Quote of the Day by Asha Bhosle on comparison with Lata Mangeshkar: ‘There was already a Taj Mahal…'

Quote of the Day: Legendary singer Asha Bhosle is no more. She is survived by her family and her over 1000 songs. While Bhosle received immense love in her life, she also faced the constant comparison with her legendary sister, Lata Mangeshkar.

She once said, as quoted by Tribune India, “When there was already a Taj Mahal, I came to build another one. Bahut mushqil thi. Who would want to go to another singer when there was already a Lata Mangeshkar? On top of that, I was her younger sister.”

When Asha Bhosle said this, she hinted at the constant challenge of building her own identity in an industry which was already dominated by her elder sister, Lata Mangeshkar. By comparing Lata Mangeshkar to the Taj Mahal, she talked about her sister’s unmatched stature in Indian music. She clarified that while there was no professional rivalry, she seemingly struggled with the emotional and artistic struggle of proving her individuality and talent amid the comparisons.

Asha Bhosle mostly faced the constant comparisons with Lata Mangeshkar early in her career. Despite all odds, Asha Bhosle, who was once disowned by her family, created her own niche in the industry.

She leaned into versatility and learned to experiment, which kept her relevant throughout generations. While Lata Mangeshkar was widely known as the voice of pure, classical, and romantic melodies,

Asha Bhosle sang songs that were more playful, bold, cabaret-style, folk-based, or even Western-influenced. Her collaborations with composers like OP Nayyar and later RD Burman made her one of the most versatile voices of the industry. Songs like “Piya Tu Ab To Aaja” and “Dum Maro Dum” showed a completely different side of Asha Bhosle that no one else could replicate.

Talking about comparison, Asha Bhosle also said in the same interview, "Hamesha humein ek tarazu mein tola gaya. Janam bhar hum ussi tarazu mein baithe rahe. It was very tough for me to escape all these hurdles. I still haven’t escaped those comparisons. Didi and I had to be different singers. Copying her would have meant the end of my career even before it started. No one would have entertained a copy of Didi. Just as long as Kishore Kumar was there, no other male voice stood a chance. I first had to get songs that were comparable to Didi’s. I had to cultivate a Western style of singing. I had no choice. I had to be prepared to do any kind of song that was offered to me. Didi became instantaneously successful. Plus, there were other great singers like Geeta Dutt.”

Asha Bhosle passed away on Sunday due to multiple organ failure at the age of 92. Interestingly, Lata Mangeshkar also died at the same age.

Asha Bhosle quotes

“I never think about the past. Why waste time thinking about something I cannot change?”

“If you are already happy, music heightens your joy.”

“I have always been rebellious, but that is because I've wanted to do different things, try out new things.”

“Songs, for me, are notes from the heart.”

“In the studio, you can redo things. In concert, you only have one shot at it, so you have to try to be as perfect as possible.”