For popular taste, against mindless music: Asha Bhonsle

Asha is here for the musical nite’ to be held at the Sardar Patel Stadium on January 30.

Talking about the declining standards of Hindi film music, the veteran singer felt that the passing away of the great music directors and poet-lyricists was one of the primary reasons behind the absence of melody in today’s film songs.

The quality of songs depends on lyricists, singers and music composers, she said.

Asha Bhonsle also cited public demand as another important reason behind the soulless songs being projected by the film industry. “Lyricists and musicians will stop churning out such songs, if they are rejected by the music lovers,” she observed.

The celebrated singer, who gave a number of sizzling and soulful numbers like Parde Mein Rehne Do, Chura Liya Hai Tumne Jo Dil Ko & Dam Maro Dam during her long career spanning55 years, however, saw no dichotomy in her singing pop numbers also.

“Pop music is nothing but popular music,” Asha said, giving her cute dimpled smile, “Would you call Janam Samjha Karo which I sang for a recently released film, a pop number?,” She asked, adding in the same vein that she preferred to sing only those songs which had scope for melody and which, she thought, would be liked by people.

To a query, Asha said singers like her would be forgotten if they did not cater to popular demand. “Moreover, a singer is without option, as he or she is bound to sing the songs which are written by lyricists and composed by musicians.”

When asked why the younger generation was turning away from Indian and preferring western music, Bhonsle said peoples’ preference for music was directly related to their age. “Children and teenagers like fast music, but as they grow old they start preferring songs based on classical music.” She was, however, of the strong opinion that old film songs would neverbe forgotten. A significant proof of the timelessness of these songs, was that the children and teenagers while participating in TV Antaksharis, preferred to sing them.

Asha, who pioneered fast numbers in Hindi films, said she was fond of classical music and named performers like Ravi Shankar and Vilayat Hussain as her favourites.

On cross-border music relationship, Asha Bhonsle has said that the respect with which Pakistani artists are treated in India, is not always reciprocated by Pakistani people to Indian artists performing there. Giving her own example she said, “Sometime back, a Pakistani TV channel had recorded a song in my voice, but when it was telecast I found that my voice had been replaced with someone else’s.”

The legendary singer came out with these revelations while commenting on the Shiv Sena’s stand against the Indo-Pak test series.

She, however, refused to comment on the demonstrations the Shiv Sainiks had recently organised outside the residence of veteran actor Dilip Kumar, ashe had protested against the Shiv Sena’s demand to ban screening of Deepa Mehta’s film Fire.