When Himesh Reshammiya said something that made Asha Bhosle want to slap him, admitted mistake

Did you know that in 2006, Himesh Reshammiya made a comment that prompted Asha Bhosle to say that she wanted to slap him? Here's how he reacted.

Himesh Reshammiya wore many hats back in the 2000s, and one of them was 'hitmaker'. But during his heyday, he was also often accused of singing nasally.

Himesh Reshammiya was recently seen as a judge on Indian Idol.

In 2006, the singer-music composer reportedly defended himself by saying that the legendary singer RD Burman also had a nasal twang, but wasn't criticised for it. His statement irked singer Asha Bhosle, who said, according to a leading daily, "If anyone says Burman sa'ab sang through his nose, he should be slapped."

Himesh in his response admitted his 'mistake', and said that he shouldn't have brought RD Burman into the argument. He said, "It was never my intention to insult Pancham-da (Burman). How can I, when I've grown up learning music composition from Laxmikant-Pyarelal and Pancham-da?"

He continued, "During an event I was asked about my 36 hits in two years, and how did I answer charges of singing through my nose. To this I responded by saying Mukesh-saab, Pancham-da and Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan-saab were never accused of singing nasally."

"I only wanted to prove a point. Now, I realise I made a mistake. I should've never brought in the names of these greats in my argument. It was a mistake. I respect and admire Lata-ji (Lata Mangeshkar) and Asha-ji. To me they're the pillars of the music industry. If I've unintentionally hurt Asha-ji, I want to apologise profusely. My upbringing won't permit me to offend people who are far more distinguished and senior than I can ever be," Himesh concluded.

In a 2020 interview with Pinkvilla, Himesh reflected on the criticism. "In 2006, when they called me nasal… Every song of mine was a blockbuster, I had 50 blockbusters… I just got a little angry," he said.

Himesh has composed music for films such as Tere Naam, Aitraaz, Aashiq Banaya Aapne, Aksar, Bodyguard and Kick. In 2007, Himesh made his acting debut with Aap Kaa Surroor, in which he played a fictionalised version of himself. His subsequent acting gigs included Karzzzz, Radio and The Xposé. The singer recently announced his new album, Suroor 2021.