Asha Bhosle (1933 – 2026) – A tribute – Part 3

All clickable links in red

This is probably the toughest post I have ever done in all these years. Why ? Simple. The non Hindi film output of Asha is mind boggling. Note I use the term “non Hindi-film” output . That also includes non Hindi film albums. Thus, this post tries to cover Asha’s output in multiple formats – film and non film – in multiple languages. There are bound to be some omissions and some surprises for one and all. Yet, here goes.

Hindi: Non-Film

Once again, most tributes didn’t talk too much about her non Hindi non-film output. The range is again mindboggling. Many have mentioned her collaboration with RD Burman and Gulzar for the Dil Padosi Hai album; so I wont mention it here. One person who got outstanding output from her for his non film albums, in his unique twisting and turning compositions , is Jaidev.

(All right I am biased when it comes to Jaidev). Jaidev’s complex compositions, mudkis, taans etc are all rendered effortlessly by Asha. There are many non film Hindi songs and even an album Suranjali with seven songs. The first track is her own tribute to Jaidev and what made the album; here is the playlist of Suranjali  

As early as the 1970s, Jaidev was already experimenting with non Hindi film albums , using Asha’s superb tone and effortless singing. Here are two such numbers :

Tumul Kolahal Hriday Mein 

Kaise Unko Paoon Aali 

Aaali Re Mere Naina Baan Par; A Meera bhajan ;

Kabhii neki bhi uske ji ; a Mirza Ghalib number;

This is not to say that the others were any less ; just that these numbers by Jaidev highlight both his range of tunes and Asha’s superb singing that proved that there was more to her than film singing. (In the interests of my own sanity) I will stop here and just list some of her non Hindi film works and collaborators:

Meraj – e – Ghazal with Ghulam Ali

Aabshaar – e – Ghazal  with Hariharan

Kahkashan with Jagjit Singh

Let’s take a deep breath to dive into other languages

Marathi – Film and Non Film (mixed)

As with Hindi, Asha sang both film and non film songs. Most music lovers say there is something extra special about her singing in her native Marathi. Here are some songs from the few that are in my personal library.

Visarsheel Khas Malaa, a 1953 non film song.

Kathin Kathin Kathin Kiti (1959 recording) – Bhav Bandhan, Natya sangeet .

Kadhi Re Yeshil Tu Jivalaga, a superb Sudhir Phadke composition in Raag Yaman .

Jivalaga Rahile Re Door. A 1966 non film song that can be even called a defining song for which she is justifiably famous.

Priya Tujhe Kaay disley Swapnat in the film Jiwhala (1968) a composition by Shrinivas Khale

Kaajal Raatina from film Ha Khel Sawalyancha (1975), composed by Hridaynath Mangeshkar

Sharad sundar chanderi raati, a non film composition by Hemant Bhsole which has more than a touch of RD Burman (and reminds one of the Hindi song maar daalega darde jigar , from Pati Patni – 1967 , which is somewhat structurally similar) .

Let me stop here !!!!

Bengali film and Non Film

Again, this is total madness – to select some and leave others. Yet I will attempt this madness (no one ever accused me of being musically sane 😊).

The famous Marathi Jivalga appears as a non-film Bengali song Jiban gaan gaahi je. Salil Chowdhury wrote the lyrics for the Hridaynath Mukherjee tune .

Kon se alor swapno niye from the 1969 film Pratham Kadam Phool, composed by Sudhin Dasgupta.

Raat Je Madhumati from Megh Kalo (1970) composed by  Pabitra Chatterjee .

Raajkumari is a very unique Bengali film that had 6 songs of which five became five different Hindi film songs in five different films.

Here’s the R.D.Burman Bengali original of a well known Hindi hit 😉 Aaj gun gun gun .

Another one from the same film Kee je bhaabi elomelo that again became another Hindi hit .

Aamar din kaate na from Chhadmabeshi (1971) , the Bengali original of the 1975 Hindi film Chupke Chupke .

Chokhey chokhey kotha balo a 1971 RD Burman non film / ‘Puja’ release that has a well-known Hindi super hit.

Ekti katha haay shey to, a 1973 non film RD Burman song, that later became a Kishore kumar Hindi film song Ruk Meri Jaan. 

Katha diye elena ,a  1977 non film RD Burman song that had a  Bhupinder song in the Hindi film Kinaara.

Kothaa hoyechilo tobu kotha from  Troyee (1982), an RD Burman composition.

Emon Madhur Sondhyay from Ekaanto Aapon (1987) by RD Burman; (Hindi film fans will recognize the tune as same as the unpicturised Lata-Asha song from Shaan tere liye jeena, tee liye marna )

I confess that my collection in other languages is extremely limited.

Re Man Ayso Kar Sanyasa from Punjabi film Nanak naam Jahaz Hai; music by S.Mohinder.

There are multiple playlists available of songs in other languages;  one such is of Gujarati songs NONE OF WHICH I am familiar with/ or heard.

I close this last post with a personal favorite by Jaidev which were supposedly non film tunes originally, but were used in the Amol Palekar directed film Ankahee (as mentioned in the start of Suranjali). Note that the lyrics may be the same but two tunes for the same lyrics; only the unsung genius Jaidev can do that. One a Happy version and the Other a sad version; both in the same link Mujhko Bhi radha bana le Nandlala 

Artists don’t die. They are eternal and so is their music.

K . V.Ramesh

April 24, 2026