As she turns 77 today. Asha Bhosle muses about her eternal youth, her sibling 'rivalry' and love of music and certain musicians

Asha Bhosle talks to Ayaz Memon on issues ranging from her eternal youth, Lata Mangeshkar and film music then and now.

Excerpts from the interview:

You turn 77 but look no more than 47 and still sound 27...what's the secret of your eternal youth?
People always ask me where I get my energy from, and I always tell them that it's from within. I look ahead, not behind. I like to experiment. Every day when I cook, I try to come up with a new dish. If anything becomes monotonous you fall into a rut. One should be like a river. Constantly flowing, not a pond in which the water stagnates.

So many stories abound of the professional competition between you and Lataji...
Where was the time for competition? She used to sing love songs and other melodious songs. I used to sing cabarets, qawallis and anything else that was offered to me.

I used to be so busy with my own work and family that I never cared about what anybody else was doing. That's why I have 13, 000 songs to my name. People have made up many stories about competition in our house, but we have been like our father had always wanted us to be -- a clenched fist.

You had a very 'open' relationship with RD Burman breaking all conventions... Weren't you scared?
I am human, I am a woman and I have seen a lot of hardships. I've been turned out of my house once, so I was scared. But I have always believed in being open.

No point tying a rakhi on someone and calling him a brother and then one should be truthful because even if you lie the truth will catch up sooner rather than later...history will reveal the truth.

What's your opinion of A R Rahman...you sang for him in Rangeela?
He's a good music director. His strength lies in embellishing a song. He takes a song and then puts music in it.

Were the old times really that different?
Oh, very different. There was simplicity about people and the work. And we had some titans. How can I explain what Mohammed Rafi, Mukesh bhaiyya, Kishore Kumar, Manna Dey were? Except to say that they were all giants, each distinctive.

What are the new challenges that you look forward to?
I want to keep working like this till the end. Right now I have the energy to stand on the stage and sing for three hours without tiring. I hope I can continue to do that. Age, after all, is just a number.

Full interview on NewsX at 10 am and 10 pm today