Asha’s voice made Umrao Jaan a perfect ode to a nightingale

Lucknow: In the passing of Asha Bhosle, Lucknow has lost the iconic voice whose soulful rendition of Umrao Jaan songs made it a timeless classic. Be it ‘Dil cheez kya hai’ or ‘In aankhon ki masti ke’, Asha’s mellifluous notes struck a direct chord with her fans.

They seemed closer to the nightingale’s heart too. It was, therefore, no surprise when the nonagenarian made an appearance at the re-release of Muzaffar Ali’s classic -- 44 years after its first screening -- in Mumbai last June and crooned ‘Yeh kya jagah hai doston’, albeit with some struggle, amid a loud cheer from the audience and actor Rekha, who held her warmly during the performance.




Umrao Jaan, which romanticised Lucknow, won Asha Bhonsle her first national award for the best female playback singer. In an interview to TOI in Sept 2024, she had recalled that initially she was to sing only one song for the 1981 classic but ended up lending her voice to the entire soundtrack.

Mumtaz Ali Khan, convener of Rumi Foundation set up by Muzaffar Ali, said, “Ashaji’s Umrao Jaan is immortal. When the restored 4K version of the movie was re-released in Mumbai and across India last year, we all witnessed her aura on the stage.”

“The most admiring thing about ever-smiling Ashaji was that she kept reinventing herself. That is the reason why her collection of songs is so versatile, be it her songs with OP Nayyar, Jaidev, SD Burman, ghazals or cabaret, particularly her collaboration with RD Burman and Helen in ‘Piya tu ab toh aaja’, or ‘Yeh mera dil,” said actor-director and playwright Salim Arif.

Ashaji was both affable and accessible, said Arif. “She always supported youngsters. In 2004, on my request, she recorded a song ‘Ek raat chalo taameer kare,’ written by Gulzar saab for my film ‘Sabab’, though the movie later got shelved for some reasons,” shared Arif. “My another fond memory of her is that she allowed me to use her song ‘Rishte bante hain’ for my play ‘Kachche lamhe’. The song was from the 1987 album Dil Padosi Hai, featuring vocals by Ashaji, lyrics by Gulzar saab, and music by RD Burman.”

Asha Bhosle’s another popular song with Lucknow connection was ‘Panwaran hoon main Lucknow ki’ from the 1972 film Baazigar, starring Vijayalalithaa. It’s a classic ‘70s song composed by Sapan-Jagmohan.

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Umrao Jaan an international treasure

The newly restored 4K version of Umrao Jaan was also re-released in Saudi Arabia last year. It was featured in the “Treasures” section, which highlights restored masterpieces from around the world.
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