Even as someone's pager repeatedly beeped the tune of one of her more heard numbers, the popularity of the singer who has crossed 60 was more than apparent. Not for her the snobbishness that comes with fame, the precedent of looking down upon anything that is modern and non-classical. ``I love Indian pop as it has brought me closer to my five-year-old fans. I have been singing for 50 years, but it is only now that I have established such a warm link with them'' said the uncrowned Queen of Hindi pop, who has caused a startling shift in her audiences with her crooning to Helen Brodie's on-screen crush on Milind Soman in Janam Samjha Karo and the snazzily reworked Parde Mein Rehne Do.

The concert is being held in support of Child Relief and You. ``Children are my weakness, I do not crave for money, the proceeds will all go towards the cause of CRY,'' said Bhosale. She is coming to Pune as part of a nationwide tour, with all earnings dedicated to various charities dealing with children. The versatile singer, who has sung sizzling dance numbers with as much elan as romantic duets, ghazals and pop, is now working on an individual project where she will sing to tunes she has set herself. ``I have my fingers crossed, if people are expecting something very classical they might be disappointed because my tunes are very simple,'' she confessed charmingly.

She found the fast-paced music of present times a reflection of the changing lifestyles. ``People have opened up, I like the spirit of young people now. They dance if they want to, it did not happen in earlier times. There were a lot of restrictions on how one was supposed to behave,'' she told her audience. In a rare moment, she critised the controversy surrounding Sai Paranjpye's Saaz. ``Two plaits don't make an Asha Bhosale nor do two longer ones make a Lata Mangeshkar,'' she said, calling it an effort to garner publicity by latching on to big names.

The concert will be set to choreographed dance numbers, digital sound and interactive visuals on a giant backdrop of nine feet by 12 feet. Open tickets are available.