When Ashaji Made President Smile

President Droupadi Murmu rarely smiles the way she does in this picture.

The First Citizen has had a difficult life -- her husband and sons died a year or two after each other -- and she was helped to recover from the tragic setbacks by spiritual assistance from the Brahma Kumaris.

But hearing a legend whose amazing songs she must surely have heard when growing up in Rairangpur brought a warm smile to the President's face.

At Friday's 'Rising India - She Shakti' event, which acknowledged, honoured and celebrated women achievers in New Delhi, the Rashtrapati, who turned 65 on June 20, must have astonished to see the ageless verve of a lady 25 years older.

Asha Bhosle, the last of the nation's singing legends, turns 90 on September 8, and will celebrate that chronological milestone with a concert in Dubai.

Photographs curated by Anant Salvi/Rediff.com
Feature Presentation: Ashish Narsale/Rediff.com