How can Asha Bhonsle and I be rivals, asks Lata Mangeshkar

A recent report in a newspaper about rivalry between her and sister Asha Bhonsle has disturbed Lata Mangeshkar. Speaking to After Hrs, she says, “How can we be rivals? I can never sing what she can. Even Pancham (RD Burman) admitted that we had mutually exclusive singing abilities.”

Speaking candidly on the relationship with her sister, she continues, “There’s no fight between us. Until recently we lived in adjoining flats and there’s a connecting door between our homes. We’re constantly in and out of one another’s homes.”

Lata’s voice lights up with pride at her sister’s achievements. “I’m very proud of  Asha. She can sing every kind of song. Thank God she didn’t adopt my style of singing. If she had we’d have become competition for one another. She went on her own path. Yeh maanna padega ki woh bahut badi gayika hai.” On March 31 Lata will be presenting an award named after her brother Hridaynath Mangeshkar to Asha Bhosle.

Says Lata, “I am honoured to give the award to my sister. I was supposed to present this award to Asha on October 26. But then Varsha (Asha Bhosle’s daughter) passed away. So they had to postpone the award. Now it’s finally happening.”