As Asha Bhosle turns 74 today, we would like to wish her a very Happy Birthday and say – 'Tum Jiyo hazaaron saal Ashaji. Asha was born into a musical family as her father Pt Dinanath Mangeshkar was a renowned actor and classical singer. Music was in her blood. Like her other siblings, elder sister Lata Mangeshkar and brother Hridyanath, Asha too was introduced to the world of music at a very tender age. But tragedy struck the family eight years later when Pt Dinanath passed away. The family shifted from Pune to Kolhapur and then finally arrived in Bombay. Asha and elder sister Lata started acting and singing in films to support their family.

Asha's first song was for a Marathi movie called 'Majha Bal' in 1948. But her first Hindi film song was for the film 'Chunariya', a song called 'Saawan Aaya'. Her first solo effort was for a film called 'Raat Ki Raani' (1949). This was the same year when the 16-year old eloped with her sister's personal secretary Ganpatrao Bhonsle, and married him against her family's will. Ganpatrao was 31 years at this time. It was an unhappy marriage and Asha was ill-treated by her in-laws and husband, and she finally walked out on him when she was pregnant with her third child.

Asha's career started in the shadow of her Lata didi, and for years she continued to be the second choice of composers. The so-called cabaret numbers, or dance numbers were generally reserved for her. The more serious songs went to Lata. It would be years before Asha could finally emerge from that shadow and assert herself musically. But now that Asha again took seriously to singing to support herself and her children, she found that there was stiff competition in her area of expertise as well. Playback singing was dominated by Lata Mangeshkar, Geeta Dutt and Shamshad Begum. They got the songs of their choice and Asha had to make do with the leftovers or with songs from B-grade movies. In the Fifties, Asha sang a lot of songs but most were for B-grade or C-grade films. But prominent directors like Bimal Roy ('Parineeta', 'Sujata' & 'Bandini') and Raj Kapoor (1954) also gave her an opportunity and her song 'Nanhe Munne Bachche' duet with Mohammed Rafi for RK's 'Boot Polish' became very popular.

But the big break came with OP Nayyar in 1956 when she recorded songs for 'CID'. The music director played a very important role in shaping her singing career. She was always his first choice. The big hit came with BR Chopra's 'Naya Daur' the following year, with OP at the helm again. Asha was now an accepted part of the maintstream. BR Chopra recognized her talent and fostered it by making her sing in many of his later films like 'Waqt', 'Gumraah', 'Humraaz', 'Aadmi Aur Insaan', among others.

The Asha-OP Nayyer jodi was a hit jodi. Asha was also patronized by music composer Sachin Dev Burman, Ravi and the finally, Rahul Dev Burman. The Seventies saw her parting ways with OP Nayyar, but by now she had an RD Burman by her side. In fact, so pervasive is the influence of these two composers in her singing career that it is difficult to imagine one without the other. OP and Asha teamed up in films like 'Mere Sanam' ('Yeh Reshmi Zulfon Ka'), 'Kashmir Ki Kali', 'Ek Musafir Ek Haseena' and 'Pran Jaye Par Vachan Na Jaye'. With RD, there was a spate of films, starting with 'Teesri Manzil', 'Caravan', 'Don' and 'Ijaazat' (1987), were prominent among others. In fact, when RD approached her for the number, 'Aaja, aaja' from 'Teesri Manzil', she was not sure that she would be able to sing it. RD offered to change the tune but she then took it up as a challenge and mastered it. The composer was so taken up with her rendition that he is believed to have given her a 100 rupee note in appreciation. She went on to record two other duets with Rafi in the film – 'Oh Mere Sona Re' and 'O Haseena Zulfon Wali'.

Muzaffar Ali's poetic epic 'Umrao Jaan' (1981) was the next milestone in Asha's singing career. She stunned all with her mature and touching rendition of the ghazals of this period drama under the baton of Khayyam. Asha had arrived in a big way. The songs of the film also fetched her National Award for the Best Singer and tons of appreciation. The magic was repeated in 'Ijaazat', this time under RD's baton. She slowed down in the Nineties but still managed to give stiff competition to the young breed of singers. The 1994 hit 'Rangeela' saw her coming out a winner with the numbers 'Tanha, Tanha' and 'Yai Re, Yai Re.' There was also the superb 'Range De' number from 'Takshak'. Even today, the singer continues to sing, record and perform. She has many private albums as well to her credit, with the likes of Ghulam Ali and Adnan Sami. She is reputed to have sung over 20,000 songs in more than 14 languages. Asha has been the recipient of innumerable awards. She has received eight Filmfare awards, the last being a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2000. She has received the National Award for Best Singer twice, ('Umrao Jaan' and 'Ijaazat'). She has also been honoured by the Dada Saheb Phalke Award for her contribution to Indian cinema.

What has been the most enduring quality about Asha's voice is its vivacity and liveliness? None but her can add those naughty touches with such gay abandon. When she sang for the vamp, she could be sultry, seductive or playful. Name it and she could match any mood with her voice. One just has to hear the songs from 'China Town', 'Howrah Bridge', 'CID' or 'Caravan' for that matter. But she was very versatile as well. Way back in the Fifties she sung this beauty of a song for Bimal Roy's 'Bandini', 'Ab Ke Baras' under SD Burman. There is no sexy siren here but a woman prisoner, longing to be let off and reunited with her family. Even 'Umrao Jaan', for example. It is difficult to imagine anyone else singing 'In Aankhon Ki Masti Ke', 'Dil Cheez Kya Hai,' or even the elegiac 'Yeh Kya Jagah Hai Doston'. With 'Umrao Jaan', Asha had finally silenced all critics and debates about the quality of her voice. It is believed that Khayyam had lowered her pitch by half a tone and it seemed to make a world of a difference to the quality of her voice. It is believed that the singer herself was surprised at her own ability to sing so differently.

It is difficult to encompass a great career like hers in words. One could write reams and reams about her and her songs, most of which are part of our collective conscious. Hers is a voice which spans generations, languages and genres. She is a true artiste, who has only grown younger with the times. Happy Birthday Asha Bhosle.!