While Geetaji was continuing to have marital problems she still maintained her singing tempo. She sang for nearly 40 movies in 1958. Most of these songs were on the mark and on the hit parade for a long time. If anything these songs prove, it is that Geetaji’s vocal mystique that was so unique has been in the public eye so long even today they enjoy immense popularity.
During this year Lataji and Burmanda had a fallout with each other. He wanted Geetaji to pick up the slack but with all the personal problems Geetaji was having she became very unreliable. She would be late for recording sessions. She would not rehearse properly. It was widely believed at this juncture that Geetaji took up drinking to find comfort and solace and even if temporarily, to escape from all of her problems. Burmanda was a man of little tolerance and lived by certain principles all his life. With this type of attitude Geetaji was displaying he chose to go with Asha Bhosle. After this Geetaji did sing a song here and a song there for Burmanda, but it was never like before. She sang only two songs for him during 1958. “Lajwanti” had all female songs done by Ashaji except for one. That song was a solo by Geetaji. “Aaja Chhaya Kaare Badre” was a beauty and still evokes sweet memories with its lilting music and soulful rendering. She also sang a solo for SD in “Sitaron Se Aage”.
Another great supporter of her, O.P. Nayyar, also started drifting away from her. His reasons were different. Even though he had full confidence in Geetaji’s singing abilities, it was his emotional involvement with Asha Bhosle that made him decide to phase out all assignments given to Geetaji. But in1958 she was still his choice of the singers. She sang in five different movies for him. These were “Farishta” (a solo), “Mr. Qartoon M.A.” (a duet), “Mujrim” (two solos and a duet), “Raagini” (a duet), and “12
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