When Will Asha Bhosle Stop Abashing Her Sister Lata Mangeshkar?

Ali Peter John

Ever since I have been attending meetings and award functions held by and for Padmavibhushan Asha Bhosle , I have never been able to understand why the younger Sister goes out of her way to insult, humiliate and make a mockery of her better known sister. Asha goes out of her way to run down her ninety year old sister and stops at nothing short of abuse which shocks the admirers of Lataji and doesn’t even give her a good name because it is very rarely that a younger sister who is also popular, but as the world knows certainly not as popular as her sister.

It is more than twenty five years since I have been hearing Asha Bhosle openly speak against her sister’s  voice   and her being known for singing only in one style of singing , whereas she (Asha) has been versatile  as she is. Asha claims that she has sung double or more than the number of songs lata has sung down the years and goes on to say that she has sung in almost every language in the country and even in languages of other countries, which she says her sister can never beat her at. Asha has lost no opportunity to run her sister down in public and in the media.

Some three days ago, she was participating in a question and answer session in Marathi in Vile Parle  and she answered questions by the anchor person Sudhir Gadgil  who has interviewed  her  and Lata and even the late Sudhir Phadke and has been an expert in provoking them to come up with controversial answers and this time was no exception.

When asked to compare her voice with Lata , she blatantly said , “there is absolutely  no comparison as  Lata has been singing in the same shrill voice for the last seventy years whereas she(Asha) has been singing in a wide variety of voices. She was even blatant when she said that Lata avoided singing duets with her as she knew who was more superior. Asha even mimicked her sister’s voice to the amusement of the audience which had paid a heavy price for the tickets for the live show . Asha even went to the extent of challenging Lata to sing , dance and perform at a public show with her and answered the question  herself when she said , “Didi is scared of any competition with me and moreover , she has lost the power to sing. She will be ninety on September 26 and I am already eighty five, but I have still not stopped taking up challenges “.

Asha also made it open that she was the richest singer in the country and that she had moved out of the family of the Mangeshkars and has shifted to an entire floor at Casa Grande in the posh area of Lower Parel.

When asked if she would be interested in politics , she said , “there is so much politics in our home , where is the time and the need to join active politics “.

She went on making fun of Lata for over an hour till the organizer placed a packet of rupees 10 lakhs , only to vilify her sister!

Years ago , the well –known filmmaker  Sai Paranjpye who was aware of the differences between Asha and Lata had made a film based on their lives called  “Saaz”. Lata was quiet about the film, but Asha made a hue and cry about it .

In the meanwhile, Asha wants to get  equal with Lata and according to very reliable sources is trying every way to receive the Bharat Ratna this year , so that she can be totally on par with Lata . whoever has heard of an 88 year old sister going to war with her 90 year old sister without the latter saying a word against her  forever at war sister ?

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Tags: Bollywood, Bollywood News, Bollywood Updates, Television, Telly News, Asha Bhosle, Lata Mangeshkar