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.”

As a 10-year-old, actor Ayesha Kapur couldn’t have asked for a better debut project than Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s 2005 classic Black. She then went on to star in a couple of more films as a child artiste, before she took a sabbatical to finish her education abroad. Cut to 17 years later, Kapur is all set to make a comeback, and this time, with a leading role in director Harish Vyas’ upcoming film, Hari Om.

“Every film and each character you play is like a fresh start. So, it’s imperative to let go of the past and live fully in the present. I’m so thrilled to reconnect with audiences after so many years,” says the actor.

Ask about the factors she kept in mind while giving her nod for the upcoming movie — which also stars Anshuman Jha, Raghubir Yadav and Soni Razdan — she tells us, “I have been on the lookout for character-driven roles that offer me the opportunity to explore, and then bring to life, the layers of the character that the director envisages.”