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Ageless allure

"Asha Reveals Real RD" is Asha Bhonsle's latest album. But the singer reveals more in the interview

PICTURE OF POISE Asha Bhonsle PHOTO: SHANKER CHAKRAVARTY

Just as growing children get annoyed at constantly being told how tall they have become, active elders may wince at forever being reminded of their age.

Some people think advancing age grants an automatic prerogative to stagnate, then inflict their sense of wonder on veterans who refuse to do so.

How many times has Asha Bhonsle been asked the secret of her ageless strength in the music industry! She's not aging gracefully, she's graceful, period.

She certainly epitomises moving with the times, in terms of musical genres, technical developments or media relations. For her latest album "Asha Reveals Real RD" brought out by Sa Re Ga Ma, Asha has chosen songs of R.D. Burman that she feels have not received the attention they deserved. "Asha Reveals... " is in more ways than one a step further from her earlier album, the Grammy-nominated "You've Stolen My Heart: Songs from R. D. Burman's Bollywood", on which she collaborated with the Kronos Quartet.

This time she worked with two new arrangers. "Nitin Shankar has done the rhythm section and Yogesh Pradhan has done the instrumental part. The two make a great combination."

In an industry known for opulent orchestras and a penchant for picking up influences from across the world for background scores, it is not often that the arrangers get into the limelight, though they are the ones who, it might be said, wave the magic wand over a tune and make it into a popular sensation. "In the old days, everyone used to get fair credit. Today, maybe because there is a lot of computerisation, they don't pay much attention to those who help create the music. Look at the music channels on TV. The credits are not given at all. Maybe the producer thinks the artistes will get big-headed," says Asha.

Such debates, however, will always remain. As for giving credit, who can mistake that voice anyway? She has sung over 20,000 film songs and is still going strong? "Training in classical music helps, because it makes the voice flexible. But to get the expression, you have to immerse yourself in the role. Like telling yourself, `I am Helen.' If one is going to feel shy about such things, one might as well sit at home," says the playback singer famous for Bollywood cabaret numbers.

Besides film tracks, she takes in her stride a spectrum of genres, whether remix or original, classical or folk, or collaborative ventures with bands from other countries.

In this kaleidoscopic diversity, there is one constant: the sari. "I have been wearing a sari since I was 13. Wherever I went, even in the snow, I have never worn anything else."

It's not as if she was never tempted.

But if ever she thought of trying out a salwar-kameez, she would be overruled. "Oh ma!" she imitates the chorus of protestors, raising her hands to her face.

"Even recently I said to my daughter-in-law that I want to get a nice Punjabi suit stitched. She said, `What has happened to you!' But actually I don't find saris inconvenient. People say it's not easy to walk fast. That's not true though."

She adds after a pause, "I like girls in trousers and shirt, if they are slim."

With so much behind her, what musical project does she crave?

"There is nothing really. Bahut saara gaa diya. (I have sung a lot)." She muses, "I wanted to sing in English, I have done that... But if I say I will do something, it won't happen. Things suddenly spring up and everything falls into place."

Here's looking forward to the next spring.

ANJANA RAJAN

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