Asha recalled how the writer S H Bihari had said that he was writing a song especially keeping Asha in mind. Bihari had three daughters, and he had also known the Asha had to endure as a woman. The song, he told her, would make the listeners aware of the pain a woman could carry in her soul.
But what Asha did not tell her audience in New York, was that it was the last song she sang for Nayyar. Soon after their bitter parting, she was linked to Rahul Dev Burman, leading to her second marriage.
Asha's voice has been used practically by every leading actress in Bollywood including Waheeda Rehman, Shakila, Nutan, Asha Parekh, Sadhana, Dimple Kapadia, Madhuri Dixit and Aishwarya Rai.
But there is one song Asha sang for Sadhana that the fabled singer loves to sing at her concerts. And the song Jhumka gira re from the hit 1966 film Mera Saya has a special place in Asha's heart. For it is one of the few songs she has sung for composer Madan Mohan, who was a great admirer of Lata, and reserved his best for her.
Ironically, it is Jhumka gira re that became arguably his most popular song. Though the film had several haunting Lata songs including the sublime title number, it was during the showing of Jhumka gira re that the audiences in several cities across India pelt the coins and rupee notes at the screen.
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