Chura Liya Dil
PREETI JABBAL on the Melody Queen Asha Bhosle’s Melb concert
If there is one person who can epitomize the saying ‘age is a state of mind’, it is the melody queen of Hindi cinema, Asha Bhosle. Clad in a glittering sari and sparkling with diamonds, the septuagenarian performed to packed audiences in Melbourne recently and it was ‘chura lia dil’ all over again. The 77-year-old even sang like a 16-year-old girl, and pulled it off with aplomb. There were no item girls, hardly any gimmicks and very little props to detract from her singing. An uncomplicated orchestra and simple ensemble accompanied Asha as she presented her selection of popular songs composed by her late partner, Rahul Dev Burman.
A few imperceptible tremors in her voice and an occasional gasp for breath did nothing to mar an excellent performance by the most recorded artist in the world. Asha Bhosle, who created a remarkable niche in the world of Hindi music with her versatility, did not disappoint the hundreds who came to watch the living legend in action. A standing ovation welcomed the songstress to the stage and the applause rose to a crescendo with the ever popular, Piya tu ab to aaja (Caravan), Yeh mera dil (Don). The fervor continued with the rebellious Dum maro dum (Hare Rama Hare Krishna) and the seductive Duniya mein (Apna Desh). The romantics joined in with their favourite singer to sing Chura liyaa hai tumne (Yaadon Ki Baaraat,) and Do labzo ki hai (The Great Gambler), followed by much swaying in seats for the award-winning Mera kuchh saamaan (Ijaazat).
Asha’s Melbourne show was held at the Plenary in Melbourne Convention centre on March 6. In January 2007, the singer performed in Melbourne’s Hamer Hall with tabla legend Ustad Zakir Hussain and a band of four artists from the US called Kronos Quartet. That show was also based on compositions of R D Burman; however there was a marked difference in the selection of songs. This time Asha chose songs that proved to be her greatest hits instead of the off-beat and unheard-of compositions favoured by the Kronos Quartet. Both shows were well received by music lovers in Melbourne, the former scored for its uniqueness and the latter, for its mass appeal.
Accompanying Asha at the recent show was Amit Kumar, son of the legendary singer Kishore Kumar. He left some in the crowd satisfied, but some were annoyed with his singing and posturing. The music was provided by Nitin Shankar, another well-known name in Hindi film music industry however, it was young Arjun from Rajasthan who attracted considerable attention. Not only was he pleasing to the eye, but the young man sang and played the guitar like a rock star. His talent and input was singled out on a few occasions by Asha during the show, and the audience seemed suitably impressed. Adding some much-needed sizzle to the delectable musical mix were the two MCs, Manpreet Singh and Divya Dhingra.
As pointed out during the introduction by Manpreet Singh, Asha has done playback singing for over 1000 Hindi movies in a career spanning over six decades. She has lent her beautiful voice to numerous songs in other languages like Bengali, Marathi, Gujarat, Punjabi etc., and some of them also featured in her repertoire that evening. With multiple awards, Grammy nominations (for the album Legacy with Ustad Ali Akbar Khan and You’ve Stolen My Heart with Kronos Quartet) and innumerable chartbusters to her credit, Asha’s work has earned considerable global appeal. She has, over the years, collaborated with Boy George, Code Red and Michael Stipe, and also sang with Australian cricketer Brett Lee. Her songs have inspired bands like the Black Eyed Peas, Cornershop, Fatboy Slim and a remix version of her song was included in an album by Nelly Furtado.
The recent concerts held in both Sydney and Melbourne were promoted as Asha’s farewell performance in Australia. The main sponsors of the event were Cine Star, Junoon Showbiz and Indus Age. Closer to the end of the concert, MC Divya Dhingra invited organizers Yogesh Sharma, Raj Nizar and Siddharth to felicitate the great singer. The audience’s reaction to the concert was mostly positive because there were plenty of fans in the crowd. Asha and Amit were entertaining – making conversations with the audience, cracking jokes and Asha also managed a shimmy or two during her cabaret croons. Overall the concert lacked oomph, but made up for it by talent.
As film aficionados, we tend to associate certain music with times in our life, which is almost like creating a customized soundtrack to our being. It is therefore inevitable that we have several Asha Bhonsle songs in the soundtrack of our lives. If this was indeed her farewell concert, those who attended will agree that it was an honour to be able to see this remarkable lady in concert and hear her wonderful songs. Asha’s sweet and often seductive voice will always remain embedded in our cultural DNA.
