Lata-Asha unite for a song

The song Ae hawa has also been rendered by Shaan.

"It’s a pleasure to come together with my sister again," says Lata Mangeshkar. "I have always maintained she’s a very versatile and skilled singer. We have sung many songs together. It's always a challenge to face the mike with my sister."

 The last song the sisters sang together was Mann Kyon Behka Ri Behka for the 1984 film Utsav.

The Nightingale still recalls every detail of the song.

"The makers of Utsav explained to me what had to be done. I was singing for Rekha while Asha sang for her friend, played by Anooradha Patel. The thing about the two of us coming together to sing is that we are very different singers. The music composer has to find the meeting-point, and this isn’t easy," she says.

Lata Mangeshkar has sung some of her best songs for Rekha, and they share a great bond. On the former's birthday this year, Rekha dropped in to meet the iconic singer. But being unwell that day, Mangeshkar was unable to meet the actress. Not one to give up easily, Rekha requested a relative to bring the singer to her balcony.

When she came to the balcony, Rekha cheered from below, clapping, blowing kisses and shouting 'Happy birthday', like an excited fan.

"Rekha is very fond of  me," Mangeshkar says. "She says she is my daughter. It is my good fortune that I have received so much love from all the heroines that I have sung for, from Madhubala, Nargis and Meena Kumari to Waheeda Rehman, Hema Malini, Jaya Bachchan and Rekha. We have always been more than professional colleagues. My sister and I have sung most of their songs.”

What brought on this new song Ae hawa?

"My niece Rachna’s brother-in-law Rohan Shah has composed the number," Mangeshkar says. "My sister Asha and Shaan sang it, so I decided my company LM Music along with Saregama-HMV will produce the song."

The song will release on December 10.