Gaane gaane pe lika hai, gaane wale ka naam: Usha Uthup on Asha Bhosle getting Dum Maro Dum

Draped in a gorgeous Kanjivaram saree, self-designed Kanjivaram shoes, bangles and her trademark bindi, pop icon Usha Uthup was a breath of fresh air on the second day of the Khushwant Singh Literary Festival in Kasauli on Saturday, and soon the audience was swaying to her iconic songs.

The reigning queen of pop, who began her career in the glitzy night clubs of Chennai and soon became the country’s darling, calls herself “people’s singer”, after all she can sing jazz, folk, pop, rock and Rabindra Sangeet. Besides, she sings in no less than 17 Indian languages and eight foreign languages.

“This is the beauty of being born in a country with such vast diversity. Despite our differences, we are one and our music is a testament to this,” she says.

Asked to croon a song that defines her, she promptly sang Kali Teri Gut Te Paranda Tera Laal. “After this song was released, it would be played at all dhabas and in lorries across country. People would assume I am Punjabi due to my built. I am often also mistaken for being a Bengali or a Malayali as I have perfected the nuances of different languages.”

On the song Dum Maaro Dum going to Asha Bhosle, she says, “I was never a part of the rat race. None of us are born with an original song. But when you bring a song into your life, it becomes yours. This is why many think I have sung the song, Daane daane pe likha hai khaane waale ka naam, aur gaane gaane pe lika hai gaane wale ka naam.”

The singer, who was at the festival to speak about her authorised biography, The Queen of Indian Pop, originally written in Hindi by author Vikas Kumar Jha, and translated by the writer’s daughter Srishti Jha, said she feels her mission in life is to spread smiles, and so she does not like to dwell on her struggles.

“Everybody has their own cross to bear, but there are people who are going through or have gone through something worse. I had to struggle with the after-effects of polio, and as we speak my 45-year-old son is undergoing dialysis. There is nothing one can do about it, so it is best to stay positive and dwell on the good things in life,” she says.

On a career in music

Asked if she ever thought she would become a singer, she says, “Never! I used to be the class clown, making people smile, but I never thought I would become a singer, entertainer and performer.”

“As for my singing, before being born, God asked me whether I would like to have a good voice or a good body. I chose the latter,” she says self-deprecatorily, while emotionally adding, “I’m zero without my audience.”

The singer, who just turned 75, says, “I feel younger than many young girls I know who feel they have worked enough and want a break. I never ask for that because when God gives you a break, it is really bad.”

On marriage

“The fight between men and women is utterly pointless. We cannot live without men and they cannot do without us. Before we got married, I was what my husband wanted. And after we got married, I was what he had. It is that way for everyone. People ask how my husband has helped me and I say, by not helping! He never interfered or clipped my wings.”