Known for belting out popular love ballads like Nainaa Milaike (Saathiya, 2002), Kabhi Neem Neem (Yuva, 2004) and Tu Bin Bataaye (Rang De Basanti, 2006), singer Madhushree is all set to pay a homage to musical legends Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhosle with a musical offering titled ‘Passion – Lata, Asha Aur Main’ at Mumbai’s Nehru Centre at 7pm today.
She will be crooning some of their lesser known gems at the concert. And as she looks forward to a melodious evening, she says, “Lata ji’s divine voice elevated all the romantic and sad songs that she has sung. On the other hand, Asha ji’s ‘adayegi’ has taken even her classical songs to a whole new level. The way she has modulated her voice for the cabaret songs she sang is something all singers should take note of. It was during the pandemic that I began listening to their music more passionately and it taught me so much. Now that normalcy has resumed, I thought why not pay a tribute to them!”
Mangeshkar’s demise in February was a personal loss to the singer, who considered the icon as her teacher. Still reeling from the shock, Madhushree shares, “When Lata ji was alive, I couldn’t fathom what she meant to me. It hit me very hard when she passed away. The fact that she isn’t among us anymore took me many days to process. Her absence feels unbelievable.”
She also hails both Mangeshkar and Bhosle as the true flag bearers of feminism in the music industry for blazing the trail and setting a precedent for female singers in years to come. “As a female playback singer, I realise that the influence they have in the music industry is incredible,” she says, adding, “Every composer dreamed of working with them and getting them to sing their compositions. They would compose songs keeping them in their minds. For example, the track Soja Zara in Baahubali 2: The Conclusion (2017) was originally composed for Lata ji. But she was unwell and couldn’t sing the song. Later, I was brought onboard.”
Ahead of the concert today, Madhushree confides that she feels overwhelmed. “I feel a sense of immense responsibility. I can’t be compared to them because they’re unparalleled. Those compositions are incredible and performing them live will be a real challenge. To be honest, I feel anxious,” she ends.
