(Photo: Arvind Kumar ) On her first visit to Varanasi, Asha Bhosle told us that she regretted visiting the city so late in life. "At 84 years of age now, I feel should have visited Varanasi earlier," said the singer, who performed at a concert organised by UNESCO, under its Creative Cities Network initiative, at the holy city's Bhaisasur ghat. Discussing the development happening in the city these days, Asha said that this was perhaps an appropriate time for her to visit Varanasi. "The ghats are very clean and the development work going in the city, like the construction of flyovers and widening of highways, is underway. I am sure Varanasi will see a lot of progress within a few years. The best part is that the historic character of the city is being maintained," she said.The veteran singer, who witnessed the Ganga aarti and went for darshan to the Kashi Vishwanath Temple , said, "Varanasi is as beautiful as its silk saris. It makes you realise how deep-rooted our religious and cultural traditions are. During the Ganga aarti, while sitting on the boat along with my son Anand, we really pondered on how our religion has stood the test of time. I am a Shiv bhakt and I was really keen on going for darshan to the Kashi Vishwanath Temple, one of the jyotirlingas."It was not merely the spiritual feel of the city that impressed Asha, but also the delectable Banarasi cuisine. Known for being just as skilled a cook as a singer, Asha feasted on the vegetarian fare served to her. "I tried the Banarasi thali and it was just amazing. Poora vegetarian khana tha aur bahut swadisht tha. I especially liked the bharwa karela and parval. Agar aisa khana ghar par roz mile toh mein vegetarian ho jaungi!" she said with a laugh.With the conversation moving to music, Asha, though not happy with the current music scenario, said, "Jo bhi chal raha hai achha chal raha hai, isse zyada kya bolun. Hamare samay mein hum bahut mehnat karte thay. Everyone had their own distinct style, whether it was Lata didi, Kishore Kumar , Manna Dey, Mukesh, Hemant Kumar or even myself. Today, artists imitate and copy others; they do not have their own style."Commenting on the various music reality shows aired on television, Asha said, "Usme bachche achha gaate hain, par unko kuch milta nahin hai. Unko films mein jagah nahin milti hai aur woh sab bas stage shows karne wale ban kar reh jaate hain."Asha Bhosle on her way to the Vishwanath TempleSupporting Sonu Nigam on the recent 'azaan controversy', Ashatai, as she is popularly known, said, "Woh himmatwala hai. Sonu has even shaved his hair. Woh kar sakta hai."With biopics being the flavour of the season in Bollywood , Asha said, "If a biopic is ever made on me, Priyanka Chopra will be able to do justice to my character. She is not only talented, but I also like the way she conducts herself. I am happy that she is making her presence felt in Hollywood."

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