970x125
“Piya Tu Ab To Aaja,” “Dum Maaro Dum,” and “Yeh Hai Reshmi Zulfon Ka Andhera” — Asha Bhosle has delivered countless iconic songs to the Hindi film industry. But the sensual, bold nature of many of her tracks also sparked controversies. Recently, the legendary singer recalled how some of her songs were even banned on the radio.
970x125
In a conversation with Republic Bharat, Asha Bhosle revealed that she once confronted RD Burman for consistently giving her bold songs to sing, while all the ‘nice’ songs would go to her sister and iconic singer Lata Mangeshkar. However, she recalled how Pancham Da had confidently predicted that “Piya Tu Ab To Aaja,” from the 1971 film Caravan, would be a massive hit with audiences.
Asha also remembered how lyricist Majrooh Sultanpuri reacted while she was recording the song. He left the studio midway because he was embarrassed by some of the lyrics he had written. She recalled, “Majrooh Sultanpuri left the studio and told me, ‘Beti, maine ganda gana likha hai. (I have written a bad song.) My daughters will grow up and sing this song.’” But Asha said she went ahead with it because she had already made a commitment. “I knew the music of the song is good, but I didn’t know that the song will be such a massive hit,” she shared.
ALSO READ | Banned on radio and television, Asha Bhosle’s Dum Maro Dum became the identity of an anti-drug movie
Speaking about the backlash she faced, Asha revealed that many of her songs were banned from radio. “My 3–4 songs would get banned from Bombay radio,” she said.
Like “Piya Tu Ab To Aaja,” Asha Bhosle’s other hit, “Dum Maaro Dum” from Dev Anand’s film Hare Rama Hare Krishna, also courted controversy. Although the film aimed to critique smoking and hippie culture, many felt that the song glamorised it. As a result, All India Radio banned the track, and Doordarshan edited it out when the film was aired on television.
970x125
