There are certain unwritten rules in the Indian music industry which nobody breaks. One of them is: never say no to the musical maestro Ilaiyaraja.
But Asha Bhosle broke the rule.
In Rajkumar Santoshi’s Lajja, an elegiac excursion in the wombs of womanhood, the music was composed by Anu Malik. One special song ‘Kaun dagar kaun shehar’ ‘however’ was done by the mighty Ilaiyaraja for which he flew especially from Chennai to Mumbai with his musicians on the appointed day.
Said Santoshi, “I signed Ilaiyaraja for the background music. He composed a beautiful song, written by Prasoon Joshi, sung by Lataji. It comes in the background when Manisha Koirala is travelling from one story to other. The song was to be originally sung by Asha Bhosleji.”
However just hours before the recording, Asha Bhosle called off the recording. In a panic, Santoshi’s team approached Lataji who sportingly agreed to step in at the last moment in her sister’s place.
Recounting the historic happening Santoshi told the story saying, “Nobody knows this till now. Lataji, who has sung the beautiful number in Lajja, was a last-minute replacement for her sister Asha Bhosle who informed us just hours before the recording that her throat was not up to the task that day. So, we were in a situation where we were stranded at a recording of the great Ilaiyaraja with the singer missing.”
It was Prasoon Joshi who suggested Lataji’s name.
Recounted Santoshi, “The song in Lajja ‘Kaun dagar kaun shehar’ was Prasoon’s first song as a film lyricist. When Ashaji opted out suddenly at the last minute, it was Prasoon’s idea to ask Lataji. He phoned her and, to our surprise, she agreed to come for the recording immediately. So, ‘Kaun dagar’ is the only song in the history of our film music where Lataji replaced Ashaji. I am so glad Lataji sang ‘Kaun dagar’. She brought so much nostalgia and poignant and desolation into the lyrics.”
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from Featured Movie News | Featured Bollywood News - Bollywood Hungama
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