As you grow older, life continues to impart new meanings to old beliefs. The firm knowledge that there is life that ends in death , does not look so firm after all! Depending on your perspective there is no death , since there is life after death! Conversely there is no life apparently for some ; since life can be more cruel than death itself. Some souls can not live a single day because they are so tormented; while some other souls can never die because they are so accomplished.
God is rather benevolent; of course for those that believe ! It does take some insight to recognize the great gifts universe bestows each and everyone of us. These gifts come in various shapes , sizes and kind. Some are in the shape of circumstances. Like getting born into the Kennedy family for instance. Some blessings come in the shape of people that God sends your way; like coach Ramakant Achrekar that came into the life of one little boy named Sachin Tendulkar! It sometimes takes the shape of a special talent like Leonardo da Vinci; who was active as a painter, draughtsman, engineer, scientist, theorist, sculptor, and architect.
The difference between these great achievers and us is 1. They recognized their blessings. 2. They did something about it. Most of the time they really really worked very hard and showed up consistently to nurture what God gifted them. When I look back at my own life, since I am now old enough to do so; I see where I dropped the ball. I had several blessings been given to me. Some I lost entirely, some I utilised partially and for others I just did not work hard enough. I Should have drawn more; designed more; written more. I Should have done more of what makes me - me! Sadly I lost motivation, lost vision, lost focus..... Onus of my mediocrity lies entirely with me!
Orchard with Cypresses, a painting by Vincent Van Gogh sold for $117millions in 2022.
Yeah! there is no mistake in the numbers! It is 117 million US dollars for one canvas! In his lifetime he only sold one solitary work for 400 francs. Did that stop him from nourishing his blessing ? He worked everyday at his craft. Van Gogh died on 29th July 1890. He was only 37. Is he really dead? His work is what he was and his works live ! Is he alive?
What would you say about someone who has had an active career spanning 80 years? Who has recorded 12,000 songs in 20 different languages; most she did not even speak. I can personally vouch for the songs she recorded in the Kashmiri language. Her diction and pronunciation sounds better than mine - and I am a native speaker. She was one face of female Indian playback singing; other being her elder sister - the incomparable Lata Mangeshkar ! At times people compare the two. I think it is an insult to both of them. No two singers are similar but totally different. Maybe we will talk about this concept some time. Just as an aside their third sister Usha also sings and their brother Hridaynath is a musician. So was their father Pandit Deenanath Mangeshkar. Do you see a pattern here? Do you see how God blessed her firstly by sending her in the right family; then by giving her an inherited talent that got honed by the in house teacher - her own father. And then providing her the celestial umbrella of an elder sister to look up to for inspiration! This is the very epitome of "Birds of a feather flock together"!
Asha Tai , as she is lovingly called worked with several composers. O. P. Nayyar and Asha Bhosle have given some amazing numbers that are on everyone's lips even fifty years later. He is the one who gave her a distinct identity and shaped her career. Blessings can take the shape of adversity too! O.P. Nayyar did not work with Lata Mangeshkar, the reigning diva of Indian music. They had some professional differences and What God did instead was to send Asha Bhonsle in his life. The only wildly successful composer of the era that did not work with Lata Mangeshkar gave his best compositions to Asha Bhonsle and Geeta Dutt to some extent. Absolutely legendary timeless music got created as the result. You decide who was a blessing and who got blessed!
The composer who really polished her is R. D. Burman. Most of her modern numbers came from this collaboration. Together they changed the face of Hindi film music forever. Their professional union is the stuff legends are made of. They were married to each other too. Sadly it did not stand the test of time as well as their professional relationship.
I find it awkward saying Asha Bhonsle is no more! Maybe for some she is no more. However for me Asha Tai meant her music and that lives ! Is she alive or is she dead? Do the loyal ones ; one's that do not betray their blessings find eternal life? If history is any indication, they do ! They just do not die. They live with you; in your heart; and they will talk to you through the work of their life time. Generations after generations.
Listen these people are a great blessing universe just put in our lap. They live through their work and deserve our respect & honour as all blessings do!
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