Dream came true when Asha Bhosle worked in my debut directorial: Prosenjit Chatterjee

39 years ago, when Prosenjit Chatterjee rose to superstardom with the blockbuster Bengali film ‘Amar Sangee’, its music became just as iconic as the film itself. The songs, still used as his signature entry tunes at public appearances, owe much of their timeless appeal to the legendary Asha Bhosle. Be it the ‘Chirodini Tumi Je Amar’, ‘Ami Mon Diyechhi’ or ‘Amar Ichchhe Korchhe’, all the songs were sung by Bhosle and composed by Bappi Lahiri.

Then in 1989, this duo collaborated again for the song ‘Beshi Ki Boli’ for Prosenjit’s starrer ‘Asha O Bhalobasha’. Bhosle’s contribution to Bengali film music is unparalleled. Again in 1992, when Prosenjit made his directorial debut with the Bengali film ‘Purushottam’, Bhosle was part of it once more, this time with R D Burman composing the tracks. She sang all the songs for the lead actress, Debashree Roy.

So, when Bhosle passed away at 92 in Mumbai on Sunday, Prosenjit felt the pain. “I knew her both personally and professionally. She was an exceptional human being. I had worked with her in my directorial debut, and it was a dream come true to have her and R D Burman,” he said.

Prosenjit said that Bhosle’s contribution to Bengali film music is immortal and also mentioned how his mother was a die-hard fan of the legend. “Asha ji set a new trend in India with her style. She created a distinct style, whether in Hindi or Bengali, which remains instantly recognisable even today.”