The following story is based on a true incident narrated to me by one of the eyewitnesses. This was just days after Rahul Dev Burman passed away. Vidhu Vinod Chopra who at that time was planning his most ambitious film 1942: A Love Story, decided to pay a visit to Mrs R D Burman, also known to the world as the great Asha Bhosle.
Vidhu Vinod Chopra and his team reached Ashaji’s residence. She came out to meet them and thank them for what she thought was a courtesy visit.
But Vinod had a request for Ashaji. Says the eyewitness, “Vinod wanted Ashaji’s help to get her sister Lataji to sing a song for 1942: A Love Story. Ashaji misunderstood Vinod’s intentions. She thought he was asking Ashaji to sing the song. Ashaji sobbed, ‘Nahin ab to woh rahe nahin. Unke bina main unka gaana nahin gaa sakti (Burman is not here anymore. How can I sing his song in his absence?).”
Not one to quit easily, Vidhu Vinod Chopra cleared the misunderstanding instead of fleeing the scene. “Nahin Nahin Aashaji, Aapko nahin gana hai Didi ko gana hai.”
Asha Bhosle’s response to that is too epic to be replicated here.
Image source: Instagram/asha.bhosle/SpotboyE archive