Voice not considered good enough: when Kishore Kumar and Asha Bhosle faced rejection together

 Mumbai (The Uttam Hindu): Veteran singer Asha Bhosle is no longer with us, and her passing is a great loss to Indian cinema and the music industry. Known for her remarkable career spanning nearly seven decades, she created a unique identity with her voice across the world. However, in the early days of her career, she had to face rejection.

During her initial days in Mumbai, Asha Bhosle went through many struggles. Despite later becoming famous for romantic and emotional songs, she faced tough times, including days when she survived on stale batata vada and tea.

Asha Bhosle started singing at the age of 15 at the Famous Mahalaxmi Studio in Mumbai. She once went there with Kishore Kumar for a recording. Due to delays and technical issues like high microphone placement, both singers found it difficult to record properly.

In a podcast with Amrita Rao, Asha Bhosle recalled that recordist Robin Chatterjee criticized their voices and said they were not suitable, asking to call another singer instead. Hearing this, both Asha and Kishore quietly left the studio feeling hurt but did not lose hope.

They later went to Mahalaxmi railway station and spent time there. They had not eaten the whole day, so Kishore Kumar bought stale batata vada and tea from a nearby shop, which became their first meal of the day.

Asha Bhosle shared that although the day was difficult, things changed after a few years. Around four years later, both became successful—Kishore Kumar as a popular actor-singer and Asha Bhosle as a leading playback singer.

When they returned to the same studio later, the same recordist was present. Kishore Kumar initially refused to record with him, but Asha convinced him not to repeat the same behavior they once faced.

Before this rejection, Asha Bhosle and Kishore Kumar had already sung three songs together and were preparing for their fourth recording.