Asha Bhonsle is music personified. Even at 75 she chatters like a teenager and puts you at ease with her down-to-earth attitude. Our correspondent catches up with the music diva during her visit to Kolkata after 16 long years.

You are back in Kolkata after 16 years for a show...
True. I am here to sing at Panchkanya...it's a show organized by Indo Occidental Symbiosis and Juhu Cultural Association (Mumbai) on the occasion of Rabindrajayanti (birth anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore). I would have said 'no' to this show too if it had not been for Gurudev. It is against my character to refuse to sing his songs on his birth anniversary. When the organizers contacted me, I said, 'I don't want anything...I just want to pay my respect to Rabindrababu.' And this is not just Asha Bhonsle's, but entire Maharashtra's tribute to Tagore.

You have sung Rabindrasangeet after a long time...
Yes and I was very scared initially. Singing Rabindrasangeet is very difficult on stage. Last time I sang Rabindrasangeet was 19-20 years back. So, I thought I would need a number of rehearsals. But then, thankfully, after one rehearsal only, everything fell into place. I had rehearsed 7 songs, but sang six on stage. I started off with Jagate Anada Jogye.

When was the last time you sang a Bengali song?
Hemantdada (Mukhopadhyay) made me sing quite a number of Bengali songs. He even made me sing...what do you call the first day of Durga Puja?

Mahalaya?
Yes. He made me sing even Mahalaya once.

How fluent are you in Bengali?
I am a Marathi...but I am half-Bengali too...ami apnader bou (I am your daughter-in-law). I want to speak fluent Bangla, but can't do it now. When Burmansahab (Rahul Dev Burman) was alive, I used to speak a lot of Bangla...but now I have forgotten the language. Next time I come to Kolkata, I will try to speak Bangla fluently...ami bhalo bangla bolte chesta korbo (I will try to speak good Bengali).

You are planning a Bengali album this year?
I will be releasing my new album this Durga Puja. After a long long time I will be doing a full Bengali album. It will be released by Mahua Lahiri's Asha Audio. Mahua has named her company after me but since then I could not sing for her. Now it's a good time for that.