Legendary singer Asha Bhosle has shared a long-standing professional and personal relationship with veteran actress Saira Banu, where she has delivered memorable songs like Main Chali, Zindagi Ittefaq Hai, Tujhko Dekh Kar and Mohe Tirchhi Najariya Na Maro.
Over the years, their relationship developed beyond cinema into a warm friendship.Recalling her early memories, Saira told News18, “I first met Asha ji at a recording. During those times, the live orchestra would be outside on the recording stage and there would be a singer’s booth with a microphone. Asha ji, Lata ji, Mohammad Rafi Saab and Mukesh ji were such wonderful people that they would let us, the actors, sit with them inside the booth.”
We’ve seen a lot of live recordings.
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Asha Bhosle dies at 92: President Murmu, PM Modi and political leaders mourn her
She added, “During her recordings, ‘Asha ji mujhe ishaara bhi karti the beech beech mein. Unhone mujhe pehle hi kaha tha ki woh apni awaaz mere liye baarik kar rahi hai.’ Her voice through her gesture inside the recording studio.
She was truly effervescent, beautiful, naughty and happy-go-lucky.
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“That was the last time I spoke to her.”
Saira revealed that she recently spoke to the singer, making the loss even more personal.“I recently spoke to her during Ramadan. I watched an interview of hers where she was talking about Ramadan, Eid and fasting so lovingly. I was very surprised! She conveyed a beautiful message about unity, togetherness, love and affection among people. I was thrilled with the way she spoke.
You always spoke well. “I called her to talk to her about it.”“That was the last time I spoke to her, and I didn’t realize that she would be so ill soon enough. It was a surprise to me. I remember seeing a video of her attending an event (referring to Arjun Tendulkar’s wedding) and she looked very weak. That was the last time I saw her. It was quite surprising to see her like that. I never expected her to suddenly become unwell.”See More: Asha Bhosle passes updates
“We were like family”
Saira also spoke about the deep bond shared by their families, especially through Lata Mangeshkar and her husband Dilip Kumar.“She and Lata ji were family friends. We spent a lot of time together. Dilip Saab and I shared some meaningful time with them. We are that old classic crowd. We loved sharing stories about life and music. We loved talking about food. Asha ji was obsessed with very good food! She has a restaurant too.”
I never cooked anything by her, but she and Lata ji used to come for meals at our house. Last time they came home, Lata ji ne apne haathon se Dilip saab ko khaana khilaaya tha.
“I have pictures from that day.”
“Each of them was a master of his craft.”
Reflecting on the musical legacy of the Mangeshkar sisters, Saira emphasized their individuality.“Both of them really changed the course of Hindi film music by aligning with what was needed in those times. They sang according to the era and the demand of the people.
Lata ji had a style of her own. There were certain types of songs that Lata ji would not sing. These were captured by the versatile Asha ji.“The songs featuring the dancing queen, Helen Jee, like Mehbooba Mehbooba and Yeh Mera Dil, were sung very differently. They had different styles and each was a master of their craft,” she added.
“Losing a friend is terrible”
“Oh, losing a friend is such a terrible thing to go through! It’s terrible to lose people you love. It’s terrible,” Saira concluded with emotion.Asha Bhosle passed away at the age of 92 in Mumbai. She was admitted to British Candy Hospital on April 11 following multiple health complications and died of multi-organ failure, marking the end of an era in Indian music.