There’s of Asha, We chat exclusively
With the iconic Indian singer who was in town to celebrate her 86th birthday at her Dubai restaurant, Asha’s at Wafi Mall.
michael@khaleejtimes.com
Iknow why you guys have deliberately not put candles on my birthday cake,” remarked legendary Bollywood singer Asha Bhosle, upon being presented with a cake when she dropped into the Khaleej Times office on the afternoon of Saturday, September 7, the eve of her 86th birthday.
“Perhaps it will remind you all of Diwali (the Festival of Lights)!,” joked Asha, one of Bollywood’s most celebrated singers, who is as effervescent and charming as ever. Ardent fans will recollect the hit 1997 song, Brimful of Asha, by British band Cornershop. The lyrics truly pay tribute to the legend and her boundless energy which she displayed with much elan while talking to us. When she cut her cake, she scooped a slice and gave the first bite to her son Anand, before anyone else.
“It’s a delicious cake,” she said after taking a bite. “You know, I’m here today because of him (Anand). He’s my backbone.”
Considered one of the most iconic singers from the Hindi film industry, Asha Bhosle ruled Bollywood for more than six decades, along with her famous elder sister Lata Mangeshkar. She sang her first film song Chala Chala Nav Bala for the Marathi film Majha Bal (1943) and made her Hindi film debut with the song Saawan Aaya for Chunariya in 1948. Since then, she has recorded a phenomenal number of songs and was honoured by the Guinness World Records
with a certificate for the most studio recordings (singles) for recording up to 11,000 solo, duet and chorus backed songs in over 20 Indian languages.
This year Asha decided to celebrate her 86th birthday with her fans in Dubai at her restaurant, Asha’s, at Wafi Mall on the evening of Saturday, September 7. Diners had the chance to witness the cutting of the cake by Bhosle along with a talk by the legend. The five-course menu, also featured three of Bhosle’s favourite dishes and the music throughout the evening focused on hits from the 70s and 80s by R.D. Burman (who Asha was married to), Kishore Kumar, Mohammed Rafi, Lata Mangeshkar, and of course Asha.
In an exclusive chat with City Times, Asha touched on myriad topics and shared interesting anecdotes from her past, including her love for cooking, Bollywood music, her fashion sense and more.
What are your earliest birthday memories?
First of all, this is the first time I have come to the Khaleej Times office. It’s been 17 years since I last celebrated my birthday. I decided to celebrate my birthday in Dubai because I love this city. I have a lot of fans in the UAE who used to watch me on television or in shows and wish me, so this year, I thought why not go and celebrate my birthday with them? And here I am!
Talking about past birthday memories, I recollect one particular birthday celebration. I was my 60th birthday. It was a surprise organised