Legendary singer Asha Bhosle, who mesmerised generations of music lovers with her evergreen and versatile voice, has died. She was 92.
Her son Anand Bhosle confirmed the news of her death and said, “She is no more. Her last rites will be held at 4 P.M. tomorrow at Shivaji Park in Mumbai.”
Asha Bhosle was admitted to the Breach Candy Hospital in Mumbai on Saturday, April 11. Her granddaughter Zanai Bhosle wrote on X that the veteran singer had been admitted to hospital following “extreme exhaustion and a chest infection”.
An Eight-Decade Career
Asha Bhosle, best known for chartbusters such as Piya Tu Ab To Aaja, Kajra Mohabbat Wala, Rangeela Re, and Dil Cheez Kya Hai, would have turned 93 on September 8 this year. Her death has sent shockwaves through generations of music lovers who grew up listening to her songs.
Asha Bhosle was just 10 when she sang her first film song, Chala Chala Nav Bala, for the 1943 Marathi film Majha Bal. Initially stereotyped for singing dance numbers such as O Haseena Zulfonwali, Bhosle later proved her depth with ghazals such as Dil Cheez Kya Hai and classical pieces like Tora Man Darpan Kehlaye.
An Iconic ‘Rivalry’
The younger sister of melody queen Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhosle was a trailblazer in her own right, forever grateful to have her ‘Didi’ by her side, but always wanted to have her own identity. Stories of their rivalry are as old as time, but neither ever confirmed them outright.
“People did carry tales and try to create trouble, but blood is thicker than water. I remember, sometimes both of us would be at a function and some industry types would ignore me and interact only with her, as if to prove their loyalty. Later, Didi and I would have a good laugh,” Asha Bhosle once said in an interview.
Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhosle’s youngest sister is singer Usha Mangeshkar. The Mangeshkar sisters were born into the legendary Mangeshkar family, to Pandit Deenanath Mangeshkar and Shevanti Mangeshkar. The couple had five children together: Lata, Meena, Asha, Usha and Hridaynath.
The Queen Of Melody And Energy
In her eight-decade career, Asha Bhosle sang for several actresses, right from Sharmila Tagore, Asha Parekh, Rekha, Urmila Matondkar, Karisma Kapoor, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, to Shamita Shetty.
In 2023, Bhosle marked her 90th birthday with flair, jetting off to Dubai for a live concert instead of a quiet family gathering.
“At 90, standing on stage for three hours to sing fills me with joy-I’m grateful for this vitality. Humari saans nahin hoti hai toh aadmi mar jaata hai. Mere liye music meri saans hai (People die when they stop breathing. For me, music is my breath). I’ve devoted my life to it, emerging stronger from hardships,” she had told PTI ahead of the event.
The following year, she stunned fans by performing Karan Aujla’s viral track Tauba Tauba at her Dubai show, even nailing the signature dance move of the song from Bad Newz, featuring Vicky Kaushal and Triptii Dimri.
In Tune With The Changing Times
The singing legend kept abreast of the changing times. Her X page boasts of 4.2 million followers, her Instagram profile has 7,60,000 followers, and she has an 8.7 lakh-strong following on her official Facebook page.
Asha Bhosle won her first National Award for Umrao Jaan in 1981, and her second for Ijaazat in 1988. She received the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, the highest honour in Indian cinema, in 2000, and the Padma Vibhushan, the second-highest civilian honour, in 2008.
Her last recorded Hindi film song is Rut Bheege Tan from 2022’s Life’s Good, starring Jackie Shroff. At the age of 91, she released a single Saiyaan Bina, dedicated to her late husband and frequent collaborator, music composer RD Burman.
Just last year, Asha Bhosle went to the Bombay High Court to protect her personality rights and was granted ad-interim protection in a landmark ruling.
Personal Lows, Professional Highs
Asha Bhosle’s eight-decade career was filled with numerous professional landmarks. Her personal life, on the other hand, saw both highs and lows. Bhosle eloped with her personal secretary, Ganpatrao Bhosle, at the age of 16. She had three children with him, but the marriage did not last. After years of mistreatment by her first husband and in-laws, Bhosle separated from Ganpatrao in 1960.
Twenty years later, Asha Bhosle married music composer Rahul Dev Burman, and gave India a musician-singer duo for the ages. They did not have any children together.
Asha Bhosle lost two of her children. While her daughter Varsha died by suicide in 2012, her elder son Hemant died of cancer in 2015. Her youngest child, Anand is the only surviving child of the three.