I still haven`t escaped comparisons with Didi: Asha Bhosle
Veteran singer Asha Bhosle, known for crooning a variety of songs during her over six decade-old career, admits she still faces comparisons with her elder sister, singer Lata Mangeshkar.
|Last Updated: Jan 29, 2013, 07:39 PM IST|Source: Bureau
Mumbai: Veteran singer Asha Bhosle, known for crooning a variety of songs during her over six decade-old career, admits she still faces comparisons with her elder sister, singer Lata Mangeshkar.
But at the moment, she is rejoicing over the compliments that Lata has heaped on her.
"It felt good to hear her say in her interview that she can`t sing what I can. But I disagree with her," Asha said.
"I feel if she wanted to sing my kind of songs, she would have. But she didn`t want to. She didn`t have to. She got to sing all the songs for the heroines, so she didn`t have to sing for the other female characters in a film. I got those songs. And I made the best of them," said the 80-year-old, who sung romantic songs, cabarets and ghazals.
Some of her popular numbers include "Dum maro dum", "Mehbooba mehbooba", "Mera kuch saaman", "Piya tu ab to aaja", "Chura liya hai tum ne" and "Dil cheez kya hai".
Recalling her days of struggle, Asha, whose acting debut "Mai..." is now set to release Friday, said: "When there was already a Taj Mahal, I came to build another one. Bahut mushkil tha (It was tough). Who would want to go to another singer when there was already a Lata Mangeshkar? On top of that, I was her younger sister.
"Hamesha humein ek tarazu mein tola gaya (We were always weighed on the same scale)... It was very tough for me to escape all these hurdles. I still haven`t escaped those comparisons."
She says it was imperative for her to carve her own identity.
"Didi and I had to be different singers. Copying her would have meant the end of my career even before it started. No one would have entertained a copy of Didi. Just as long as Kishore Kumar was there, no other male voice stood a chance. I first had to get songs that were comparable with Didi`s. I had to cultivate a Western style of singing. I had no choice.
"I had to be prepared to do any kind of song that was offered to me. Didi became instantaneously successful. Plus there were other singers like Geeta Dutt," she said.
Talking about the new generation of singers, Asha said: "The world has moved on. Earlier the female singer sang at a high pitch and the male singer at a low pitch. Now that has been reversed. There`s no time for slow soft sentimental songs.
"No point in clinging to the past and pining for nostalgia. If you remember happy occasions, whether it is the mehndi ceremony or a wedding, they have always been celebrated with songs. Every individual wants to dance and sing. Rhythm ka zamana hai (Rhythm rules). No one listens to the words. You can`t stop the world from moving on. If you try, you`ll get left behind."
IANS
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.