'Film songs do not make sense any more because the television channels in the country do not want to show anything else barring Bollywood music. I want to make meaningful Indian music,' she said.

Her first assignment was a Marathi movie 'Majha Bal' in which she sang 'Chala Chala Nav Bala'. Asha has a repertoire of more than 12,000 songs and has sung in more than 14 languages.

'Very few new musicians are good. I think Preetam, Monty, Shankar Mahadevan, Shankar-Eshaan-Loy and A.R. Rahman are making quality music. But there are many others, who are also doing well,' Asha said.

Asha is not in favour of fusion music.

'Fusion music did not exist when we sang in Mumbai. Our music was original, drawn from Hindustani classical music. However, many composers were inspired by western music. But the modern fusion music is neither classical nor western. Contemporary Bollywood music has less 'bol' ('taal' or rhythm) than the music of yesteryears,' she said.

The singer feels that 'Indians are going back to their classical musical roots to develop new styles'.

'If you notice, parents now are hiring instructors to teach their children classical music at home. It used to be a tradition once upon a time. My grandchildren are training under Birju Maharaj (dance) and Pandit Jitendra Abhisekhi (classical). All schoolchildren in the country must learn classical music and dance,' she said.

Asha says she has hobbies like reading and cooking.

'I love to read. When I was around 13-14, I used to spend entire nights reading under the street lights filtering in through the open door. There was no electricity,' she said.

'I read Marathi literature, Marathi translations of all famous Bengali and Hindi novels. The books enriched me. All of my three children are very well-read. Every child in this country must study. 'Padhai' is knowledge,' she said.

Asha is in no hurry to give up singing. 'An astrologer studied my janam patri (horoscope) and said that I would sing for another eight years. I want to sing marte dam tak (till my last breath),' she said.