Asha Bhosle’s name is synonymous with versatility, energy, and timeless charm. While the world often celebrates her chart-topping hits and playful numbers, there exists a treasure trove of songs that never received the recognition they truly deserved. These neglected gems showcase not just her technical brilliance, but also the depth of emotion, subtlety, and artistry that Asha brought to every note. From soulful ghazals to heart-wrenching solos, this collection is a journey into the quieter, yet equally magnificent, side of Asha Bhosle’s musical legacy.
DO BOONDEIN SAWAN KI — Phir Subah Hogi (1958): At a time when Lata reigned so prim, Khayyam made music of sobriety with Asha. While her title song with Mukesh flew into the firmament of fame, this plaintive and passionate solo got left behind. Do boondein sawan ki is a wistful reminder of what Asha was capable of even in those days, if given half a chance. Since Khayyam was himself deemed half a composer among the ruling stalwarts, it took two halves (Khayyam and Asha) to make a perfect whole in our soul.
JAAN-E-KYA HAAL HUA HAI AAJ MAIKHAANE KA — Maa Ka Aanchal (1970): It was always a major grievance with Asha that Madan Mohan never allowed her to sing his great ghazals. Here was her chance to soar above the sore-point. Reportedly, because this small-budget film (starring Anjana Mumtaz and Sanjeev Kumar) couldn’t afford the divine Ms. Mangeshkar. The Ghazal that Asha sang for Madan Mohan possessed the uplifting tempo and emotional richness of an all-time classic. Asha gave the song her best shot, hoping it would rank somewhere near the immortal ghazals of Lata by Madan Mohan. Sadly, it did not.
MAIN HOON EK BARKHA KE BIN JALTA SA DIN — Aavishkar (1973): It was a tough act to follow up. Composer Kanu Roy had already elevated the songs of Basu Bhattacharya’s Anubhav to seemingly insurmountable heights in the voice of Geeta Dutt. Remember Koi chupke se aake and Mujhe jaan na kaho? From the outset, Asha had elected Geeta as her prime competitor. In Aavishkar she had the chance to sing a song that was designed for Geeta Dutt. In Main hoon ek barkha ke bin, Asha’s vocal control and her penchant for painting emotions are more than palpable. Here’s a compositional and vocal marvel awaiting rediscovery.
MAIN JAA RAHI THI LEKE MAN MEIN TRISHNA — Bidaai (1973): As the matriarch who watches all her loved ones migrate to the city, Durga Khote delivered an outstanding performance. If there’s one single moment that we remember her by, it’s the moment when her grandson arrives to give the lonely woman company during her last days. The relief, joy, ecstasy, gratitude, and resurrection of faith in humanity expressed in the line Achhe samay pe tum aaye Krishna by Asha fills our hearts with an unbearable ache.
SAATHI RE BHOOL NA JAANA MERA PYAR — Kotwaal Saab (1977): Ravindra Jain’s jewel in Asha’s croon is a complex tune conveying waves of surging emotions of a woman who’s grateful for the gift of love, but also fearful of losing it. Asha expresses a joie de vivre as well as uncertainty in this brilliant ballad of the sad cafe.
YEH SAAYE HAIN YEH DUNIYA HAI TANHAIYON KI — Sitara (1980): In the great big bustle known as life, there are soothing stopovers that diminish our despair and fatigue. This song about the sham and illusion of showbiz written by Gulzar is full of a sighing nostalgia.
RAAT JO TUNE DEEP BUJHAYE MERE TTHE — non-film album Meraj-e-Ghazal (1983): The voice articulates the feeling of a shattered heart. More than the songs of Umrao Jaan, the album Meraj-e-Ghazal, recorded in collaboration with Ghulam Ali, witnessed Asha at her apogee. Her supple chords coiled themselves around the fragile tunes of the album like a serpent around a vine.
JEENE DE YEH DUNIYA CHAHE MAAR DALEY LOG HUM DEEWANE PYAR KARNE WALE — Lava (1985): A lean, mean season had set into R.D. Burman’s career. For no fault of his, it might be added. For, here he was the Pancham-good-and-proper composer creating for Asha tunes as colossal as Dekho yeh kaun aaya (Savere Wali Gadi), O meri jaan (Manzil Manzil), and of course Jeene de yeh duniya. Though defeated in the charts, it was another kind of triumph. The song’s lyrics not only signified the determination to conquer all opposition to love, it also epitomised Pancham’s determination to return to past glory. Asha’s vocals (accompanied by singer-cum-cinematographer Manmohan Singh) were seldom in better shape.
UMEED HOGI KOI… SHAAM DHALE VARNA KOI AATA NAHIN KISNE YEH PUKARA — non-film album Dil Padosi Hai (1987): The inborn power of Gulzar’s poetry has seldom been more poignantly projected. In this song about waiting for love, Asha Bhosle communicates the haunted and haunting desolation of Geeta Dutt’s Koi dur se awaaz de chale aao. In an album of uniform exquisiteness, this number radiates the glow of a candle on a sultry summer night.
BOLO KYA TUM BAS ITNA SA MERA KAAM KAROGE — Daayraa (1997): It’s a pity that all public attention was glued to Asha’s shokh-vocals-ki-bijliyan. In Amol Paelkar’s Daayraa, the searing film about a transvestite played by the late Nirmal Pandey and a sex worker played by Soinali Kulkarni, Asha Bhosle gave an enduring vocal performance for Gulzar’s sensuous lyrics tuned by—believe it or not—Anand-Milind! The composition is incredibly supine, sensuous, and pain-lashed. The incredible Ms. Bhosle had another marvelous solo Palkon pe chalte chalte in Daayraa.
Also Read: Asha Bhosle Turns 92: The Voice That Defines Generations
