When I came to the industry around 1962-63 all the stalwarts ruled- from Naushad saab to C Ramachandra to Shankar-Jaikishen to SD Burman. I joined Pancham (RD Burman) for the background score of Bhoot Bungla (1965). After that, I became Pancham’s chief violinist. It’s over 40 years of association with Ashaji. I always remember her with affection.
I worked with her for the first time in a famous Punjabi film called Nanak Naam Jahaz (1969), the music was by S. Mohinder and Ashaji sang a shabad for it.
I worked closely with her son Hemant Bhosle from his first film to his last. I can’t remember the name of the film- must be Taxi Taxie (1977) or Jadu Tona (1977), we were during a music sitting at Prabhu Kunj. It was rather late in the night around 1.30 am, when my assistant Ram Lalwani, Hemant and I finished the session. As we were stepping out of her apartment, Ashaji walked in after a recording. She asked us where we were going and we said we had just wrapped up with Hemant. She asked me to wait as she wanted to talk about something important. So I waited. Then, 15 minutes later she emerged with a bowl of chicken curry, rice, dal and lots of stuff and said please eat before you go. Remember she was also dog tired after her recording but she went in and cooked for us. Who does that?
Another time I was arranging for Hemant, when she walked into the music studio, her face looked crestfallen and her eyes were red. I went into the artiste’s booth and asked her what was the matter and she said she would tell me later. I asked her if she wanted to cancel the recording and she said no. In that frame of mind, that day she sang a cabaret in one single take. That’s her genius. Her ability to keep her personal problems aside.
We grew close when I worked with Pancham. Often I would drop her at Pancham’s place after recordings. We went on so many world tours and I would be the main arranger.
I remember at one recording of Pancham I just broke into fits of laughter and I just couldn’t stop. I don’t remember to date why I was laughing uncontrollably. After the recording Ashaji came out of the booth and yelled at all of us and Pancham and said, “Kahan se leke aaye ho in marasiyon ko,” and looked me straight in the eye. She was angry that we were not serious during the recording. She would constantly narrate this incident at all our world tour shows.
She would tell my wife Sudesh, if you have a daughter I pray she has your nose and eyes like uttam.
When I became music director she sang one song Aaare munhe, taarre munhe in Waaris (1988) and Le gayi le gayi for Dil To Pagal Hai (1997). The harkat she takes after saying Le gai le gai was her creative suggestion. She asked me if she could and that one tremor she added made the song so much more robust.
I met her last year. I was to tune music for a Marathi film Cup Bashi (2026). I wanted her to sing two songs. She fed me kebabs and lots of stuff but said she won’t be able to sing because gaane ke liye taaqat chahiye and she wasn’t feeling up to it. I said I would record at her place if need be I wanted her. But it wasn’t to be.
But we have had such a lovely association. What musicians Pancham had collaborated and gathered with him and Ashaji singing those amazing songs, it just seems like yesterday.
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