I thought this was the most suitbale forum along with that of Rafisaab to put forward this interview of OP Nayar.

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Destiny unites and destiny parts, this is music director O P Nayyar's firm belief. Perhaps it was this destiny that made him team up with Asha Bhosle in 1952. Starting with Naya Daur, they weaved magic together for two decades. They parted ways but their music still endures.
Today, while Asha Bhosle still creates waves with her R D Burman remixes, O P Nayyar has stopped composing and lives a life of a wanderer. But he still generates interest whenever he makes a rare public appearance. The man who set his own trends and lived by his own rules, continues to do so, looking as grand as ever. Smart, top hat, intact.


Looking back, who played the most important role in your life?
Having been through the spring and autumn of my life, now that I am seventy-six, I can say that the most important person in my life was Asha Bhosle. She was the best person I ever met.

When did you first meet Asha?
I first met her in 1952 while composing music for Chham Chhama Chham. I thought she sang very well and I told her that. In a few years, she became very popular. And since 1959, she was emotionally and professionally involved with me. We split on August 5, 1972. It's almost been three decades since Asha left that beautiful scar on me.

Describe Asha as a person and as a singer.
As a woman, she was superb. She was very good to me. Also she was a great mother to her children. As a person, she was very bhola, so innocent and so straightforward. Of course with experience she became shrewd and clever in dealing with the world, and I don't blame her for that. As a singer, she understood the feelings, emotions and sadness in my music and she gave to me what I wanted. After Shamshad Begum and Geeta Dutt, hers was the only voice that did justice to my music. She sang all my songs with her heart and soul.

Then why did a wonderful team like yours split?
I know astrology very well. I knew that one day I had to part with her. Something also happened, that upset me, so I left her. After that she made a fabulous team with RD Burman.

What do you think of Asha's contribution in his music?
R D Burman gave his best compositions to Lata Mangeshkar. The rest he gave to Asha. This is a fact. Films like Amar Prem and Kati Patang prove what I'm saying.

Did you have any favourites amongst male singers?
I loved Mohammed Rafi. His death was a big loss to me. When I composed for Shammi Kapoor or Johnny Walker, he managed to sound like them. He sang so many wonderful songs for me. Rafi miyan was a wonderful person. Nobody can ever be compared to him.

Who were the lyricists that you valued most?
I've appreciated Sahir Ludhianvi, S H Bihari, Majrooh Sultanpuri, Qamar Jalalabadi, Noor Devasi, Shevan Rizvi and Aziz Kashmiri.

How do you react to today's remixes of old music? Does it anger you?
Hardly. In fact some of today's youngsters are doing great service to the oldies. I liked what Venus did in their Bollywood vs Hollywood album, which fused Rap music with my music.

What according to you is your contribution to Hindi film music?
My contribution is nothing but the power of God. I had no background in music, and I came from a family of doctors and lawyers who considered films as a profession of kanjars.

You've always been an arrogant man, living life on your own terms. Are you proud of this trait?
I have been proud of one thing for sure and that is that I have never prostituted my profession. That's the only thing I've been honest about in my life.

Do you have any regrets?
Yes, I have regrets. I haven't accomplished certain things in my life and even now there are some intense desires left.

In your personal life, you've forsaken your house and all other material possessions. Don't you ever miss them?
Never. Once I put my faith in God, what's there to fear? At the fag end of my life, what will I have left if I lose my soul in the process? I am grateful to my family that they have helped me to cut my karmas in this life and not take those karmas with me to my next life.

How do you spend your life today?
I am a homeopath. It is said that the Gandharvas were connected with three things-music, medicine and astrology. God gifted me with all three. So I feel that I am like the king of the Gandharvas. All that happened in my life had to happen. My basic philosophy in life is that when you cheat, betray or are dishonest, it comes back to you. I guess that I wasn't very careful about what I did in my personal life, I had all the three follies. So, I paid the price in my personal life.