The passing of legendary singer Asha Bhosle today has shaken the entire nation, leaving a big void that can never be filled. While the grief of the loss is quite big, Ghazal singer Sudeep Banerji feels a sense of gratitude that he got to work with the legend again just a few months ago, and he is filled with only praises as he remembers recording with her.

Sharing the memories he made with Asha Bhosle, Sudeep Banerji informs, “I just recorded a song with her a few months back and when I started working with Asha ji, the biggest thing I realised was that itni badi singer ho ke bhi, the way she behaved with the music director was amazing. These legends give so much respect.”

Recalling further, he adds, “She used to call me at her house and sit with me for hours, learning the words, the tunes and small nuances of the song, which usually most of the singers nowadays don’t do. They ask for the sing to be sent on Whatsapp, saying they will record it post that. But she was old school and wanted to work on it with the team.”

This wasn’t the first time though Sudeep collaborated with Asha tai, but he was surprised by her yet again this time. “I worked with her the first time when she was in her mid-80s, but now when we recorded, she was 92 and I was expecting, maybe she’ll be weak or may not come for the recording, but she said she will come to the studio,” he reveals.

The ghazal singer goes on to recalls her caring nature towards him too. “As usual, before the recording, we had a sitting at ger home and she fed us. She was a fantastic cook and she used to enjoy cooking more than singing. I’m a Bengali, so she used to speak to me in Bangla,” he shared, adding that seeing her at work in the studio just mesmerised him: “When we went to the studio, most people at this age can’t even walk properly, but that lady stood and recorded the song for three hours, without any support. She asked if I want anything extra in the song, she was so positive and professional. Aaj ki generation ko ye unse seekhna chahiye.”

Sudeep adds that while they wanted to release the song with her present, coming out with the song now will be a bit of a bittersweet experience.

Kareena Kapoor Khan has landed in the middle of a social media debate after a video of her at the Mumbai airport went viral. The clip shows the actress seemingly bypassing a long queue at the security check and moving ahead of other passengers. While Kareena has not responded to the criticism yet, the viral video has once again sparked a debate around celebrity privilege in public spaces.

Kareena Kapoor Khan has landed in the middle of a social media debate after a video of her at the Mumbai airport went viral. The clip shows the actress seemingly bypassing a long queue at the security check and moving ahead of other passengers.Dressed in a peach-coloured traditional outfit, Kareena was seen heading straight through the check, prompting several users online to question the perceived preferential treatment.One user wrote, “Kareena Kapoor broke the line at the airport and straight away moved to the gate. Why do celebrities get to do that? Who gave them this entitlement? Other people who are waiting at the airport also have urgent flights to catch, It’s not fair to everyone.”Another commented, “Airport queue scene: Queen Kareena Kapoor arrives! A simple queue can expose the gap between a society of dignified citizenry and a nation of slaves where all are entrenched in the class, caste, superiority, and inferiority power game.”A third post read, “Why VIP racism still happening in India despite even PM Modi warning against it? Are people fool to stand in queue & celebrities can fly over them & pass?”One user tagged the official X handle of Ministry of Civil Aviation and Office of the Home Minister of India and wrote, “Dear @MoCA_GoI and @HMOIndia What kind of special privileges has been accorded to these woke bollywood elites?? And under which law it has been sanctioned?? What a pity!! Common citizens stand in queue and these Dolts behave like super VIPs!!”Even the NCMIndia Council For Men Affairs reacted, stating, “Meet Empowered and Entitled woman Kareena Kapoor who does not like to stand in the queue at the airport. Please stop this special treatment.”While Kareena has not responded to the criticism yet, the viral video has once again sparked a debate around celebrity privilege in public spaces.

Spotted at IPL match with family

Amid the controversy, Kareena was also seen attending the ongoing IPL match between Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bengaluru at Wankhede Stadium.She was joined by husband Saif Ali Khan and their sons Taimur and Jeh, as the family cheered for Mumbai Indians in matching jerseys. Saif’s son Ibrahim Ali Khan was also spotted at the stadium.

The queen of versatility and indipop, Asha Bhosle was nothing less than an institution for every Indian out there. While her prowess lied in the musical field, the impact and significance she held spanned all across. On Sunday morning, the golden voice of India bid farewell and the nation mourned the immeasurable void she has left behind.

Asha Bhosle was admitted to the Breach Candy Hospital in South Mumbai on Saturday evening for suffering from extreme exhaustion and chest infection, as revealed her granddaughter Zanai Bhosle. She breathed her last on Sunday morning and was 92 at the time of her passing.

Born into the musical family of Pandit Deenanath Mangeshkar, Bhosle and her late sister, the legendary Lata Mangeshkar, ruled the Indian music scene for decades. She sang her first film song, Chala Chala Nav Bala for the Marathi film Majha Bal (1943), and made her Hindi film singing debut with Saawan Aaya for Hansraj Behl’s Chunariya (1948).

Known for not conforming to the norms, Bhosle’s life, both personally and professionally, was filled with unusual instances. At the age of 16, she eloped with the 31-year-old Ganpatrao Bhosle, who was working as her sister’s secretary at the time, and married him against her family’s wishes. The marriage even created a rift between the sisters but eventually, the two patched up. And Bhosle even found love again with the late composer Rahul Dev Burman aka RD Burman. The two married in 1980 and faced challenges in their marriage too, but were each other’s support system till the latter passed away in 1994.

Professionally too, Bhosle broke new grounds as she didn’t limit herself to just playback singing for films. In her career spanning over eight decades, she dabbled into over 20 languages, even did international collaborations, got nominated for the Grammys, and by 2006, had recorded over 12000 songs. She also gave some of the most memorable ad jingles to the Indian audiences including the ones for Rasna and Hindustan Unilever. At the age of 80, she ventured into acting with the 2013 movie Mai.

Bhosle was known for being an icon to every generation as she never limited herself. Be it performing actor Vicky Kaushal’s hookstep of Tauba Tauba (Bad Newzz, 2023) on stage or just revving up the crowd with her voice modulations, Bhosle was, is and will always remain an icon that the world would never forget.