Asha Bhosle: The reluctant superstar

‘Queen of versatility’, ‘voice unparalleled’, ‘icon of melody’… when the world began describing me with such encomiums, I was thrilled. I never desperately sought them, but slogged to make myself worthy of them. My aspirations were simple, call them stereotypical, if you may — to have a warm, loving home, be a hands-on mother and, above all, cook delicious meals and feed family and friends to their hearts’ content (she was known for her expertise in Maharashtrian, Goan and North Western Indian cuisines),” said Asha Bhosle with a laugh when I interviewed her as she turned 80.

In 2020, when I spoke to her ahead of the launch of her YouTube series designed to take ardent listeners on a nostalgic musical journey, she quipped, “Chote shaher Sangli ki is ladki ko kya maloom tha success aur shauhrat ka matlab? (how would this girl from the small town of Sangli have known the meaning of success and fame?) I may sound like a worn-out record, but maybe, I would have been happier being just a homemaker. I wasn’t ready to face the rough and tumble of a work life.”