Asha Bhonsle- The World's Most Recorded Artist.

 

Asha Bhosle (Born on 8th Sep 1933) made her Hindi film debut when she sang the song "Saawan Aaya" for Hansraj Behl's Chunariya (1948) but before that she sang her first film song '"Chala Chala Nav Bala" for the Marathi film Majha Bal (1943). She had sung over 12,000 songs, she was officially acknowledged by the Guinness Book of World Records as the most recorded artist in music history

Initially, she sang songs in low-budget B- or C-grade films. She used to get the assignments only when reputed female singers of that time like Geeta Dutt, Shamshad Begum, and Lata Mangeshkar refuse singing for the bad girls and vamps, or songs. The first time she sang in a big banner film was in Bimal Roy's Parinnta 1953 The song of that film  "Gore gore haathon me mehndi racha ke"..but none of the songs was picturised on the heroine of the film Meena Kumari.

Another big banner film was RK Films Boot Polish in 1954,  Raj Kapoor signed her to sing "Nanhe Munne Bachche" with Mohammed Rafi.It was O. P. Nayyar who gave Asha a break in CID (1956). For the first time, she sang for a heroine in Big banner.The song O Leke Pehla  Pehla Pyar is basically sung by Mohammad Rafi and Shamshad Begum but in the second version, Asha sang for Shakeela the heroine of the film. After that O P Nayyar took her in  B. R. Chopra's Naya Daur (1957),  Her duets with Rafi like "Maang Ke Saath Tumhara", "Saathi Haath Badhana" and "Uden Jab Jab Zulfein Teri", penned by Sahir Ludhianvi, earned her recognition. It was the first time she sang all the songs for a film's leading actress. In 1957 another hit film released  Tumsa Nahin Dekha and the song Dekho Kasam Se Kahate Hain Tum Se became another hit that year.

Sachin Dev Burman and his favourite singer, Lata Mangeshkar, were not on good terms from 1957 to 1962.During this period, S D Burman used Asha as his lead female voice.She and Burman gave many hit songs in movies such as Kaala Pani, Kaala Bazaar, Insaan Jaag Utha, Lajwanti, Sujata and Teen Deviyaan (1965).In 1958 Kaala Pani she gave voice to Madhubala once again recall the duet song "Achcha Ji Main Haari Chalo Maan Jaao"  The song "Ab Ke Baras" in Bimal Roy's Bandini (1963) consolidated her position as a lead singer.

 With O P Nayyar she gave hit songs in  Ek Musafir Ek Hasina (1962) and Kashmir Ki Kali (1964). Recall the songs "Main Pyaar Ka Rahi Hoon" (Ek Musafir Ek Haseena), "Deewana Hua Baadal" and "Ishaaron Ishaaron Mein" (Kashmir Ki Kali). Mere Sanam, another great hit of 1965, has several beautiful songs sung by Asha and composed by Nayyar. Jaayiye aap and Yeh hai reshmi zulfon ka andhera. Both solos present two distinct emotions. Asha does full justice to both. The former is a haunting love number while the latter is a seductive one.

In 1966, she collabarated with R D Burman for Teesri Manzil.  From this film started a creative and romantic partnership that revolutionised Hindi Film Music. 

After Teesri Manzil both sang together a song in 1970 film The Train, Meri Jaan Maine Kaha which became hit.Asha Bhosle and R D Burman created nostalgia from Dum Maro Dum from Hare Rama Hare Krishna.The same year released Caravan,it's song Piya Tu Ab To Aaja became a cult song of this Jodi.In the 1970s, Asha and Pancham's youthful Western songs took Bollywood music by storm.

 The romantic "Chura Liyaa Hai Tumne" (Yaadon Ki Baaraat, 1973). Pancham also recorded many hit duets with Asha and Kishore Kumar such as "Jaane Jaan" (Jawani Diwani) and "Bhali Bhali Si Ek Soorat" (Buddha Mil Gaya).
The 1975 hit Khel Khel Mein is yet another R D Burman favourite. It had fun-filled duets like Khullam khulla pyar karenge, but its most outstanding number was the mournful solo Sapna mera. 

 In the 1980s, she traveled across the US, Canada and Britain to give concerts that draw thousands of South Asians. Unlike other singers, including Lata Mangeshkar who remains stiff, she moves around. Her concerts are always lively.In 1981 she scales epoch-creating heights with the Rekha-starrer Umrao Jaan (1981). Khayyam's soft, lingering songs like In aankhon ki masti mein and Dil cheez are among the best film songs ever composed.
By the mid-80s Asha was not singing enough.With the rise of singers like Anuradha Paudwal and Alka Yagnik, her career starts sliding but she simply cannot be written out. RD burman was also not getting films.RD reinvents his and Asha's career with an astounding score in the 1987 Gulzar film Ijaazat. The hauntingly sad song Mera kuch samaan sounds sadder by Asha's passionate rendering. 
  The 1990 film Lekin is produced by Lata and her brother Pandit Hridaynath Mangeshkar. The film, whose score is composed by Hridaynath, sees Lata singing more numbers. But Asha also gets an opportunity to transform the intricate song Jhoote naina into a masterpiece.
 Composer A R Rahman ropes her in to sing in Ram Gopal Varma's Rangeela (1995). The songs  "Rangeela Re" and Tanha Tanha were especially famous. After that in Daud (1997), the O Bhanware number with Yesudas reminds listeners that Asha is still in command over her voice. In 1999 film Takshak composed by Rehman, One of the best songs in the film, Rang de, goes to Asha Bhosle.
In 2001 a new composer Sandeep Chowta got her to sing the song  Kambakth Ishq number in Pyaar Tune Kya Kiya (2001), She was at her seductive best.In the same year, her duet with Udit Narayan, Radha kaise na jale, in the Aamir Khan-starrer Lagaan (2001) wins her more fame.She got  Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 2001.
Asha Bhosle has won seven Filmfare Best Female Playback Awards of 18 nominations.After receiving the award in 1979, Bhosle emulated her elder sister and requested that her name not be considered for the nominations hereafter.She was later given a Special Award for Rangeela in 1996, and the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award in 2001

Asha has won the National Film Award for Best Female Playback Singer twice:

• 1981: Dil Cheez Kya Hai (Umrao Jaan)
• 1986: Mera Kuch Samaan (Ijaazat)
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•                              The Story Behind The Song Dum Maro Dum Asha Bhonsle Ki Jubani
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• Magic of Two Golden Voices When Lata and Asha Sing Together


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Kishore Kumar- It's A Mad Mad World

 

Kishore Kumar was eccentric or unusual start from his childhood, when he was studying in a boarding school of Indore,in his hostel room's wall he scribbled Kishore's name, in his own handwriting, in his favorite style, in reverse: Ramaku Rashoki. For several years, one of the walls of his hostel room stood witness to his eccentricity.

He was a rare combination of madness and devotion to work. He was unpredictable, he was a genius, and he was even crazy. He had a relaxed appeal to him evident in films like Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi throughout his music performance he fools around from one corner to another. His madness and frolic become amply resound when in the song   Aaake Seedhi Lagi filmed on both him and Pran, he sings the parts of both the male and the female. The song can make anybody laugh in seconds! And who can forget the song from the film Padosan in which he played the music teacher and participated in a hilarious music competition with Manna Dey.

It was said that Kumar would sing only after the confirmation of payment from his secretary was received. On one occasion, when Kumar learnt that he was paid half for the movie he was roped in as an actor, he appeared on the sets with makeup placed on one side of his face. Seeing him when the director questioned him, he replied “Adha Paisa Tu Aadha Makeup (half makeup for half payment)”.

The legendary singer placed a sign ‘Beware of Kishore Kumar’ at the door of his residence. The famous producer of Hindi film industry H.S.Rawail came to his home to pay his dues. After paying the dues, Rawail tried to shake hands with the singer, he took the producer’s hand in his mouth, bit it, and said ‘Didn’t you see what my signboard says?’.

In an interview , he revealed that he preferred talking to his trees. He also introduced the journalist with the trees by their names at his bungalow and said they were his close friends.

Despite all these eccentric behaviors of the singer, Kishore Kumar was loveable and will remain the same forever for his fans.

Please watch the video below, a collection of his comic and funny songs sung or acted by him

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Mukesh- The Man With Golden Voice

 

‘Dil jalta hai to jalne de’. was the first major song from Mukesh from ” Pehli Nazar”(1945). It was Anil Biswas who composed this song and wanted him to sing in Saigal style The song became so popular that he was branded for the sad songs. He was next to Saigal for such types of songs. Initially, all the composers used Mukesh mainly for such songs.

After this film, however, Anil Biswas helped Mukesh to develop his own distinct style, away from the Saigal effect. Mukesh's songs of Anokha Pyaar-1948, Lajawab-1950, and Aaram-1951 are a testimony to this effort becoming a success. Just listen to the ‘ Aye Jaan e Jigar’ song and you will agree.  The anguish of a failed lover, despondency of a purposeless life, the Heartache-all this is expressed by Mukesh like no other singer.

Naushad also recognized Mukesh's voice, he took him for the first time in the 1948 film 'Anokhi Ada'.Mukesh coming out a winner with his ‘ kabhi dil dil se takrata to hoga’. Mela-1948 put a stamp of approval on Mukesh from none other than Dilip Kumar. He sang many songs for him, in fact he was the voice of Dilip Kumar in Andaz(1949) and Rafi was the voice of Raj Kapoor in that film.

Along with Mohammad Rafi, Manna Dey, and Kishore Kumar, he was one of the most popular and legendary singers of his era. Amongst the numerous nominations and awards he won, his song "Kai Baar Yuhi Dekha Hai" from filmRajnigandha (1973) won him the National Film Award for Best Male Playback Singer. Mukesh was also popular as being the voice of the actor Raj Kapoor.

Mukesh won 4 Filmfare Awards,Sab Kuch Seekha Humne from Anaari 1959,Sabse Bada Naadan from Pehchan 1970,"Jai Bolo Beimaan Ki" from Beiman 1972 and "Kabhi Kabhie Mere Dil Mein" from Kabhi Kabhi 1976

Mukesh died of a heart attack on 27 August 1976 in Detroit, Michigan, US, where he had gone to perform in a concert. His body was flown to India by Lata Mangeshkar, where a grand funeral ceremony was held in the presence of several actors, with personalities of the Indian film industry and fans paying tribute.

In this blog, we have chosen a few of his Jolly & Happy Songs. Watch the video below from my Youtube channel

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The Most Exploited & Unlucky Woman-Meena Kumari

 

Veteran journalist Vinod Mehta wrote the biography of Meena Kumari in 1972. In this book, he wrote about the exploitation of Meena Kumari whoever came close to her. She was first exploited by her family. She started out as Baby Meena, a child artist and a breadwinner of the family. As a child, she wasn't interested in a film career, and would rather attend school. In spite of this, her parents started peddling four-year-old Mahjabeen(Real Name of Meena Kumari) to film studios for work opportunities so she was deprived of her childhood.

One of the major blows in Meena Kumari's life was the death of her mother. She was only 14 then. In the film Industry also she struggled initially, though she was getting work but paid poorly.It was only after Baiju Bawra in 1952 she got recognition.
On May 21, 1951, Meena Kumari was involved in a motor car accident while returning from Mahabaleshwar to Bombay. She was admitted to Sasoon Hospital in Poona, injured around the left hand. Kumari went through bouts of depression.This accident left Meena Kumari with a banded left pinky which remained banded throughout her life, and she used to cover her left hand with a dupatta or saree during shoots. During this time Kamal Amrohi used to visit her in the hospital. For four months this hospital affair continued and love blossomed.

She married at the age of 18 Kamal Amrohi at that time he was 34. It was his third marriage. After their marriage, Kamal Amrohi allowed Meena Kumari to continue her acting career, but on the condition that she should not remit anyone in her makeup room but her makeup artist and return home in her own car by 6:30 every evening. Meena Kumari agreed to all terms, but with passing time she kept breaking them.
Meena Kumari was a patient with chronic insomnia and was on sleeping pills for a long time.As an alternative to sleeping pills, she started drinking. She was interested in Urdu poetry, this brought her close to another poet Gulzar. Once she was slapped on the set of  Pinjre ke Panchhi,by Kamal Amrohi's assistant, Baqar when she allowed Gulzar to enter her makeup room. After this incident in 1964, they divorced.

Dharmendra was the next person in her life. He signed Purnima as her Hero, he was a fan of Meena kumari,it was his dream to act opposite Meenaji. When he was introduced to her, she was warm and friendly and welcomed him with kind encouragement. Coincidentally, at this particular moment of her life, Meena Kumari required a stable and devoted man: big and strong, someone on whom she could literally rest her head, and someone who was not too famous. 

Dharmendra was almost a daily visitor at Janki Kutir. Together they would open a bottle and spend a few hours. These were the good times. Meena Kumari insisted her Producers to take Dharmendra as his Hero, both of them worked in 7 films. Dharmendra established himself as a hero because of Meena Kumari. However, a much younger and already married Dharmendra had nothing to offer in terms of the love and security Meena was searching for. They were intimate for three years.
Meena Kumari had a strong love for children, she wanted her own child here too she was deprived by her husband Kamal Amrohi.

She died on 31st March 1972, On a Good Friday, Meena Kumari died, after a long and painful battle with cirrhosis of the liver. She had been admitted to St Elizabeth’s Nursing Home in Bombay on 28th March and died three days later surrounded by the people who had played an important part in her life, both personal and professional. Her sisters Khursheed and Madhu; her estranged husband Kamal Amrohi; and various luminaries of the film world, including Begum Para and Kammo, from whose house the Aab-e-Zamzam (holy water from Mecca) was fetched to be spooned into Meena Kumari’s mouth as she was dying.

Song from Baiju Bawra 1952

Song of Tamasha 1952

Song from Azaad 1955

Song from Yahudi 1958

Song from Dil Apna Preet Parai, 1960

do sitaron ka milan hai aaj ki raat from kohinoor

Song from Bhabhi Ki Chudiyan 1961

Song of Aarti (1962)

Song of  Dil Ek Mandir (1963)

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