Was it the burden of a career stretching over six decades, or simply the narrow lens of today’s times, that most tributes to Asha Bhosle, both in mainstream and social media, focused almost entirely on her post-1970s work? A few exceptions like Aaiye Meherban (Howrah Bridge), Naya Daur, and Paying Guest were noted, but the spotlight stayed largely on songs such as Chura Liya Hai, Dum Maro Dum, Piya Tu Ab To Aaja.These songs certainly showcase her brilliance, but to confine her legacy to them feels unfair – to her and to music lovers alike. There was a time when writers like Nalin Shah, Raju Bharatan would mark an artist’s passing with tributes that traced their full journey. They offered an all encompassing overview and insightful analysis that revealed the artist’s world and music in depth.What we saw instead was a flood of customary tributes – predictable song mentions, missing many of the truly defining works that shaped her artistry and greatness.When the music composer O.P. Nayyar started his career, Geeta Dutt was the singer of his choice. Photo provided by the author.Some tributes slipped into punditry, cherry-picking facts to bolster their arguments. While rightly praising the sensuality and distinctive timbre of Asha Bhosle’s voice, a few went so far as to crown her the first to embody that quality, even crediting her with breaking societal norms through such songs. But those claims miss a crucial truth: the towering influence of her predecessor Geeta Dutt. Asha herself admired and in many ways imitated Geeta’s gift for infusing words with emotion.When the music composer O.P. Nayyar started his career, Geeta Dutt was the singer of his choice. Things shifted soon after Nayyar grew personally close to Asha. As film historian Nalin Shah recounted, it was Geeta, wife of film-maker Guru Dutt, who persuaded Nayyar not to leave Bombay after three consecutive flops, urging him to give it one more shot with her husband’s film Aar Paar (1954). But by the time of Howrah Bridge (1958), Geeta asked Nayyar if he had forgotten her altogether (due to his closeness with Asha). Embarrassed, he gave Geeta one song from the film – Mera Naam Chin Chin Chu – which ended up stealing the show, much more than Aaiye Meherban. (Melodies, Movies & Memories, Nalin Shah, Page 161-162)Aaiye Meherban is certainly among Asha’s finest, but its adayagi – the expressive phrasing – bears the unmistakable imprint of Geeta Dutt’s style. Asha’s timeless birthday song “Tum jiyo hazaron saal” carried such a strong Geeta Dutt vibe that a cassette company mistakenly included it in a Geeta Dutt compilation.Also read: Asha Bhosle Passes Away at 92: Ten of Her Timeless GemsThe same goes for versatility and range. Asha Bhosle could sing Tora Man Darpan Kehlaye and Piya Tu Ab To Aaja with equal ease – but she wasn’t the first to do so. Geeta Dutt had already set that benchmark. She rendered all the Meera bhajans in Jogan (1950) and the very next year delivered the jazzy, western-tinged Taqdeer Se Bigdi Hui in Baazi. The sensuous quality of her voice remained unmistakable even after two decades, in her songs for Anubhav (1971) Then there was Shamshad Begum who had shown the same breadth. She could move seamlessly from the tear-jerker Chhod Babul Ka Ghar (Babul, 1951) to the playful Ek Do Teen Aaja Mausam Hai Rangeen (Awara, 1951). With her poise and smoothness, Shamshad Begum was arguably the original “item number” singer – at least a decade or two before Asha.Many tributes to Asha Bhosle tended to give her credit that wasn’t entirely accurate, while also leaving out some of her most important work. Just a couple of decades ago, it would have been unthinkable to leave out musical hit Navrang (1959) – a film that showcased the full sweep of her voice, from the tender Tu Chhupi Hai Kahan and Aadha Hai Chandrama to the exuberant Holi song Are Ja Re Hat Natkhat. Likewise, it borders on sacrilege to overlook gems like Radha Ke Pyare (Amar), Chali Kaun Se Des (Boot Polish), Ab Ke Baras (Bandini), Dhalati Jaye Raat (Razia Sultana), Deewana Mastana (Bambai Ka Babu), Nazar Lagi Raja Tore Bangle Par (Kala Pani), Bhanwara Bada Nadan (Sahib, Bibi Aur Ghulam), Paan Khaye Saiyan Hamara (Teesari Kasam). This isn’t the place to list every masterpiece from that era, but even this handful shows how badly most tributes missed the mark – skimming the surface instead of celebrating the songs that truly defined Asha’s genius in the first two decades of her career.Voices age differently. Lata Mangeshkar Hemant Kumar, Talat Mehmood, Mohammed Rafi, and Shamshad Begum kept their mastery but lost the golden texture that once defined them. Singers like Rajkumari, and Asha Bhosle, were blessed with something rarer: an ever-young voice that carried its sparkle across decades. Asha sounded astonishingly fresh and effervescent even in films of 1990s like Sardari Begum, Rangeela and Lagaan. Lata did sing for heroines like Madhuri Dixit and Kajol, but when Urmila danced to Asha’s playback in Rangeela (1995), it was electric – Asha pulled it off with dazzling success.The kind of prestige and stature that Lata enjoyed eluded Asha for decades. As the story goes, Aye Mere Watan Ke Logon – the song that made Lata a national icon – was originally meant for Asha. She even rehearsed it. Ultimately, it was Lata who secured the song that was etched into the nation’s collective memory.Asha’s first serious recognition came only in 1981 with Umrao Jaan. Imagine singing countless timeless classics, yet remaining in the shadow of her elder sister – or being branded a rebel, a cabaret singer. Most of the recent tributes, sadly, repeated the same injustice, overlooking her vast repertoire and settling for the obvious.Urvish Kothari is a writer and satirist based in Gujarat.