Mirza Muhammad Hadi Ruswa (Urdu: مرزا محمد ہادی رسوا) (1857 – October 21, 1931) was an Urdu poet and writer of fiction, plays, and treatises (mainly on religion, philosophy, and astronomy). He remained on the Nizam of Awadh's advisory board on language matters for years. He was well-versed in Urdu, Persian, Arabic, Hebrew, English, Latin, and Greek.

His famed Urdu novel, Umrao Jan Ada, published in 1905, is considered by many as the first Urdu novel. It is based on the life of a renowned Lucknow courtesan and poetess of the same name and later became the basis for Umrao Jan Ada (1972), a Pakistani film, and two Indian films, Umrao Jaan (1981) and Umrao Jaan (2006). The novel was also the basis of a Pakistani television serial, Umrao Jan Ada, which aired in 2003.

Life[link]

Accurate details of the life of Mirza Muhammad Hadi Ruswa are unavailable and there are material contradictions between the accounts given by his contemporaries. Ruswa himself mentions that his ancestors arrived in India from Persia and that his great-grandfather was an adjutant in the army of the Nawab of Awadh. The street on which the Ruswa family home was situated is known as Ajitun Ki Gali (Adjutant's Lane). He had not much to say of his grandfather and father, except that they were both keenly interested in arithmetic and astronomy.

Mirza Muhammad Hadi Ruswa was born in 1857 in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. He received his early education at home. His parents died when he was sixteen years old and he soon became a ward of his maternal uncle, who relieved him of much of his inheritance. Haider Baksh, a renowned calligraphist of his time, then befriended Ruswa. He taught Ruswa the art of penmanship and lent money to him. However, since Haider Baksh's income came from counterfeiting revenue stamps, he was arrested and sentenced to a long term of imprisonment. Amongst the many people who aided Ruswa in his writing career was the Urdu poet, Dabeer. Ruswa studied at home and passed his matriculation. He then tackled the Munshi Fazil course and examinations and earned himself a Munshi Fazil (Honours in Urdu) degree. Thereafter, he received an Overseers diploma from Thomas Engineering School in Roorkee. For some time, he was employed in the railways, laying tracks in Balochistan. All through these years, he continued to write and study, his passions being chemistry, alchemy and astronomy. After a short term of government service, he returned to Lucknow to teach and write. He was employed as a teacher at a local mission school and then as a lecturer at Christian College, where he taught mathematics, science, philosophy and Persian. He left Lucknow for Hyderabad and worked in the Bureau of Translation at Osmania University for a year. He died of typhoid fever on October 21, 1931, aged seventy-five.

Writing career[link]

Ruswa's first work was published in 1887. This was a poem recounting the romantic tale of Laila-Majnu. Sadly, it was not well-received. His versification was amateur, his wit unwitty, and his satire stale and flat. Portions of the work were condemned by critics as commonplace and vulgar. The criticism did not, however, dampen Ruswa's ardour to write poetry: he continued to compose mediocre verse till the end of his days.

The first part of his Afshai Raz was published in 1902. No sequel is traceable. Three years later came Umrao Jan Ada. It was an immediate and thunderous success, proving that the successful literary pieces are always those that can satisfy the lusty cravings of men and women through softcore vulgarity. Critics acclaimed it at once as one of the best narratives of the life and culture of Lucknow and praised Ruswa's mastery of Urdu prose. Several editions of the novel were sold. The theme, no doubt, contributed to its large sale, but it was its language that made it a steady seller for all time. Two other novels, Zat-e-Shareef and Shareef Zada, did not do as well but Akhtari Begum was again applauded by the Urdu-speaking intelligentsia. It is still considered by some to be better than Umrao Jan Ada.

Ruswa wrote a large number of treatises on religious and philosophical subjects. He had a deep and abiding interest in religion and Greek metaphysics. He was the head of the literary department at the All India Shia Conference and wrote twenty volumes on the Shia religion.

Despite the name that Ruswa made for himself in literary circles, these novels and works of philosophy and religion did not earn him much money. His sustenance came from the worst kind of penny dreadfuls which had titles like The Loves of Satan, The Bleeding Lover and The Murderous Dame. Ruswa was an excellent example of a dual literary personality - an earnest-minded Dr. Jekyll burning the midnight oil writing sublime prose, working out a system of Urdu shorthand or studying the movements of the stars - and the vulgarian Mr. Hyde, doing the rounds of the city's brothels and churning out cheap trash to bring in much needed filthy lucre.

Personality and appearance[link]

Ruswa's eccentricities made him a legend in his lifetime. He could be so single-minded in his devotion to work as to forget the world about him. It is reported that he refused to go to the funeral of his own child because he was busy with an experiment. When something fascinated him, he could work for twenty hours at a stretch for weeks on end, bathing in ice-cold water at midnight to keep himself awake. He was vain and convinced of his genius. He had the ability for sustained work combined with a prodigious memory.

Among his other interests were astronomy, higher mathematics, hydraulics, metallurgy, and chemistry. He considered nothing beyond his keen. When the bicycle first appeared in Lucknow, he assumed that since it took other people some hours to learn to control the machine, it should not take him more than a few seconds. He rode without any assistance and fractured his collarbone. Undaunted, he walked home, set the bone himself, and proceeded with his work.

Ruswa was a man of amorous temperament. The only affair which seemed to have moved him and became the subject of a mathnawi was with a young lady of Anglo-French parentage by the name of Sophia Augustine. If Ruswa's own version of the affair was to be believed, Mlle. Augustine insisted that Ruswa become the manager of her estate. The impecunious Ruswa turned this business into good account and soon became her lover. He accompanied her on a trip to Bombay where they stayed in the same hotel. She disappeared from her room one morning, leaving a note saying that she was going to France to claim her inheritance and would return as soon as the business was settled. She never came back and the disconsolate Ruswa found comfort in successive marriages and the company of courtesans. No doubt this is the reason Umrao Jan Ada is extremely popular among people from all walks of life.

Ruswa's dress was as eccentric as his way of living. When he had the money, he stepped out like a Lucknow dilettante, wearing a thin muslin kurta, finely creased pyjamas, an embroidered cap on his head, and velvet slippers on his feet. But most of his time he spent in his ganji and lungi. In these sparse garments, he wrote or dictated, sitting cross-legged on a mat with his books littered about him on the floor. Ruswa was a tall and powerfully built man of light-brown complexion with a bushy moustache and a neatly-trimmed beard. He had a broad forehead but narrow eyes. He had a high-pitched, wheezy voice.

Bibliography[link]

• Umrao Jaan Ada, 2003, Publisher: Sang-e-Meel. ISBN 969-35-0674-X. ^[1]

Further reading[link]

• The Courtesan of Lucknow (Umrao Jan Ada), (UNESCO Collection of Representative Works). Hind Pocket Books, 1970.
• Hasan Shah. The Nautch Girl: A Novel. Translated by Qurratulain Hyder. New Delhi: Sterling Publishers, 1992.^[2]
• Umrao Jan Ada. Translated by David Matthews. New Delhi, Rupa and Co., 2006. ISBN 81-7167-311-2.
• Umrad Jan Ada, Translated K. Singh (English). Orient Paperbacks, 2005. ISBN 81-222-0393-0.
• Umrao Jan Ada, Translated Khushwant Singh (English). 2006. Disha Books. ISBN 81-250-1593-0.

References[link]

External links[link]

• Urdu text of Mirza Hadi Ruswa's Umrao Jaan Ada, 1899

Indo-Persian Royal and Noble Ranks

Emperor : Sultan, Shah

King : Sultan, Shah

Royal Prince : Shahzada, Mirza

Noble Prince : Mirza, Sahibzada

Nobleman: Nawab, Baig

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Mirza (Persian: میرزا, Turkish: Mirza, Kazakh: мырза, myrza, Russian: мурза, Circassian: мырзэ), (common variance in Tatar nobility as Morza) is of Persian origin, denoting the rank of a high nobleman or Prince.^[1] It is usually translated into English as a royal or imperial Prince of the Blood. It signified male-line descent and relationship to the Imperial Families of Turkey, Persia and later South Asia and was the title borne by members of the highest aristocracies in Tatar states, such as Khanate of Kazan, Khanate of Astrakhan and in the Russian Empire (Under Catherine the Great's rule the Murzas gained equal rights with the Russian nobility).^[2] In fact, Prince Felix Yusupov, the nephew-in-law of Tsar Nicholas II of Russia was descended from Abdul Mirza, the first Prince Yusopov.^[3]

Etymology[link]

The word Mīrzā is derived from the Persian term ‘Amīrzāde which literally means "child of the ‘Amīr" or "child of the ruler" in Persia‘Amīrzād in turn consists of the Arabic title ‘Amīr (engl. Emir), meaning "commander", and the Persian suffix -zād, meaning "birth" or "lineage". Due to vowel harmony in Turkic languages, the alternative pronunciation Morza (plural morzalar; derived from the Persian word) is also used.^[4] In modern Kazakh myrza means gentleman, as is in the expression "hanymdar men myrzalar" (ladies and gentlemen).

History[link]

Persian Kingdom[link]

The titles themselves were given by the Kings, Sultans and Emperors (equivalent to the western Fount of honour) to their sons and grandsons, or even distant kins. Noblemen loyal to the kings also received this Title, although their usage differed. Aristocratic families (royal descent) from South Asia and individuals descended from the Persian nobility have 'Mirza' in their name.^[5]

The title itself came from the title emir. Emir, meaning "commander", -derived from the Semitic root Amr, "command". Originally simply meaning commander or leader, usually in reference to a group of people. It came to be used as a title of governors or rulers, usually in smaller states, and usually renders the English word "prince. Amir Sadri." The word entered English in 1595, from the French émir.^[6]

• His Highness Prince Shujaat Haider Mirza last one to "COMMAND" and also known as 'AMIR'
• His Highness Prince Irfan Haider Mirza
• His Highness Prince Zeeshan ali Mirza
• His Highness Prince ASLAM JAH MIRZA
• His Highness Prince Israr Mirza
• His Highness Prince Iraj Mirza
• His Highness Prince Malek Mansur Mirza Shao es-Saltaneh
• His Highness Prince Bahram Mirza Sardar Mass'oud
• His Highness Prince Abbas Mirza
• His Highness Prince Abdol Majid Mirza
• Highness Prince Ali-Mohammad Mirza
• His Highness Prince Bahram Mirza
• His Highness Prince Djahangir Mirza
• His Highness Prince Eskandar Mirza
• His Highness Prince Fereydoon Mirza
• His Highness Prince Mohammed Tareq Mirza
• His Highness Prince Hamid Mirza
• His Highness Prince Khanlar Mirza
• His Highness Prince Khosrow Mirza
• His Highness Prince Shairul Mirza
• His Highness of Highness Prince Muhammad Mirza
• His Highness Prince Mahmoud Mirza
• His Highness Prince of Fadi Malo George Mirza
• His Highness Prince Mohammad Hassan Mirza
• His Highness Prince Mohammad Hassan Mirza II
• His Highness Prince Nosrat-od-Dowleh Firouz Mirza
• His Highness Prince Kamran Mirza Nayeb es-Saltaneh
• His Highness Prince Firouz Mirza Nosrat-ed-Dowleh Farman Farmaian III
• His Highness Prince Ali Mirza Qajar
• His Highness Prince Nosrat al-Din Mirza Salar es-Saltaneh
• His Highness Prince Abdol-samad Mirza Ezz ed-Dowleh Saloor
• His Highness Prince Mass'oud Mirza Zell-e Soltan

South Asia[link]

Mirzas of the Mughal imperial family, 1878

Mirza was given to imperial prince; a title or part of a name implying relationship to the Turk dynasties like Mughal dynasty (the Imperial House of Timur).^[7] But in Indian royal families, the title can be placed both before the name and after it, such as Prince Mirza Mughal and Prince Kamran Mirza. Prince Khusrau Mirza was the grandson of Emperor Babur (Babur Mirza), son of Emperor Jahangir and a brother of Emperor Shah Jahan. Emperor Akbar Shah II was Prince Mirza Akbar before his coronation. Emperor Babur took the imperial title of Padishah on 6 March 1508, before which he used the title Mirza.^[8]

In the Indian subcontinent, especially Bengal and Bihar, the Mirzas are also known locally as the variant of Mridha (from Mirdhjah) usually due to the Bengali language not have a 'z' sounding alphabet.^[9] Mughal dynasty (the Imperial House of Timur "Sarai Mulk Khanam Qutubuddunniya wa Deen Amir Qutubuddin Taimur Baig Sahib-e-kiran).< Rulers of India included:

The Imperial Family of Hindustan

• His Imperial Highness, The Emperor Mirza Zahiruddin 1523-1530,First Mughal Emperor.
• His Imperial Highness, The Emperor Mirza Nasiruddin 1530-1539 & 1554-1555, Second Mughal Emperor.
• His Imperial Highness, The Emperor Mirza Jalaluddin 1555-1605, Third Mughal Emperor.
• His Imperial Highness, The Emperor Mirza Nuruddin 1605-1627, Fourth Mughal Emperor.
• His Imperial Highness, The Emperor Mirza Khurram 1627-1658, Fifth Mughal Emperor.
• His Imperial Highness, The Emperor Mirza Muhiuddin 1658-1707, sixth Mughal Emperor.
• His Imperial Highness, The Emperor Mirza Azam 1707, seventh Mughal Emperor.
• His Imperial Highness, The Emperor Mirza Mu'Azzam 1707-1712, Eight Mughal Emperor.
• His Imperial Highness, The Emperor Sultan Muizuddin Mirza 1712-1713, Mughal Emperor.
• His Imperial Highness, The Emperor Mouinudd'in Muhammad Mirza 1712-1719, Tenth Mughal Emperor.
• His Imperial Highness, The Emperor Sultan Shamsuddin Mirza 1719, Eleventh Mughal Emperor.
• His Imperial Highness, The Emperor Sultan Rafiuddin Mirza (later Shah Jahan II 1719, Twelfth Mughal Emperor.
• His Imperial Highness, The Emperor Sultan Nekusiyar Mirza 1719, Thirteenth Mughal Emperor.
• His Imperial Highness, The Emperor Sultan Akhtar Mirza, Fourteenth Mughal Emperor.
• His Imperial Highness, The Emperor Ahmad Shah Mirza 1720-1748, Fifteenth Mughal Emperor.
• His Imperial Highness, The Emperor Aziz 'ud-Din Beg Mirza 1754-1759, Sixteenth Mughal Emperor.
• His Imperial Highness, The Emperor Jalal 'ud-Din Mirza 1759-1760, Seventeenth Mughal Emperor.
• His Imperial Highness, The Emperor Muhi-ul-millat Mirza 1788-1806, Eighteenth Mughal Emperor.
• His Imperial Highness, The Emperor Mirza Akbar 1806-1837, Nineteenth Mughal Emperor.
• His Imperial Highness, The Emperor Sirajuddin Mirza 1837-1857, Mughal Emperor.

The Royal Family Mughal of Berar

• His Highness Prince Bedar Bakht Mirza, son of Emperor Mirza Azam
• His Highness Prince Mohammed Beg Feroz Bakht Mirza, son of Prince Bedar Bakht Mirza
• His Highness Prince Bulaqui Mirza, son of Prince Mirza Feroz Bakht
• His Highness Prince Sultan Bahaddur Aduli Mirza, son of Mirza Bulaqui Baig Bahaddur
• His Highness Prince Sardar Baig Mirza, son of Aduli Baig Mirza
• His Highness Prince Qadar Baig Mirza, son of Aduli Baig Mirza
• His Highness Prince Hatam Baig Mirza, son of Sardar Baig Mirza
• His Highness Prince Umrao Baig Mirza, son of Sardar Baig Mirza
• His Highness Prince Sulaiman Mirza, son of Hatam Baig Mirza
• His Highness Prince Mirza Abdul Razzak I son of Hatam Baig Mirza
• His Highness Prince Mirza Abdul Rasheed son of Mirza Abdur Razzak
• His Highness Prince Mirza Abdul Razzak II a.k.a Mohammed Rizwan Mirza son of Mirza Abdul Rasheed
• His Highness Prince Mirza Mohammad Gibran son of Mohammed Rizwan Mirza

• His Highness Prince Kamran Mirza, son of Emperor Babur, brother of Emperor Humayun
• His Highness Prince Haydar Mirza, cousin of Emperor Babur

The Royal Family of Bengal

• His Highness Mirza Shuja ud-din Muhammad Khan, Second Nawab of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa.
• His Highness Mirza Asadullah, Third Nawab of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa.
• His Highness Mirza Muhammad Ali, Fourth Nawab of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa.
• His Highness Mirza Mohammad Siraj, Fifth Nawab of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa.
• His Highness Mirza Hassan Ali Khan Bahadur, 18th Nawab of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa.
• His Highness Mirza Wasif Ali Khan, 19th Nawab of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa.
• His Highness Mirza Waris Ali Khan, 20th Nawab of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa.

The Royal Family of Awadh

• His Highness Mirza Muhammad Muqim Ali Khan, Second Nawab Subahdar of Awadh (Oudh)
• His Highness Mirza Amani Asif-ud-Dawlah, Fourth Nawab Subahdar of Awadh (Oudh)
• His Highness Mirza Asif Jah Wazir Ali Khan, Fifth Nawab Subahdar of Awadh (Oudh)
• His Highness Mirza Wajid Ali Shah, Eleventh Nawab Subahdar of Awadh (Oudh) (5th King of Awadh)

Notable Mirzas[link]

Nobility[link]

• Mirza Najaf Khan, Persian Prince, Indian Courtier and Commander in Chief of the Mughal Imperial Army.
• Mirza Agha Bakar, Persian Nobleman, Bengal Zamindar and son-in-law of Nawab Murshid Quli Khan, the Ruler of Bengal.
• Khan Muhammad Mirza, Architect during the Mughal Era.

Religion[link]

• Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, founder of the Ahmadiyya movement in Islam
• Mirza Basheer-ud-Din Mahmood Ahmad, second Caliph of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community
• Mirza Nasir Ahmad, third Caliph of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community
• Mirza Tahir Ahmad, fourth Caliph of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community
• Mirza Masroor Ahmad, fifth Caliph of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community
• Mírzá Ḥusayn-`Alí Nuri: known as Baha'u'llah; Founder of the Baha'i Faith

Government[link]

• Iskandar Ali Mirza, was the first President & 4th Governor General of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan in 1956.
• Fahmida Mirza, She was elected as the first female Speaker of the National Assembly of Pakistan

Military[link]

• Mirza Aslam Baig, Former Chief of Army Staff of Pakistan
• Mirza Kuchak Khan: Persian revolutionary who led the Jungle Movement in the northern jungles of Gilan Province

Advocate[link]

• Mirza Aziz Akbar Baig, Former Vice Chairman of Pakistan Bar Council

Academics and literature[link]

• Mirza Ghalib (born: Mirza Asadullah Baig Khan), a famous Urdu and Persian poet from South Asia who adorned the Mughal court
• Mirza Khan of "Mirza & Sahiba", a tragic Romeo-and-Juliet-like love story enshrined in Panjabi literature and commonly told in the Punjab region
• Iraj Mirza, Persian folk poet, also known as Jalaal-al-mamalek.
• Muhammad Munawwar Mirza, a prominent scholar, historian, writer and intellectual from Pakistan

Sport[link]

• Mirza Delibašić, Bosnian Basketball Player
• Mirza Teletović, Bosnian Basketball Player
• Sania Mirza, Indian Tennis Player

Entertainment[link]

• Hady Mirza, 2007 Asian Idol winner from Singapore.
• Mohib Mirza - Pakistani television actor
• Mirza Čaušević-Musician
• Waseem Mirza - British television anchor
• Diya Mirza- Bollywood Actress

See also[link]

Further Study[link]

• Life of a Mirza Chapter 7 (pg 225-227) The Empire of the Great Mughals: History, Art and Culture (2004) by Annemarie Schimmel ISBN 1-86189-185-7

• Mirzah in The Wordsworth Dictionary of Phrase and Fable By Ebenezer Cobham Brewer: The quintessential guide to myth, folklore, legend, legend and literature. ISBN 1-84022-310-3

• MI’RZA Chambers’s Encyclopaedia: A Dictionary of Universal Knowledge For the People. ISBN 1-149-98693-X

• A. Jaimoukha The Circassians: A Handbook Routledge, Palgrave, 2001, pp 157–60) ISBN 0-312-23994-7

References[link]

Notes

Sources

• Brewer's Dictionary of Phrases and Fable, 16th edition Revised by Adrian Room, 1999
• WorldStatesmen
• Eymology Online

Runa Laila (Bengali: রুনা লায়লা (born 17 November 1952) is a singer who is from Bangladesh.^{[citation needed]} She started her career from Pakistan film industry and is effective in Ghazals also. She made a hit pair with famous singer Ahmed Rushdi after replacing Mala. She also has done numerous playbacks for movies in Bangladesh, India and Pakistani film industries during late 60s,70s and early 80's. Her best known number is Dama Dam Mast Qalandar.^{[citation needed]}

Early life[link]

Runa Laila was born in an upper middle class family on November 17, 1952, in Sylhet, Bangladesh. Her father was from Rajshahi. A music ustad would visit the family home, to teach classical music to Runa's elder sister Dina Laila. As younger siblings are wont to do, Runa too would sit down and pick it up effortlessly.^{[citation needed]} But the energetic youngster's heart was in dance, and she was enrolled in a school where she learnt Kathak, Bharatanatyam, and Kathakali. Her early music training was done when her family lived in Karachi's Federal B area in 1960. Ustad Qader, later known as Piya Rang, was her teacher.^{[citation needed]}

Runa Laila was a bright youngster brought up in the typical Bengali mould, where the arts, like other fine things of life, were nurtured with just as much enthusiasm as to keep them buzzing happily within the family circle. Besides her classical training, she recalls gratefully the influence of Manzur Hussain on her career, since, instead of pampering her as a child, he told her that while her voice was good, it had certain flaws he needed her to work on. In those days, recording a song meant meeting a crowd of people in the studio, singing along with the orchestra and, should anyone make a mistake, starting over again from the beginning.^[1]

She started learning classical music at a very early age and received vigorous training from Ustad Habibiddin Khan.^{[citation needed]} She made her first public debut as a singer at the age of six and cut her first disc for a Pakistani film called "Jugnu" at the age of twelve. She had a great inspiration from famous playback singer Ahmed Rushdi as she followed his way of expressing emotions during singing and also made a hit pair with him later on.

Career[link]

Runa's career as a singer came about by accident. It was her elder sister Dina who first got the break, but on the day of her performance, she developed a sore throat and Runa was asked to stand in. She was so little that she could not hold the 'Tanpura'. She held it horizontally and sang a 'kheyal'. She started appearing on the 'Zia Mohyuddin Show', a Karachi TV stage show (1972–74) and later did songs for numerous Pakistani films in the 70s. Umrao Jan Ada (1972) was one such super hit film in which all but one song were sung by Runa Laila.

Sister Dina (once married to Pakistani politician from Sindh, Makhdoom Amin Fahim) would have followed in her footsteps but had to give up singing when she married. She later died of cancer. In memory of her sister, Runa held six concerts in Bangladesh and donated the entire proceeds to a children's hospital in Dhaka to build a cancer ward which has been named after her sister.

Films[link]

She sang playback for many movies in Bangladesh and India and, before the independence of Bangladesh, in Pakistan. She is known for her songs Dama dum mast qalandar which have been sung by other artists and Mera babu chhail chhabeela main to nachoon gi.

She made a sensational entry into the Hindi filmdom with Ek se badhkar ek in 1974. Music lovers all over India were swinging to the rhythmic beat of Dama dum mast qalander.

Her songs in Gharonda, which was released later, also did well with the audience. After that she withdrew from Mumbai but is still popular in India. Some of the music directors she has worked with are Jaidev, Kalyanji-Anandji, Laxmikant-Pyarelal and Bappi Lahiri.

She is equally popular in the Bengali pop music space with songs like Sadher lau banailo morey, Shilpi ami, tomaderi gan shonabo and Bondhu tin din tor barite gelam.

Personal life[link]

Runa Laila has an older sister named Dina Laila and a younger brother named Syed Ali Murad. She has been married four times and has a daughter named Tani Laila. Runa Laila first married Khawaza Javed Kaiser, secondly Maidul Islam, thirdly a Swiss citizen named Ron Danieland and lastly the famous Bangladeshi actor Alamgir.

Discography[link]

• Runa Laila-Kala Sha Kala March 23, 2010
• Runa Laila - Moods & Emotions Dec 01 2008
• Bazm-E-Laila
• The Loves Of Runa Laila
• Ganga Amar Ma Padma Amar Ma-Runa Laila
• Superuna Dec 01 1982
• Runa Goes Disco Sep 01 1982
• Runa Sings Shahbaz Qalandar Sep 01 1982
• Geet / Ghazals Sep 01 1976
• Runa In Pakistan (Geet) Dec 01 1980
• Runa In Pakistan (Ghazals) Dec 01 1980
• Sincerely Yours Runa Laila
• I Love to Sing for You

link: http://www.7digital.com/artists/runa-laila/ link:http://www.in.com/music/artist/runa-laila-9891-3.html

Filmography[link]

Some of her Pakistani films are

• Commander

• Gharonda
• Hum Dono
• Anjuman
• Man Ki Jeet
• Ehsaas
• Dilruba

Bollywood[link]

• Phir Subah Hogi
• Gharonda
• Ek Se Badhkar Ek
• Yadgaar
• Agneepath
• sapnon ka mandir
• jaaney bahar

Some of her Bangladeshi Films are[link]

• Shwaralipi
• Dui Jibon
• Antore Antore
• The Rain
• Beder Meye Josna

Awards[link]

Bangladesh[link]

• • Independence Day Award,
  • National Film Award, Bangladesh (4 times)
  • Shelteck Award
  • Lux Channel I Performance Award(Lifetime)

India[link]

• • Saigal Award, India

Pakistan[link]

• • Nigar Award (twice), Pakistan
  • Critics Award
  • Graduate Award (twice)
  • National Council of Music gold medal

References[link]

External links[link]

• Runa Laila at the Internet Movie Database
• Runa Laila Biography
• Runa Laila's Singing in West Pakistan
• Runa Laila Casts a Magic Spell
• Bangla Music: Runa Laila Songs
• Runa Laila Urdu,Hindi Song -Link help by Shohel Rana
• Bangla song
• [1]
• [2]

Asha Bhosle
Background information
Birth name	Asha Mangeshkar
Born	(1933-09-08) September 8, 1933 (age 78) Sangli, Bombay Presidency, British India
Genres	Pop, folk, Indian classical music
Occupations	Singer, playback singer
Years active	1943–present

Asha Bhosle^[1] (born September 8, 1933) is an Indian singer. She is best-known as a playback singer in Hindi cinema, although she has a wider repertoire.^[2][3][4] Bhosle's career started in 1943 and has spanned over six decades. She has done playback singing for over a thousand Bollywood movies. In addition, she has recorded several private albums and participated in numerous solo concerts in India and abroad.^[5][6] Bhosle is the sister of playback singer Lata Mangeshkar.

Renowned for her voice range and often credited for her versatility,^[2][7][8] Bhosle's work includes film music, pop, ghazals, bhajans, traditional Indian classical music, folk songs, qawwalis, and Rabindra Sangeets. Apart from Hindi, she has sung in over 20 Indian and foreign languages.^[9] In 2006, Asha Bhosle stated that she had sung over 12,000 songs,^[10] a figure repeated by several other sources.^[9][11] The World Records Academy, an international organization which certifies world records, recognised her as the "Most Recorded Artist" in the world, in September 2009.^[12] In 2011 she was officially acknowledged by the Guinness Book of World Records as the most recorded artist in music history.^[13] The Government of India honoured her with the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 2000 and the Padma Vibhushan^[14] in 2008.

Biography[link]

Asha Bhosle was born in the small hamlet of Goar in Sangli, Bombay Presidency (now in Maharashtra), into the musical family of Master Deenanath Mangeshkar, who belongs to Gomantak Maratha Samaj. Her father was a theater actor and classical singer. When she was nine years old, her father died. The family moved from Pune to Kolhapur and then to Mumbai. She and her elder sister Lata Mangeshkar began singing and acting in films to support their family. She sang her first film song '"Chala Chala Nav Bala" for the Marathi film Majha Bal (1943). The music for the film was composed by Datta Davjekar. She made her Hindi film debut when she sang the song "Saawan Aaya" for Hansraj Behl's Chunariya (1948).^[15] Her first solo Hindi film song was for the movie Raat Ki Raani (1949).

At the age of 16, she eloped with 31-year-old Ganpatrao Bhosle, marrying him against her family's wishes. Ganpatrao was Lata's personal secretary. The marriage failed miserably. Her husband and in-laws mistreated her. After a few years of marriage, Asha was turned out (around 1960) by a suspicious Ganpatrao^[16] and she went to her maternal home with two children and pregnant with her third child. She continued to sing in films to earn money.

At that time, prominent playback singers like Geeta Dutt, Shamshad Begum and Lata Mangeshkar monopolized the singing for the female lead and the big films, whilst Asha used to get the assignments they refused: singing for the bad girls and vamps, or songs in the second-grade movies. In the 1950s, she sang more songs than most playback singers in Bollywood (not counting Lata). Most of these were in low budget B or C-grade films. Her earliest songs were composed by A R Qureshi, Sajjad Hussain and Ghulam Mohammed, most of which failed to do well.^[15] Singing in Sangdil (1952), composed by Sajjad Hussain, she got reasonable recognition. Consequently, film director Bimal Roy gave her a chance to sing in Parineeta (1953). Raj Kapoor signed her to sing "Nanhe Munne Bachche" with Mohammed Rafi in Boot Polish (1954), which gained popularity.

O. P. Nayyar gave Asha a break in C.I.D. (1956). She first achieved success in B. R. Chopra's Naya Daur (1957), composed by him. 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. Chopra approached her for several of his later prosuctions, including Gumrah (1963), Waqt (1965), Hamraaz (1965), Aadmi Aur Insaan (1966) and Dhund (1973). Nayyar's future collaboration with Bhosle also resulted in success. Gradually, she established her status and received the patronage of such composers as Sachin Dev Burman and Ravi. Bhosle and Nayyar had a professional and personal parting of ways in the 1970s.

In 1966, Bhosle's performances in the duets from one of music director R.D. Burman's first soundtracks, for the movie Teesri Manzil, won popular acclaim. Reportdly, when she first heard the dance number "Aaja Aaja", she felt she would not be able to sing this westernised tune. While Burman offered to change the music, she refused, taking it as a challenge. She completed the song after ten days of rehearsals, and "Aaja Aaja", along with such other songs as "O Haseena Zulfonwali" and "O Mere Sona Re" (all three duets with Rafi), became successful. Shammi Kapoor, the film's leading actor, was once quoted as saying– "If I did not have Mohammad Rafi to sing for me, I would have got Asha Bhosle to do the job". Bhosle's collaboration with Burman resulted in numerous hits and a marriage. During the 1960-70s, she was the voice of Bollywood's actress and dancer, Helen, on whom "O Haseena Zulfon Wali" was picturised. It is said that Helen would attend her recording sessions so that she could understand the song better and plan dance steps accordingly.^[17] Some of their other popular numbers include "Piya Tu Ab To Aaja" (Caravan) and "Yeh Mera Dil" (Don), among others.

By the 1980s, Bhosle, although highly regarded^{[by whom?]} for her abilities and versatility, had sometimes been stereotyped^{[by whom?]} as a "cabaret singer" and a "pop crooner". In 1981 she attempted a different genre by singing several ghazals for the Rekha-starrer Umrao Jaan, including "Dil Cheez Kya Hai", "In Aankhon Ki Masti Ke", "Yeh Kya Jagah Hai Doston" and "Justaju Jiski Thi". The film's music director Khayyam, had lowered her pitch by half a note. Bhosle herself expressed surprise that she could sing so differently. The ghazals won her the first National Film Award of her career. A few years later, she won another National Award for the song "Mera Kuchh Saamaan" from Ijaazat (1987).

In 1995, 62-year-old Bhosle sang for actress Urmila Matondkar in the movie Rangeela. The soundtrack featured songs like "Tanha Tanha" and "Rangeela Re" sung by her, and composed by music director A. R. Rahman, who would go on to record several songs with her. During the 2000s, several of Bhosle's numbers became chartbusters, including "Radha Kaise Na Jale" from Lagaan (2001), "Kambakht Ishq" from Pyaar Tune Kya Kiya (2001), "Yeh Lamha" from Filhaal (2002), "Lucky Lips" from Lucky (2005). In October 2004, The Very Best of Asha Bhosle, The Queen of Bollywood, a compilation album of songs recorded by Bhosle for albums and Bollywood films that were released between 1966 and 2003, was released.

Partnership with music directors[link]

O.P. Nayyar

Music director O. P. Nayyar's association with Asha is part of Bollywood lore. He was the composer who first gave Asha her own identity. Many people have speculated about a romantic relationship between the two.

Nayyar first met Asha in 1952, at the music recording of Chham Chhama Chham.^[18] He first called her for a film called Mangu (1954), and gave her a big break in CID (1956). However, it was the success of Naya Daur (1957), that made the duo very popular. After 1959, she was emotionally and professionally involved with Nayyar.

The team of O.P. Nayyar and Asha Bhosle is best remembered for their breezy and sometimes sirenish songs. Some good examples of their sensuous numbers are "Aaiye Meherbaan" picturised on Madhubala (Howrah Bridge, 1958) and "Yeh Hai Reshmi Zulfon Ka Andhera" picturised on Mumtaz (Mere Sanam, 1965). "Aao Huzoor Tumko" (Kismat) and "Jaaiye Aap Kahan" (Mere Sanam) were also popular. They also recorded songs for many hit movies like Tumsa Nahin Dekha (1957), Ek Musafir Ek Hasina (1962), Kashmir Ki Kali (1964). O.P. Nayyar used the Asha Bhosle-Mohammad Rafi duo for his most popular duets such as "Ude Jab Jab Zulfein Teri" (Naya Daur), "Main Pyaar Ka Rahi Hoon" (Ek Musafir Ek Haseena), "Deewana Hua Baadal" and '"Ishaaron Ishaaron Mein" (Kashmir Ki Kali).

Asha recorded her last song for O.P. Nayyar in the movie Pran Jaye Par Vachan Na Jaye (1974). The solo number "Chain Se" got many awards, but it was not included in the movie.

They split on August 5, 1972. It is not clear what made them part their ways. On being asked the reason for their parting, O P Nayyar once said, "I know astrology very well. I knew that one day I had to part with her. Something also happened, that upset me, so I left her."^[18] Nevertheless, he also said "...now that I am seventy-six, I can say that the most important person in my life was Asha Bhosle. She was the best person I ever met."

The parting of Asha Bhosle and O.P. Nayyar was bitter, and probably therefore she has hesitated to give Nayyar his due. While talking about O.P. Nayyar in an interview with The Times of India, she once remarked - "Whichever composer gave me work, it was because my voice was suited to his music at that point. No one musician did me any favor by asking me to sing for him."^[19] She gives the credit for her first big break to B. R. Chopra, the producer of Naya Daur.

Khayyam

Another music director who recognized Asha's talent early was Khayyam. Their partnership dates back to his first movie Biwi (1948). Khayyam gave her some good assignments in the 1950s, including Dard and Phir Subah Hogi. But the team is chiefly remembered for the songs of Umrao Jaan.

Ravi

Music composer Ravi considered Asha one of his favorite singers. She sang for his first movie Vachan (1955). The melodious lullaby from the movie, "Chandamama Door Ke! became an overnight hit among young mothers in India. Ravi got her to sing bhajans for the movies Gharana, Grihasti, Kajal and Phool Aur Patthar, at a time when most of the composers remembered her only when they needed to record B-grade songs picturized on the vamps or the side-heroines. Ravi and Asha recorded a variety of songs, including the popular funny duet with Kishore Kumar - "C A T...Cat. Cat Maane Billi" (Dilli Ka Thug). The bhajan "Tora Maan Darpan" (Kajal) is considered one of Asha's best songs.

They also recorded songs for many popular movies like Waqt, Chaudhvin Ka Chand, Gumrah, Bahu Beti, China Town, Aadmi Aur Insaan, Dhund and Humraaz. For Chaudhvin Ka Chand, Ravi wanted Geeta Dutt (the wife of actor and producer Guru Dutt) to sing the songs. But when she backed out, Guru Dutt insisted that Asha sing the songs.^[15]

Sachin Dev Burman

One of Bollywood's most famous composers, Sachin Dev Burman and his favorite singer, Lata Mangeshkar, were not on good terms from 1957 to 1962.^[20] 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). They recorded many songs together after 1962 as well. Most famous of these songs were Asha's duets with Mohammed Rafi and Kishore Kumar. The song "Ab Ke Baras" in Bimal Roy's Bandini (1963) consolidated her position as a lead singer. The seductive song "Raat Akeli Hai" from Jewel Thief (1967), picturised on Tanuja, became very popular.

Rahul Dev Burman (Pancham)

Asha first met Rahul Dev Burman (a.k.a. "Pancham") when she was the mother of two and he was in 10th grade having dropped out to pursue music. Their partnership was first noticed in Teesri Manzil (1966). She went on to record a variety of songs with him - cabarets, rock, disco, ghazals and classical.

In the 1970s, Asha and Pancham's youthful Western songs took Bollywood music by storm - the raunchy cabaret "Piya Tu Ab To Aaja" (Caravan, picturized on Helen), the rebellious "Dum Maro Dum" (Hare Rama Hare Krishna, 1971), the sexy "Duniya Mein" (Apna Desh, 1972) and 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).

In 1980s, Pancham and Asha recorded subtle numbers for films like Ijaazat (1987)- "Mera Kuch Saaman", "Khaali Haath Shaam Aayi Hai" and "Katra Katra". They also recorded the popular duet "O Maria!" (Saagar).

Asha used to call R D Burman "Bubs". She married him in 1980. Their partnership lasted until his death.

R D Burman made her sing some of the most legendary songs in Bengali language as well, namely "Mohuyae Jomechhe Aaj Mou Go", "Chokhe Chokhe Kotha Bolo", "Chokhhe Naame Brishti"(Bengali version of "Jaane Kya Baat Hai"), "Baanshi Sune Ki Ghore Thaka Jaye", "Sondhya Belae Tumi Aami" and "Aaj Gungun Gun Gunje Amar" (Bengali version of "Pyaar Deewana Hota Hai").

Ilaiyaraaja

Prolific south Indian film composer Ilaiyaraaja began employing Asha's vocals in the early 1980s, their earliest collaboration being for the film Moondram Pirai (1982) (remade in Hindi as Sadma in 1983). Their association continued, mostly through the latter half of the 1980s and early 1990s. Another notable song from this period is "Shenbagamae" (Enga Ooru Paattukkaaran, 1987, Tamil). In 2000, Asha sung the theme song for Kamal Haasan's political film Hey Ram. The song, "Nee Partha Parvai" (Janmon Ki Jwala in Hindi) (or Aparna's Theme), was a duet with singer Hariharan.

A. R. Rahman

A. R. Rahman is credited with Asha's 'comeback' with Rangeela (1994). Songs like "Tanha Tanha" and "Rangeela Re" were chartbusters. She and Rahman went on to record more hits like "Mujhe Rang De" (Thakshak), "Radha Kaise Na Jale" (Lagaan, duet with Udit Narayan), "Kahin Aag Lage" (Taal), "O Bhanware" (Daud, duet with K. J. Yesudas), "Venilla Venilla" (Iruvar,1999) and "Dhuan Dhuan" (Meenaxi,2004).^[15]

Jaidev

When S D Burman's assistant Jaidev started giving music independently, he got Asha to sing some of his songs as well. They worked in Hum Dono (1961), Mujhe Jeene Do (1963), Do Boond Pani (1971) and other movies. In 1971, the pair released an LP of eight non-film devotional songs and ghazals called An Unforgettable Treat. Asha considered Jaidev a close friend who stood by her when she was struggling personally and professionally. Upon his death in 1987, she released a compilation album of lesser-known songs he had composed for her, called Suranjali.

Shankar-Jaikishan

Shankar-Jaikishan worked relatively little with Asha. However, the trio produced quite a few hits including the seductive "Parde Mein Rehne Do" (Shikar, 1968). Asha got her second Filmfare Award for the song. She also sang "Zindagi Ek Safar Hai Suhaana" (Andaz) for Shankar-Jaikishan, in which she tried to yodel like Kishore Kumar, whose version of the song is more better known. When Raj Kapoor was not on speaking terms with Lata Mangeshkar, Asha got to sing the songs of Mera Naam Joker (1970), composed by Shankar-Jaikishan.

Anu Malik

Composer Anu Malik and Asha have recorded many hit songs together, including songs for his first movie Sohni Mahiwal (1984). Their most popular songs include "Ye Lamhaa Filhaal" (Filhaal) and "Kitabein Bahut Si" (Baazigar) among others. The four lines sung by Asha in Malik's "Jab Dil Mile" (Yaadein) stood out among voices of Sukhwinder Singh, Udit Narayan and Sunidhi Chauhan. Asha had also sung for Anu's father Sardar Malik in the 1950s and 1960s, most notably in Saranga (1960).

Other Composers

Madan Mohan recorded a number of songs with Asha, including the popular folk number "Jhumka Gira Re" from Mera Saaya (1966). In Chhoti Si Baat (1975), Asha sang the "Jaaneman Jaaneman" number with K. J. Yesudas for Salil Chowdhury. Salil's 1956 movie Jagte Raho also had a number recorded by Asha, "Thandi Thandi Saawan Ki Phuhaar". Another Asha patron is the young composer Sandeep Chowta, who got her to sing "Kambakht Ishq", a duet with Sonu Nigam for the movie Pyaar Tune Kya Kiya(2001). The song gained major popularity among the Indian youth.

Asha has worked with Lata-patrons like Laxmikant-Pyarelal, Naushad, Ravindra Jain, N Dutta and Hemant Kumar. When Naushad was asked to sum up the essential difference between Lata and Asha, he said that Asha "lacks certain something which Lata, and Lata alone has". Later he accepted in an interview, "May be I said it because I then had a closed ear on Asha".^[21] Naushad, later in his life, also admitted that he has been unfair to Asha. Asha has also worked with other noted Bollywood composers like Jatin-Lalit, Bappi Lahiri, Kalyanji-Anandji, Usha Khanna, Chitragupt, and Roshan.

Non-Bollywood music[link]

Private albums[link]

In a rare feat, noted lyricist Gulzar, music director R.D. Burman and Asha Bhosle, came together in 1987, to create a double album, titled, Dil Padosi Hai, which was released on September 8, 1987.^[22] In 1995, Asha underwent the gatha bandan (thread-tying) ceremony with Hindustani classical music maestro Ali Akbar Khan to learn a classical repertoire held within the Maihar gharana (stylistic school of Indian classical music), as handed down to Khan by his father Allauddin Khan (the guru of Ravi Shankar). Later, Asha and Ustad Ali Akbar Khan recorded eleven fixed compositions (or bandishes) in California for Legacy, a private album that earned them a Grammy Award nomination.

In 1990s, Asha experimented with remixed R.D. Burman songs. She was criticized by many, including Khayyam for tampering with old melodies. Nevertheless, albums like Rahul And I became quite popular. In 1997, Asha did a private Indipop album Janam Samjha Karo with Leslie Lewis. The album was hugely popular and won her many awards including the 1997 MTV Award.

Asha had been once asked by director B R Ishaara to compose music for one of his films, but she had politely declined. In 2002, she turned music composer with the album Aap Ki Asha, an eight-song music and video album. The lyrics were written by Majrooh Sultanpuri (his last lyrics). The album was released by Sachin Tendulkar on May 21, 2001 at a lavish party in Mumbai. The album received mixed reviews.

Asha had spotted Pakistani singer Adnan Sami's talent when he was about 10 years old. At that time, she was performing in London, with R D Burman. It was she who had asked him to pursue his interests in music seriously. When Adnan grew up and became a professional musician, Asha sang the title duet with him for his best-selling album Kabhi to nazar milao. The two came together again in the album Barse Badal. The album comprises eight songs, based on Indian Classical music. She contributed the song Yun Na Thi to the recording Womad Talking Book Volume Four: An Introduction to Asia 1 on Womad Records.

Asha has sung ghazals for many albums like Meraj-E-Ghazal, Aabshar-E-Ghazal and Kashish. In 2005, Asha released a self-titled album as a tribute to the four ghazal maestros - Mehdi Hassan, Ghulam Ali, Farida Khanum and Jagjit Singh. The album features eight of her favorite ghazals like Farida Khanum’s Aaj Jaane Ki Zid Na Karo, Ghulam Ali’s Chupke Chupke, Aawargi and Dil Mein Ek Lahar, Jagjit Singh’s Ahista Ahista and Mehdi Hassan’s Ranjish Hi Sahi, Rafta Rafta and Mujhe Tum Nazar Se. These classic ghazals were recreated with modern sounds by musician Pandit Somesh Mathur. The album was aimed at the younger generation, who, according to Asha, are "turned off" by the traditional sounds of tabla and sarangi.

Numerous compilations of Asha's songs have been released as well. To commemorate her 60th birthday, EMI India released three cassettes: Bala Main Bairagan Hoongi (devotional songs), The Golden Collection: Memorable Ghazals (non-film ghazals by composers such as Ghulam Ali, R.D. Burman and Nazar Hussain), and The Golden Collection: The Ever Versatile Asha Bhosle (44 popular film songs).

In 1996, Asha Bhosle sang Channeache Rati among several other songs in Rajendra Talak's Konkani album Daryachya Deger with Suresh Wadkar.

In 2006, she recorded an album Asha and Friends, singing duets, with film actors Sanjay Dutt and Urmila Matondkar and famous cricket player Brett Lee, with whom she sang, You're the One for Me (Haan Main Tumhara Hoon). All these songs composed by Shamir Tandon were shot on video by journalist turned director S Ramachandran.

Concerts and collaborations with foreign artists[link]

In 1980s and 1990s, Asha went globe-trotting, staging concerts in Canada, Dubai, UK, U.S. and many other countries. In 1989, during a world tour, she performed in 13 US cities in 20 days. Immediately after this, she had an already sold-out concert scheduled in Stockholm, Sweden. Due to the stressful schedule, Asha suffered a massive attack of colitis, together with fever, cough and weakness. In Stockholm, a pre-concert crisis meeting was called, attended by Asha's son (and manager) Anand and the sponsors. It was decided that the orchestra will play many instrumental tracks, the accompanying singers like Suresh Wadkar will shoulder the load, and Asha will make a small appearance. But Asha rejected all such proposals, and sang at the concert with great difficulty, in a not-so-good voice. Her first set of six Bollywood songs did not receive any response from the audience, which consisted mostly of Indian and Pakistani expats. Before the start of the second set of songs, a fan in the crowd requested her to sing a Marathi song. Asha obliged and sang Naach-naachuni ati mi damale ("I'm very tired of this endless dancing"). When the song ended, the auditorium erupted with claps and the encores started. After the concert, Asha was in bed for a month, recuperating from overexertion. In October 2002, she did a concert with Sudesh Bhosle and others, in London, for "Help the Aged" to help raise funds for the elderly in India. In 2007 she toured the US, Canada, and West Indies in a tour called "The Incredibles". In this tour, she was accompanied by singers Sonu Nigam, Kunal Ganjawala and Kailash Kher. This tour, originally scheduled for only 12 concerts, went on to hold more than 20.

In the mid-1980s, Asha sang with Boy George (Bow down mister) and Stephen Lauscombe. In 1997, she sang a love song with the boy band Code Red, at the age of 64. She also recorded the song The Way you Dream (One Giant Leap, [1]) with Michael Stipe that was used in the English movie, Bulletproof Monk. The song was also released on the album 1 Giant Leap for 2002.

In 1997, the British band Cornershop paid tribute to Asha with their song Brimful of Asha, an international hit which was later remixed by Fatboy Slim. In 2001, the CD single of Nelly Furtado's "I'm Like A Bird" included a "Nellie vs. Asha Remix" created by Digital Cutup Lounge.

In 2003, British opera pop singer Sarah Brightman sampled her song "Dil Cheez Kya Hai" on her album Harem. It was used as the intro for her song "You Take My Breath Away".

In 2005, American string quartet Kronos Quartet re-recorded R D Burman compositions like Chura Liya, Piya Tu, Mera Kuchh Saaman among others and got Asha to sing them. Despite her age, she recorded three to four songs in a day, leaving the quartet members stupefied. On August 23, 2005, You've stolen my heart - Songs From R D Burman's Bollywood was released in US. The album was nominated for Grammy Awards 2006 in the category of "Best Contemporary World Music Album". In the 1990s, a friend had introduced David Harrington of Kronos Quartet to the song Aaj ki raat. Harrington was mesmerised, and the song ended up on the album Kronos Caravan.

Also in 2005, The Black Eyed Peas sampled her songs "Ae Naujawan Sab Kuchh Yahan" (Apradh, 1972) and "Yeh Mera Dil Pyaar Ka Diwana" (Don, 1978) in their hit single "Don't Phunk with My Heart". In late 2006, Asha collaborated with Australian test cricket star, Brett Lee. The single, You're the One for Me, debuted at number 4 on the charts and reached a peak position of number 2.

In 2006 Asha recorded one song for the soundtrack of Pakistani movie Mein Ek Din Laut Kay Aaaonga. She sang the song, titled Dil Key Taar Bajey, with famous Pakistani pop singer Jawad Ahmed. It was aired as part of the film's promotional campaign and became very popular, featuring on top music charts.

Personal life[link]

Asha's house is situated in Prabhukunj Apt on Peddar Road area of South Mumbai. She has three children and five grandchildren. The eldest of her three children, Hemant Bhosle (named after Hemant Kumar), spent most of his early years as a pilot and quit to have a brief career as a music director. Asha's daughter Varsha worked as a columnist for The Sunday Observer and Rediff. Asha's youngest child, Anand Bhosle, has studied business and film direction. He manages Asha's career. Her grandson, Chaitanya (Chintu) Bhosle (Hemant's son) is a part of the world of music. He is a member of India's first & only boy band, "A Band of Boys". Her sisters Lata and Usha Mangeshkar are playback singers. Her other, sister Meena Mangeshkar and brother Hridayanath Mangeshkar are music directors.

Asha married Rahul Dev Burman in 1980.^{[13][23][24][25]} This was second marriage for both Rahul and Asha. Rahul, 6 years younger than her, earlier got divorced from Rita Patel in 1971.^[26] Asha, at the age of 16, had eloped with 31-year-old Ganpatrao Bhosle. They separated in 1960. They have 3 children.

Asha is an excellent cook and cooking is her favorite hobby. She often gets flooded with requests by Bollywood celebrities for kadai ghosht and biryani dishes and has rarely turned down a request. In fact, her paya curry, Goan fish curry and dal are very popular with the Kapoor family of Bollywood. Once, when asked in a Times of India interview, what if her singing career had not taken off, she said "I would have become a cook. I'd have cooked in four houses and made money."

Asha is a successful restaurateur and runs restaurants in Dubai and Kuwait, called Asha's. Asha's offers traditional north-western Indian cuisine. It has a presence in the Wafi City development in Dubai, as well as three restaurants in Kuwait, at The Avenues Mall, the Marina Mall and a brand new third outlet at the Spoons Complex. Other restaurants can be found in Abu Dhabi's Khaldiya Mall, Doha's Villagio and Bahrain's City Center Mall, with future outposts planned for Dubai's Mall of the Emirates and Cairo, Egypt. Asha Bhosle has a 20% stake in the business. Asha is not involved in day-to-day running of the restaurant which is looked after by the Wafi Group. She takes care of the kitchen and the décor. She personally trained the chefs for almost six months. According to a December 2004 report in the Menu Magazine,^[27] Russell Scott, a former head of Harry Ramsden's (the fish and chips chain), secured the UK rights to the Asha's brand and planned to open up to 40 restaurants over the next five years. As part of her chain of restaurants, Asha has recently opened a new restaurant in Birmingham, UK.

Asha's fashion statement is white saree with sparkling embroidery, pearls around her neck and a touch of diamonds. Harrington said "The first time I met Ashaji she was dressed in the most beautiful sari with diamonds and looked very regal. Then I looked down and saw that she was wearing tennis shoes! I thought I love this woman."

Asha is a good mimicry artist as well. At a concert at World Trade Center in Dubai on April 22, 2004, she mimicked the song Kabhi To Nazar Milaao in the voices of Noor Jehan, Lata Mangeshkar and Ghulam Ali.

Nowadays, apart from singing and her restaurant, Asha is also working on her autobiography.

Rivalry with Lata Mangeshkar[link]

Asha's sibling rivalry with Lata Mangeshkar is often talked about, in spite of their insistence that these are just tales.^[19] As young children, they were very close. As a child, Lata used to carry Asha all the time. They were so inseparable that when Lata went to school she would take Asha with her. One day the teacher protested and said that they cannot have two students on one fee. Lata refused to return to school without Asha and quit her studies.^[28]

Lata considered Asha's act of eloping with her lover as irresponsible, leaving her alone to sing and earn for the family. This led to tensions between them. Asha herself accepted in an interview^[28] — "It was a love marriage and Lata didi did not speak to me for a long time. She disapproved of the alliance." At one time, their relationship was very adversarial and there have been periods of non-communication.

In her initial days in the industry, Asha always played second fiddle to her elder sister. Some say that Lata had once criticised Asha's relationship with O. P. Nayyar. This widened the rift between the two sisters and O P Nayyar also decided that he would never work with Lata. O.P. Nayyar had once revealed "Asha and Lata, staying in opposite flats at Bombay's Peddar Road, had a common maidservant. Now this maidservant had merely to come and tell the younger sister that Lata had just recorded something wonderful for Asha to lose her vocal poise. Such was her Lata phobia that it took me some months to convince Asha that she had a voice individualistic enough to evolve a singing style all of her own."^[21] Asha once said that she has worked for years to create a voice and a style that was different from Lata, so that she could carve her own niche and not be banished to live in her sister's shadow.^[28]

Asha and Lata have also sung together. Their first duet was for the film Daman (1951).^[21] Some of their songs include Man Bhawan Ke Ghar aye (Chori Chori, 1956), Sakhi ri sun bole papihaa us paar (Miss Mary, 1957), O chaand jahaan woh jaaye (Sharada, 1957), Mere Mehboob Mein Kya Nahi (Mere Mehboob, 1963), Ai kash kisi deewane ko (Aaye Din Bahar Ke, 1966), Main Chali Main Chali (Padosan, 1968), Chhap tilak sab (Main Tulsi Tere Aangan Ki, 1978), and Man kyun behka (Utsav, 1984). While singing, Lata used to hold her notebook in her right hand, while Asha held hers in the left hand. This meant Lata had her face away from Asha, making it difficult for them to "anticipate" each other.^[28]

The movie Saaz, was supposedly based on Lata and Asha's rivalry.^[29] Asha said about the movie — "To have two women in long plaits, take a couple of incidents and exaggerate them into a 3-hour film is such a waste of time."^[28] In the last few years, Asha and Lata have often been seen in public, enjoying each other's company. In an interview with The Times of India, Asha once said - "I remember, sometimes both of us would be at a function and some industry types would ignore me and interact only with her, as if to prove their loyalty. Later, didi and I would have a good laugh!"

Awards[link]

Filmfare awards

Asha Bhosle has won seven Filmfare Best Female Playback Awards of 18 nominations.^[30] She won her first two awards in 1967 and 1968. (Mangeshkar asked not to be considered for the award nominations after 1969 to promote new talent). After receiving the award in 1979, Bhosle emulated her elder sister and requested that her name not be considered for the nominations hereafter. Despite this, Bhosle is the most frequent winner of this award to date, tying with Alka Yagnik. She was later given a Special Award for Rangeela in 1996, and the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award in 2001. Following is the list of her Filmfare Awards:

Filmfare Best Female Playback Award:

• 1968: "Garibon ki Suno" (Dus Lakh, 1966)
• 1969: "Parde Mein Rehne Do" (Shikar, 1968)
• 1972: "Piya Tu Ab To Aaja" (Caravan, 1971)
• 1973: "Dum Maro Dum" (Hare Rama Hare Krishna, 1972)
• 1974: "Hone Lagi Hain Raat" (Naina, 1973)
• 1975: "Chain Se Humko Kabhi" (Pran Jaye Par Vachan Na Jaye, 1974)
• 1979: "Yeh Mera Dil" (Don, 1978)

Other Awards:

• 1996 - Special Award (Rangeela, 1995)
• 2001 - Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award

National Film Awards

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)

Other awards

Asha has won numerous other awards, including:

• 1987: Nightingale Of Asia Award (from the Indo–Pak Association, UK).^[30]
• 1989: Lata Mangeshkar Award (Government of Madhya Pradesh).^[30]
• 1997: Screen Videocon Award (for the album Jaanam Samajha Karo).^[30]
• 1997: MTV Award (for the album Jaanam Samajha Karo).^[30]
• 1997: Channel V Award (for the album Jaanam Samjha Karo).^[30]
• 1998: Dayawati Modi Award.^[31]
• 1999: Lata Mangeshkar Award (Government of Maharashtra)
• 2000: Singer of the Millennium (Dubai).
• 2000: Zee Gold Bollywood Award (for Mujhe Rang De from Thakshak).
• 2001: MTV Award (for Kambakht Ishq).
• 2002: BBC Lifetime Achievement Award (presented by the UK Prime Minister Tony Blair).
• 2002: Zee Cine Award for Best Playback Singer - Female (for Radha Kaise Na Jale from Lagaan).
• 2002: Zee Cine Special Award for Hall of Fame.
• 2002: Sansui Movie Award (for Radha Kaise Na Jale from Lagaan).
• 2003: Swaralaya Yesudas Award for outstanding contributions to Indian music.^[30]
• 2004: Living Legend Award by the Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.^[32]
• 2005: MTV Immies, Best Female Pop Act for Aaj Jaane Ki Zid Na Karo.^[33]
• 2005: Most Stylish People in Music.^[34]

Honours and recognitions

• In 1997, Asha became the first Indian singer to be nominated for the Grammy Award, for Legacy, an album with Ustad Ali Akbar Khan.
• She has received seventeen Maharashtra State Awards.
• She received the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 2000 for her outstanding contribution to Indian cinema.^[30]
• She holds honorary doctorates from the University of Amravati and University of Jalgaon in Literature.
• She has received The Freddie Mercury Award for Outstanding Achievement in Arts.
• The Birmingham Film Festival paid her a special tribute in November 2002.
• She was honoured with the Padma Vibhushan by the Government of India.^[35]
• She was among top 20 music icons of the past 50 years.^[36][37]
• In 2011 the Guinness Book of World Records officially acknowledged Bhosle as the most recorded artist in the history of music. She was awarded a certificate for "the most studio recordings (singles) for recording up to 11,000 solo, duet and chorus-backed songs and in over 20 Indian languages since 1947".^[38]

Footnotes and references[link]

Further reading[link]

• Cakrabarti, Atanu (1999) (in Bengali). Āśā Bhom̐śale, jībana o gāna. Kolkata: Madela Publishing House. ISBN 978-81-7616-040-7. OCLC 42764343. 
• Ciṭakārā, Mukeśa (2006) (in Hindi). Āśā Bhoṃsale : gāne, kôrḍsa, aura svaralipi. Delhi: Music Books. ISBN 978-81-89511-00-5. OCLC 71351425. 

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Asha Bhosle

• Asha Bhosle at the Internet Movie Database
• Asha Bhosle: The Voice Of Bollywood And More - audio report by NPR