Interview with Ramya Sarma about her book Asha Bhosle: A Life in Music

Ramya Sarma
Courtesy Neeta Kolhatkar

Saaz: You’ve been associated with ‘Bollywood’ for a long timewithout an actual association with it – what’s that been like?

Ramya: I've been part of creating websites on Bollywood and itsassociations. It's been a lot of fun. Incomprehensible at times, annoying attimes, and hilarious very often. It's a world I would normally never step intowearing any mask I might think of, but it's a very colourful, whimsical, crazyyet terribly intense and demanding world which can be daunting if you don't setgood sense, logic and schedules aside and leap in, without thinking too hard ortoo straight.  Running websites is notabout knowing that world, but about knowing the audience that wants to knowthat world. And ‘people’ is a far more interesting realm, one that makes mewant to know more. I've never been glamour or star struck, so the desire tomeet stars or even watch films has never been strong. I have always beencurious about the people who make up that starry world - like thedetermination, hard work and charisma that has carried Asha Bhosle, ShahrukhKhan and others of their quality to the places they now hold. As far asinterviewing filmi types, doing film reviews, watching shoots, et al...no, notfor anyone who is a little OCD about time and place!

 

Saaz: And now you’ve written a book about someone you never metand yet you managed to create a very vivid, lifelike impression of her within afew pages, which keeps growing through right till the end. How?

Ramya: My editor-publisher Bidisha Ganguly and I have worked reallyhard to make this book something special. I aimed for the unexpected, which iswhat makes me want to read a book. It's really very simple: when you knownothing or close to nothing about something, your perspective is unbiased. Youdive in and explore, learn, question, without preconceived notions orpreconditions. It's like eating those filled chocolates...what they're filledwith, you never know until you bite in. And AB is a PERSONALITY, someone whohas done fabulous things with the life she has lived. What I admire is herresilience and that chutzpah to keep going, and going higher. If I conveyed that, great! But a lot of people don'tsee that she's not just a star, she's a human being, with very human reactionsand behavioural quirks. In glorifying her, that aspect rarely comes through.And while she's earned the right to that glory, there's so much more to her.Talking to people who are not obviously connected to filmbiz brought out thatpart of her, I think...I hope.

 

Saaz: Why Asha Bhosle of all people?

Ramya: It kinda landed in my lap, honestly. And I agreed to do itbecause it was a challenge and I was bored of the same old, same old. And onthe way I found that she's the kind of woman I'd like knowing, someone who hastalent, intelligence, sass, strength and, yes, frailties that have only givenher power. I think that is an embodiment of Shakti, power, a realm that rules.I like the concept of feminine power,  ofShakti!

 

Saaz: What was your most memorable event in the process ofwriting this book?

Ramya: Well there were some very fun and some very memorablestories. Like learning about AB eating crisps with Shujaat Khan in London. Likeher sitting and snacking in the car in Delhi with Parveen Khan. Like herdelight at being recognised at the airport for a non-filmi work. Like her firstmeeting with Boy George, and admiring how he did his eyebrows. But my favouritemoment, apart from the friends I made – by the way, almost every interview Idid was food linked somehow! – was that email I got from Boy George. I openedit as soon as I woke up at 5.30 am one dawn and squeaked! Woke up lots ofpeople – who really didn't care – and chirped excitedly at them...Why was thatso special for me? It's a little silly, but when I was a teenager and trying tofigure out how to be a girlie girl without overdoing it, I got an album of BoyGeorge and Culture Club; BG was on the cover, with glorious eyes made upbeautifully. And that is still my ideal when I do my face!

 

Saaz: And the most challenging?

Ramya: There were two aspects that were not just challenging, butplain hard on me, playing tricks with my self-worth and my mind. One was thedelay that the project went through (if that's the right way of putting it?) atevery stage, almost every page, with the first publisher. That was frustrating,hurtful, annoying, all those negative emotions that have been, frankly,scarring. The second was to pin down the few film types that I did get to speakto me. One of them made up for it in style, for which I am forever grateful anda fan – Sonu Nigam, who changed his mind about meeting me often, even when Iwas right outside his house. But he made up for it by doing the whole interviewand singing fabulously on WhatsApp voice messaging! The others...that wouldmake one of those really funny personal memories books that so many people arewriting. I've mentioned some of them in the book’s intro.

 

Saaz: Looking back to the time you started working on this,what has changed in you, what did you learn?

Ramya: That life may throw you stinkers and more will come out ofleft field, but you will eventually do what you set out to do if you reallywant to do it. I guess it's like Asha Bhosle herself, hard work, grit anddetermination gets you to the end line. What changed in me is very little, I'mstill me, albeit with more silver and less hair and a few extra lines thatdon't come from giggling, usually inappropriately!

 

Saaz: How about sharing a few stories that didn’t make it tothe book?

Ramya: There are many … like the time my sandals broke rightoutside Lesle Lewis' studio and I trudged through the building barefoot. Seeingmy woeful state, he made me put my feet up on his squishy sofa, talked to mefor ages and then sang songs from his new album, then offered me a pair ofoversized rubber chappals to get me back to my car! Then there was Sumit Dutt,who was in a meeting but came out for "ten minutes" and then sat withme for over an hour telling me stories about Ashaji singing under a large yellowumbrella in a waterfall! People surprised me with their generosity, kindnessand plain niceness.

 

Saaz: Asha Bhosle is writing her autobiography. What do youexpect that to have which your book doesn’t have?

Ramya: Obviously, a great deal, since it's her own life that shewill write about. But the book has been announced many times and shelved manytimes. In fact, when I was with Poonam Dhillon, she called Ashaji to ask if shemay speak with me. The lady agreed, telling her she could say what she wanted,since her own book was almost done and would be out soon. A couple of monthslater, she announced that she had decided that her life was her life and shesaw no reason for other people to know about it, so her book would not bepublished. If it ever is, I'd line up to buy it!

 

Saaz: Finally, what do you expect from the release of thisbook?

Ramya: Obviously good sales, since that would make my publisherhappy! And, of course, for readers to learn something new about Asha Bhosle,something that they had never seen or heard of before. Because that's what wewere looking to do!

This interview was published in Hindustan Times on 27 Aug 2025.

https://www.hindustantimes.com/books/...

Ramya and Saaz at the launch on 12 June 2025