Exclusive: Rafi Saab never spoke ill of Ashaji nor did she speak ill of him, says Anand Bhosle

In a recent interview, Mohammed Rafi’s son Shahid Rafi alleged that despite his father’s unmatched talent and legacy, some female contemporaries in the music industry tried to undermine his career. While he dismissed rumours of a rivalry between his father and Kishore Kumar, he stated that at one point, Asha Bhosle and Lata Mangeshkar spread false narratives about his father. Reacting to it, Asha Bhosle’s son Anand Bhosle told Bombay Times, “I’m not interested in creating hate.”Anand Bhosle said, “I merely wish to point out that this person, who has so much hate in his soul, should work hard and create a body of musical work like Rafi saab in order to be taken seriously. He should stop maligning his father’s name and legacy. I don’t think Rafi saab, if he were alive, would have liked this slur.”Anand further said, “The number of songs recorded by my mother is well over 12,000. The number of recorded songs by Rafi saab is around 5000. They sang over 900 duets. This significant body of work cemented their status as one of the most successful and memorable duetting pairs in the Indian music industry, with numerous hits to their name.”Stressing on how both his mother, who celebrated her 92nd birthday recently, and Rafi saab were great artistes, colleagues and friends, Anand shared, “They may have had a difference of opinion, but that was between them. They were friends, and a third person has no right to comment on their relationship. It was between the two of them, and that should be respected. Stop relying on your dad’s name to get publicity. Forge your own path.”He added, “My aunt (Lata Mangeshkar), my mother or Rafi saab, they shared a wonderful cordial relationship. Rafi saab never spoke ill about Ashaji, nor did she speak ill about him. We don’t want to be dragged into murky gossip. All I can say is that my mother has just turned 92, and such lies hurt her. She doesn’t wish to stoop down to thislevel of rubbish.”