Asha Bhosle has lent her voice to some of the most iconic songs in Hindi cinema, from the sultry Piya Tu Ab To Aaja to the rebellious Dum Maaro Dum and the dreamy Yeh Hai Reshmi Zulfon Ka Andhera. But in a recent interview, the legendary playback singer revealed that many of her bold tracks didn’t just raise eyebrows, they were outright banned on Indian radio.‘Why do I only get the bold songs?’ Asha once asked RD BurmanSpeaking to Republic Bharat, Asha Bhosle recalled confronting her late husband and composer RD Burman, fondly known as Pancham Da, about his song choices. She questioned why she was repeatedly given provocative numbers, while her elder sister Lata Mangeshkar received the softer, more ‘respectable’ melodies.“I once told Pancham, why do I only get these bold songs while the nice songs go to Lata Didi?” she said.But RD Burman stood firm. He had faith in Asha’s ability to make such songs iconic. Regarding Piya Tu Ab To Aaja, from the 1971 film Caravan, she remembered him confidently telling her that the song would be a huge hit.‘I have written a bad song,’ said Majrooh Sultanpuri and walked outInterestingly, Asha also shared an anecdote involving renowned lyricist Majrooh Sultanpuri, who penned Piya Tu Ab To Aaja. She recalled how embarrassed he was during the recording session.“Majrooh Sultanpuri left the studio and told me, ‘Beti, maine ganda gana likha hai. My daughters will grow up and sing this song,’” she said, laughing. Despite his hesitation, Asha went ahead with the song, staying true to her professional 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 added.
‘3–4 of my songs were banned from Bombay radio’While these songs have since achieved cult status, Asha admitted they weren’t always well received. In fact, they were censored. “My 3–4 songs would get banned from Bombay radio,” she revealed, pointing to the conservative broadcasting environment of the time.Another of Asha’s landmark tracks, Dum Maaro Dum from Dev Anand’s Hare Rama Hare Krishna (1971), also stirred controversy. Despite the film’s anti-drug message, the song was accused of glamorising smoking and hippie culture. As a result, All India Radio banned it, and Doordarshan edited the song out when the film was aired on television.Over the decades, however, these songs have come to define the bold, experimental era of Hindi film music, with Asha Bhosle at the forefront, unafraid to lend her voice to songs that pushed boundaries.
