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Birthday Special: The 25 Moods Of Asha Bhosle
The difference between a good singer and a great singer is that one sticks to the tune while the other brings it to life.
From the era of black and white to colour to 3D, the matchless Asha Bhosle has breathed life into thousands of magical songs for numerous decades and regaled us with her endless energy and mastery of 'sur' and 'taal.'
Her inimitable voice -- be it as the heroine, vamp or supporting actor -- is responsible for countless memorable moments on the big screen and off it. Truly, her rare gift has produced a song for every emotion, occasion and ambiance.
One of India's most loved voices turns 79 on September 8. Rediff.com celebrates the legendary songstress and her astonishing versatility with a compilation of 25 songs against various moods and set-ups.
Aaiye meherbaan, Howrah Bridge
Mood: Seductive
Music: O P Nayyar
Asha Bhosle livens up the atmosphere with her sensual rendition of this timeless sizzler from Shakti Samanta's black and white mystery.
Bhanwra bada nadaan, Sahib Biwi Aur Ghulam
Mood: Playful
Music: Hemant Kumar
Known to modulate her voice to match a song's feel, the singer is at her animated best to convey the liveliness of Shakeel Badayuni's lyrics.
Chura liya hai tumne, Yaadon Ki Baarat
Mood: Romantic
Music: Rahul Dev Burman
Despite the overexposure, there's much affection and elegance in Asha's admission of love to snub this chartbuster from Nasir Hussain's lost and found musical.
Justuju jiski thi, Umrao Jaan
Mood: Heartbroken
Music: Khayyam
While a misty-eyed Rekha expresses the pathos of the ill-fated courtesan on celluloid, Asha Bhosle exudes her heartfelt agony behind it.
Sabarmati ke sant tune kar diya kamaal, Jagriti
Mood: Patriotic
Music: Hemant Kumar
The celebrated singer pays a rich tribute to the Father of the Nation in this melodious creation of Satyen Bose's National Award winning feature film.
Parde mein rehne do, Shikar
Mood: Mysterious
Music: Shankar Jaikishan
The Padma Vibhushan recipient gets all secretive and guarded while teasing her listeners with a guessing game of concealed identities picturised on namesake, Asha Parekh.
O mere sona re, Teesri Manzil
Mood: Appeasing
Music: RD Burman
The two Ashas come together yet again to kiss and make up with their sulking Sona -- Shammi Kapoor in Vijay Anand's deft whodunit.
Chanda re chupe rehna, Lajwanti
Mood: Maternal
Music: Sachin Dev Burman
Asha Bhosle is the sound of motherly ardour delivering a soothing lullaby, lip-synced by Nargis, in this sentimental drama about an estranged maa-beti.
Jawani jaaneman, Namak Halal
Mood: Glamorous
Music: Bappi Lahiri
Nobody blends sophistication and siren quite like Asha Bhosle. And that's exactly what the queen of flamboyance does around this snazzy Bappi beat.
Piya tu ab to aaja, Caravan
Mood: Anxious
Music: RD Burman
At a time when women were portrayed as prude and prim, Asha Bhosle not only acknowledges the aggressively sexy possibility of 'Monica' but gives her a sensational twist, on par with Helen's on screen bravado in this no-holds barred cabaret treat.
Dum maaro dum, Hare Rama Hare Krishna
Mood: Hippie
Music: RD Burman
Nothing explains the wild aura of the 1970s better than Asha Bhosle's free-spirited rendition of the gypsy soul in RD's equally tantalizing arrangement.
Khaali haath shaam aayi, Ijaazat
Mood: Melancholic
Music: RD Burman
The pitch-perfect disappointment in Asha's rendering of the serene albeit sad notes of Khaali haath communicate the loneliness in a hopeless situation perfectly.
Deva ho deva Ganpati deva, Humse Badhkar Kaun
Mood: Devotional
Music: Raam Laxman
Asha Bhosle collaborates with Mohammed Rafi, Shailendra and Bhupinder to celebrate the grand festival of Ganesh Chaturthi in this popular song from a long forgotten Mithun Chakraborty-Ranjeeta potboiler.
Tum kitne din baad mile, The Great Gambler
Mood: Peeved
Music: RD Burman
Do lafzon may be the most popular on the soundtrack but Asha shows off her awe-inspiring range while letting off steam with anger and sarcasm in Tum kitne din baad mile.
Jaane jaan o meri jaane jaan, Sanam Teri Kasam
Mood: Party-hopper
Music: RD Burman
RD's foot-tapping score was easily the USP of this typical poor boy-rich girl romance starring Kamal Haasan and Reena Roy.
And the husband-wife team burns the floor effortlessly with this East-West fusion leaving you a-ha, ha, ha-ing for more.
Nahi nahi abhi nahi, Jawani Diwani
Mood: Shy
Music: RD Burman
Asha has this rare ability to act out the emotions of a scene within the song. And for this catchy number featuring Jaya Bachchan (then Bhaduri), the singer is delightfully demure and resisting towards the hero's eager advances.
Aao huzoor tumko, Kismat
Music: O P Nayyar
Asha Bhosle humors Babita's intoxicated state and has fun with it to convey a lack of inhibition and control in this memorable ditty from Manmohan Desai's stable.
Yeh saaye hain, yeh duniya hai, Sitara
Mood: Reflective
Music: RD Burman
'Yahan saare chehre hain maange hue se,' a subdued Asha Bhosle springs life in Gulzar's insightful poetry about the emptiness under the hustle bustle of show business with grace and skill.
Saare niyam tod do, Khubsoorat
Mood: Rebellious
Music: RD Burman
A clearly enthusiastic Asha Bhosle kick starts a defiant, non-cooperation movement of her own resonating the discipline vs carefree theme of Hrishikesh Mukherjee's feel-good flick.
Mere mehboob mein kya nahi, Mere Mehboob
Mood: Proud
Music: Naushad
Sisters and heavyweights of playback singing -- Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhosle -- get together to tussle over the best 'Mehboob' in this silvery Naushad composition brimming with exaggeration and adjectives.
Khatouba, Ali Baba Aur Chalees Chor
Mood: Exotic
Music: RD Burman
For Umesh Mehra's Indo-Russian take on the classic Arabian fairy tale, RD employs middle-eastern influences while Asha lends it zing and zest with her merry inflections.
Aa dekhen zara, Rocky
Mood: Competitive
Music: RD Burman
Even as Kishore Kumar (for Sanjay Dutt) and RD (for Shakti Kapoor) spar over words; Asha Bhosle competes with herself -- providing the voice for both Tina Munim and Reena Roy in everyone's favourite song about trash talking.
Jhuka ke sarr ko puchho, Satte Pe Satta
Mood: Makeover time
Music: RD Burman
Asha Bhosle turns romance coach with her How to win a girl's heart in five courteous steps guidebook to a six scruffy brothers.
Pyar ke mod, Parinda
Mood: Persuasive
Music: RD Burman
The singer is at her soulful best for Madhuri Dixit in trying to convince Anil Kapoor to commit to a life of love and harmony in this sublime beauty from Parinda.
Rangeela re, Rangeela
Mood: Happy-go-lucky
Music: A R Rahman
The youthful, exuberant and starry-eyed vibe of Rangeela's title track is lovingly captured in Asha Bhosle's eternally vivacious spirit.
No wonder it became an instant hit.