In a world where music evolves at an unprecedented pace, legendary playback singer Asha Bhosle stands as a timeless testament to the enduring power of melody. As she prepares to grace a Broadway-style concert in Dubai, Bhosle sits down for an exclusive conversation with us, offering her perspectives on the contemporary music landscape.

“Main sach bolu toh main aaj ke gaane sunti hi nahin hoon. If I have to listen to songs, I hear (late vocalist) Bhimsen Joshi’s songs, classical songs and ghazals as I get to learn and simultaneously, polish and practice my songs better through that. Because of this, my capability of singing gets better and I improvise and sing better,” she says, adding, “I don’t really find songs with excellent lyrics today, but I listen to them occasionally, and sometimes I come across good songs by (singers) Rahat Fateh Ali (Khan) and Sunidhi (Chauhan), so yes, I do find some of them good, but I rarely listen to music. If I have to, then I listen to the old songs.” 

Having lent her dulcet tones to an array of timeless compositions, Bhosle’s melodies have been re-imagined through numerous remix versions over the years, such as the iconic Dum Maro Dum (Hare Rama Hare Krishna, 1971) and Yeh Mera Dil (Don, 1978).

When asked about her perspective on this trend, the 89-year-old remarks, “Nowadays, everyone does it, but it has been going on for years, so it’s not anything new. However, I feel that even if the remix versions come up, no one forgets the original music or the artiste. It [remix] is akin to sharing my phone number today, which you might forget by evening unless you save it on your device.”