only when we grow up, that we understand the value of elders also. Then there is no fight between two sisters, I like pink and she likes white, but it does not mean that there is no love for each other, no respect for each other?

Asha ji also says with full devotion that “When mother passed away, she said that Lata has come after me, all of us brothers and sisters consider her as her, if she says anything, I do not answer, I cannot give. As long as she is standing, I don't sit."

Ashaji not only learns a lot from her roots and from her elders, she also knows how to respect them. She believed in Hemant Da i.e. Hemant Kumar so much that she even named her elder son after him, Hemant Bhosale.

Asha ji has turned 88 years old today, but if you ask her, she is still the same sixteen-year-old girl who lives life openly, who not only loves music, but also loves managing the house, cooking, taking care of children. Is. She is the favorite grandmother of her grandchildren. But listen to her voice and you will be surprised that even today she can sing for a 20-year-old heroine. The versatility and diversity in his voice is not found in any other singer. He also sang Mujre of Umrao Jaan and also has an album of his ghazals with Ghulam Ali. Not only is she no match for cabaret singing, Asha ji, who won the National Award by singing out-of-the-world songs like “Mera Kuch Saaman”, is still connected to the ground.

If you ever ask, she says with a smile that whatever God has given is enough. We two Mangeshkar sisters have ruled the industry for 65 years. what else do you want. And this is also true, Lata ji no longer sings, but a voice like Asha ji, her diversity is still next to impossible. On behalf of Mayapuri Magazine, we wish Asha-Bhosle ji a very happy birthday and wish that they always remain healthy.

Asha Bhosle Filmography