It was an emotional and heart-warming moment when veteran actress Rekha bowed down to touch Asha Bhosle’s feet as the legendary singer was feted with the Yash Chopra Memorial Award.
Both the divas — dressed in gold saris — lit up the stage with their elegance and poise at the event, organised by T. Subbarami Reddy in association with Anu Ranjan and Shashi Ranjan, on Friday night.
The award includes Rs1 million, along with a ‘SwarnKangan’ and a trophy.
Speaking at the ceremony, Bhosle said: “Yashji was like my younger brother. It is unfortunate that he isn’t here anymore. I had a long association of close to 50 years with him, even before he was married. Once I complimented him on his choice of songs and melodies and told him that his ear for music has greatly improved with time.
“That’s when Yashji told me, ‘I will tell you the secret of that if you won’t share it with anyone — actually my wife Pam (Pamela Chopra) decides the songs in the movies’. So I told him no wonder his taste in music has got better. It is an emotional moment for me to receive this honour in his name and I feel a tinge of sadness that he is not here to share it with me.”
Rekha, the chief guest, along with Maharashtra Governor Vidyasagar Rao, felicitated 84-year-old Bhosle as the fifth recipient of the award.
The actress said: “What should I talk about Asha tai? She is an integral part of me, that’s what I believe, but I didn’t know that when I was a child.
“When I came into the industry and when she started singing for me, that’s when I realised this is what it meant to be part of somebody so beautifully ... I don’t have any words to express my love and gratitude towards her.”
Bhosle has sung many songs for Rekha in her films.
Rekha continued: “I remember, Asha tai once met me at Raj Kapoor’s party and literally instructed me to perform better in the songs of Umrao Jaan as she had sung all my songs in that film. So when I was shooting for Dil cheez kya hai or In aankhon ki masti, that time I was only remembering instructions of Asha tai. So whatever you have seen of me in that film is all because of her”.
The event also saw Parineeti Chopra, Padmini Kolhapure, Poonam Dhillon, Alka Yagnik, Jackie Shroff and Jaya Prada in attendance.
