A brimful of Asha

In 1949 Asha at about sixteen years of age eloped with Ganpatrao Bhosle a man who was twenty years older than she was For her it was all about love a romance that unfortunately went painfully sour very quicklyBut with her perhaps hasty perhaps exciting perhaps fated runaway marriage she lost something far more valuable and meaningful than just her singlehood She lost her eldest sister ldquoIt was a love marriage and Lata didi did not speak to me for a long time She disapproved of the alliancerdquo Was this because Bhosle had been Latarsquos personal secretary Did the elder sister feel guilty for having allowed her younger sibling to meet a man so unsuitable for her That might never be spoken of but the elopement caused a rift that lasted for many yearsAsha with her son Anand She was pregnant with him when she had attempted to end her life PicGetty ImagesThe marriage was a painful one for Asha but it instilled steel into her spine and made her a strong resilient woman It would logically have put emotion into her voice too adding pathos sorrow depth and empathy to her music Rumour has it that Ganpatrao was a drunkard who beat his wife even when she was pregnant very often resulting in her needing hospitalisation Asha explains ldquoThe family was very conservative and they could not handle a singing star for a daughterinlaw My husband was shorttempered Maybe he liked to inflict pain maybe he was a sadist But no one would hear about it outside I gave him respect never questioned what he did I just did my duty as per Hindu dharmardquoThere was continuous abuse and illtreatment and finally Asha was asked to leave ldquowhen I was expecting my youngest son my third child Anand I went back to my mother sisters and brotherrdquo There were thoughts of ending the torment for good ldquoOn one occasion I felt I should kill myself I was ill I was four months pregnant and found myself in hospital where the conditions were so bad that I thought I had landed in hell I was in mental agony So I swallowed a bottle of sleeping tablets But the love I had for my unborn child was so strong that I did not die I was dragged back to life to livingrdquoThe Mangeshkar sisters from left to right Lata Meena Asha and Usha Pics courtesyAmaryllis Manjul Publishing HouseRumour has it that the sisters Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhosle monopolised the world they ruled not allowing anyone else who could match them to last beyond a song or two even deliberately sabotaging the competition Is there any truth in this Asha has said ldquoNeither didi nor I had the time to go to a music director and ask them not to take any other singer new or not So I am puzzled why we were accused of monopolising the music scene Our life experience added to our work and every music director wants a playback singer they can vibe with on a professional levelrdquoSinger Alka Yagnik who slid into the space that Asha was eased out of as age and contemporary music started ruling in the early 1980s and then stayed there for over thirty years had this to say to the Times of India when asked if it was difficult being pitted against the Mangeshkars ldquoWhen a new artiste comes in people want to find out if they can outdo the seniors Everybody has their own place Nobody can take Latajirsquos and Ashajirsquos place When I started people used to say that it is difficult for a newcomer to break through because the two sisters were ruling the industry with their voices But whenever I met them they were nice and affectionate People say that they resented it when someone new came but honestly I never felt itrdquoSpeaking to singer Sonu Nigam for a special interview for Stardust magazine Asha said ldquoRumours were being spread that the Mangeshkar sisters have monopoly in the music industry They were spread by a music director who then introduced new singers in the industry but nobody could become or was even a close competitor to Lata Mangeshkar then And nobody can be Lata Mangeshkar even today I never liked anybody speaking against usrdquo ldquoWhen these rumours were doing the rounds all I said was lsquoHum hatt jaate hain aap gaaiyersquo We will step aside you singrdquoGaana aur khaanaAsha confesses that if she had not found success as a singer she would have become a cook ldquoIrsquod have cooked in four houses and made moneyrdquo she once said in an interview Ask any of the celebrities from the film world who have worked with her and they will all talk about at least one culinary favourite she has cooked for them apart from a song that they can never forget Her forte is Indian cuisine and it is said that the Kapoor family still requests Asha to make her famous paya trotters curry Goan fish curry and dal for them The kadhai gosht and biryani have a huge fan club tooAsharsquos Nasheeli RaanIngredientsLeg of lamb 4 times 850gKashmiri chilli powder 200gShahi jeera 50gMalt vinegar 12 litresGinger garlic paste 100gGreen cardamom powder 30gMace powder 30gSalt 70gCinnamon sticks 20gBay leaf 20gMethodTrim and marinate the lamb in all the ingredients cook up to about 95 per cent on a slow fire Let it cool in same stock Put the lamb in the tandoor at 270degCWhen the meat acquires a colour take it out cut it into pieces and baste with butter Add lemon juice and chaat masala Serve with mint chutneyAsha Bhosle is quoted as saying in an interviewExcerpted with permission from Asha Bhosle A Life in Music by Ramya Sarma published by Amaryllis Manjul Publishing House