Hitesh Vyas: I told composer, Asha-ji will sing even at 100

Hari Om director on how 89-year-old Asha Bhosle went behind the mic after four-year break to sing Zindagi Tu Chhupi Hai Kahaan
Hiren Kotwani (MID-DAY; August 24, 2023)

Asha Bhosle is set to turn 90 on September 8. Ahead of her birthday, the veteran singer has a gift for her legion of fans —after a four-year break, she has gone behind the mic for Zindagi Tu Chhupi Hai Kahaan for director Hitesh Vyas’s next, tentatively titled Hari Om. In the dramedy, the track plays in the backdrop as the father-son duo, essayed by Raghubir Yadav and Anshuman Jha, journey through Varanasi.

The director says that the singing legend was his first choice for the track as it needed a mature voice. “The song talks about the journey of life, and I thought we needed a mature voice. So, I suggested Asha ji’s name to our music composer, Rajeev Surang. He asked me whether she can still sing at 90. I replied, ‘Asha ji will sing even at 100,’” shares Vyas.

The last time Bhosle recorded a song for a Hindi movie was Aasma from Saand Ki Aankh (2019). Vyas recounts that when he approached the singer, he showed her rushes of the film. “Asha tai liked the rushes, and agreed to lend her magical voice to the song.”

Jha, who leads the slice-of-life movie, describes his meeting with the songstress as a “surreal” moment. The actor adds, “We are so grateful that she has sung Zindagi Tu Chhupi Hai Kahaan in her inimitable style.”