Asha Bhosle's inspiring journey from a fear of being overshadowed to becoming a legend in her own right
Music icons Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhosle are widely regarded as the queens of playback singing in Bollywood, having lent their voices to thousands of hit songs over the decades. However, not many know that it was Asha Bhosle's initial fear of being unable to carve out her own niche under the shadow of her immensely talented sister Lata that drove her to experiment and take her singing to new heights.
As Asha Bhosle celebrates her 91st birthday today, let's look back at how one wrong assumption by an executive early in her career sowed the seeds of doubt in her mind. In her own words, a production head mistook one of Lata's songs for Asha's due to their similar voices back then. The misunderstanding led a young Asha to worry that as long as Lata was active in the industry, she may not get many opportunities of her own.
This light bulb moment changed Asha's approach completely. She delved into different song forms and styles like ghazals, quawwalis and western music to develop a unique flavor in her vocals distinctly separate from Lata. Her experimentation paid off – Asha soon established herself as a multifaceted singer with an unrivaled ability to ace even the most challenging of rhythmical songs.
No doubt there was healthy competition between the sisters. But their occasional collaborations were always a treat for fans, with each pushing the other to greater heights. Though singing alongside her idol Lata was stressful, it made Asha dig deeper into her talent.
Today, Asha Bhosle has myriad hit songs and awards to her name. But it was her initial fear of being overshadowed that drove her transformation from a sangita kalaacharya to an entertainer par excellence and undisputed queen offilmi pop over many generations. Hers is a remarkable story of believing in oneself and letting inner courage overcome doubts to achieve one's true potential.
