Asha Bhonsle Recently Recorded a Song for Raavan

Bollywood playback singer Asha Bhosle, the scintillating voice behind evergreen hits like “Dil Cheez Kya Hai” and “Sona Re,” turned 76 Sept. 8 and the

legendary singer says that it is the love for music and the affection of her audience that keep her going.

“My music is God’s gift to me, and I believe that I still have not used even one percent of it. I like to go on world tours and do more stage shows because it helps me connect with my audience directly,” she told PTI.

Bhosle, who has been the voice behind more than 12,000 songs in a career spanning six decades, says she is not very happy with the quality of songs that are being made in Bollywood.

“It is not that there is a dearth of good songs but it is no longer the same. They sound empty. I do not want to sing for the sake of it. This is why I have limited my singing

assignments in Bollywood,” the singer says.

Bhosle, who in her own words “achieved success in Bollywood without any godfather,” emerged from the shadow of her elder sister, singing icon Lata Mangeshkar, with “Maang ke saath tumhara” in the Dilip Kumar-Vaijayatimala starrer “Naya Daur” in 1957.

“I have seen a lot in my life. I am happy with what I have achieved in my life because I feel it is the result of my own struggle and hard work,” she said.

The Padma Vibhushan awardee, who has made non-singers like Sanjay Dutt, Urmila Matondkar and Australian cricketer Brett Lee sing to her tunes in “Asha and Friends,” has now set her heart on collaborating with Sachin Tendulkar.

“I want to sing with Sachin. I have not talked to him about it because he is so busy but I hope that we will sing together,” she says.

Bhonsle has recently recorded songs for Mani Ratnam’s “Raavan,” starring Abhishek Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, with music by A.R. Rahman.