ASHA BHOSLE: TOP 51 HITS
ASHA ON "ASHA AUR KHAYYAM"
On Asha Aur Khayyam: After Umrao Jaan I had wanted to cut an album with Khayyam sahab. We discussed the idea with a few music companies, but they turned out to be so kanjoos. They didn't want to spend on the album. PolyGram was an exception. It willingly agreed to the album and gave us a free hand to work on it.
I knew from experience what a taskmaster Khayyam sahab is and his insistence on rehearsals. I assured him that I would rehearse with him for a month or two before recording for the album. While rehearsing for the ghazals, I felt that the lyrics were reflecting my story. It was as if the lyricists knew the ups and downs in my life. I had tears in my eyes while singing some of the ghazals.
On the declining number of ghazal patrons: It's really sad that today not many people understand ghazals and appreciate their beauty. Urdu is such a polite, polished language. You hear people saying, "Ek ˜gajal' gao." That's because we are not promoting Urdu, which is one of the most beautiful languages of India. It's so rich, yet we are disowning it and distancing ourselves from it.
I remember when I had just begun my singing career. I never could get the Urdu pronounciation and words right. Hum ghati Marathi ke bachche, humein kya maloom Urdu kya hai (We were ghati Marathi-speaking locals, what would we know about Urdu). But the writers and the lyricists helped me understand the finer nuances of the language and evoked my interest in the language. I even kept a tutor, a maulana, and learnt Alif, be, te, se. Today I am proud that I can get my Urdu words right. Urdu is very much our language, our culture, and it is a pity that it is not spoken widely. It would be great if it is taught widely and people appreciate its charm and becomes well-versed in it.