India, April 14 -- The passing of Asha Bhosle on Sunday in Mumbai has left a profound void in Indian music. For veteran actor Saira Banu, the loss is both personal and deeply emotional. "I had spoken to her during Ramzan, but then I didn't realise that would be our last conversation. When I heard about her health, it was a complete shock," she tells us, adding, "I saw a video of her at a function (cricketer Arjun Tendulkar's wedding in March). She looked so weak. I had never imagined she would become unwell so suddenly." Looking back at their early years, Banu, 81, paints a vivid portrait of Bhosle's warmth. "Lata bai (Bhosle's sister, late veteran Lata Mangeshkar) sang for me most of the time. But whenever Asha tai recorded for me, she would be in a playful mood," she shares. Banu recalls shooting for the 1961 film Junglee, when she was "very young" and her voice was "quite thin": "While singing (in the recording studio), Asha tai would gesture towards her throat, as if to say that she was matching my softer pitch. It would make me laugh endlessly!" Beyond the humour, Banu also remembers Asha's personality, which she believes is the reason behind her legacy. "There was something regal about her presence. She carried herself beautifully," she says. "She and Lata bai were like family. Dilip sa'ab (Kumar, late actor and Banu's husband) and I shared so many moments with them: music, conversations, food. Losing her feels like losing a part of that world. It's a void that can never truly be filled," she ends....