It’s funny how I landed my first film, Dil Deke Dekho (1959). I got it through S Mukherjee after O P Nayyar quoted a fee that Mukherjee saab wasn’t willing to meet. As luck would have it, I was still struggling to establish myself as a music director, and the film came my way. I was all of 17, and it was a big break.

I vividly remember Asha Bhosle arriving for the recording of Pyar ki kasam hai and asking where the music director was. Someone pointed me out. In those days, I wore my hair in two pigtails, and she exclaimed, “Oh my God, she’s a bacchi!” I immediately touched her feet, and she said, “Alright, teach me the song.” I froze. “How can I sing in front of you?” I asked. But she insisted, saying she needed to understand what the music director expected of her. So I sang and she was delighted. She even remarked how wonderful it was to see a woman music director emerging in the industry after such a long time.

We truly hit it off after that, and she went on to sing many songs for me. The soundtrack of Dil Deke Dekho (1959) became a sensation, with numbers like Bade hain dil ke kaale gaining immense popularity.

Our relationship deepened over the years. I recall one recording session with her and Mohammed Rafi. She was in the middle of a take when she suddenly stopped and called me over, asking rather sharply why I had made a face. I explained that I hadn’t, it was just that a particular line needed to be broken differently. She immediately said I should have told her earlier, and then delivered the line exactly as I had imagined. Rafi saab, however, was a bit miffed since it meant redoing the song. Ashaji, after all, usually wrapped up recordings in one or two takes after thorough rehearsals.

In those days, I was married, and I would sometimes confide in her about family matters. She always listened patiently and offered thoughtful advice. We didn’t get to talk much during recordings, though, she was incredibly busy, often juggling two or three sessions a day. Getting her to sing for a project was always a big moment.