Legendary playback singer Asha Bhosle had dismissed long-standing comparisons with Lata Mangeshkar, describing her sister as “the sun”, filmmaker Srijit Mukherji told The Telegraph Online.

Srijit said the remark came up during an extended conversation with Bhosle while recording the song Prem Mein Tohre for his 2017 film Begum Jaan at Yash Raj Studios.

“We spent nearly four hours talking across topics,” Mukherji said. “At one point, the much-discussed Asha-Lata comparisons came up. She dismissed them entirely and simply said, ‘Lata didi is like the sun’.”

Srijit, however, said personally he preferred Asha’s vocals over Lata.

“My grandfather was a devoted admirer of Lata Mangeshkar, while my father preferred Asha’s voice. I developed a deep affinity for Asha’s songs from childhood,” he said, adding that he had never imagined he would one day work with her.

The director described the recording session as memorable not just for the music but for the conversations that surrounded it. “She spoke about her journey with composers like S. D. Burman, R. D. Burman and O. P. Nayyar, and how recording techniques have evolved over the years. We also discussed different genres and styles of singing,” he said.

Asha also expressed admiration for contemporary singers such as Sonu Nigam and Shreya Ghoshal, Mukherji added.

Srijit described Bhosle as “a treasure-trove of memories,” adding, “She was not just a person but a living archive of music — from romance and heartbreak to cabaret. Her passing marks the end of an era.”

Asha Bhosle passed away at the age of 92 at Breach Candy Hospital in Mumbai on Sunday.