Veteran singer Asha Bhosle died on Sunday, April 12, in Mumbai. She was 92. Asha breathed her last at Breach Candy Hospital, where she had been admitted on Saturday, April 11, due to extreme exhaustion and a chest infection. With a career spanning over seven decades, Asha Bhosle emerged as one of Indian cinema’s most versatile and prolific voices, recording more than 12,000 songs across languages including Hindi, Marathi, Bengali and Gujarati, alongside notable international collaborations. Effortlessly traversing genres — from classical and ghazals to cabaret and pop — she redefined playback singing with a bold, experimental edge. While her sister Lata Mangeshkar came to embody melody and restraint, Bhosle’s dynamic range, adaptability and global forays ensured a singular, enduring legacy in Indian and world music.
Born in 1933 to Pandit Deenanath Mangeshkar and Shevanti Mangeshkar in Sangli, Maharashtra, Asha was one of five siblings. Her oldest sister, Lata Mangeshkar, was one of the most popular Indian singers of all time. Asha was only 9 when her father passed away and soon afterwards, Lata, Asha, and their other family members moved to Mumbai. She sang professionally for the first time at the age of 10 for the Marathi film Majha Bal and recorded a song named ‘Chala Chala Nav Bhala’. Her first Hindi film recording was for the 1948 film ‘Chunariya’, where she sang a song ‘Saawan Aaya’.
Asha Bhosle’s family. (Photo: Express Archive)
Asha spent much of her childhood in her older sister Lata’s shadow. However, the relationship witnessed a rough patch after Asha eloped with a much older Ganpatrao Bhosle when she was only 16. Lata expressed her disappointment, and the sisters did not see eye to eye for the next few years. Asha had three children from this union. This was a difficult marriage for her and the two divorced in 1960.
Meanwhile, her career in playback singing took off in the 1950s. While Lata was a force to be reckoned with, Asha was always a close second in this era. Asha found her footing after she started working with music composer OP Nayyar. Together, they created songs like “Aaiye Meharbaan,” “Yeh Hai Reshmi Zulfon Ka Andhera,” and “Aao Huzoor Tumko,” among many others. Her work with composers like Madan Mohan and SD Burman also gained fame during this era. However, stories of professional rivalry between the two sisters followed them through the decade.
Asha Bhosle with OP Nayyar.
Asha’s individuality shone when she started singing songs of all Bollywood genres, showcasing her versatility and immense range. While Lata had some reservations about the lyrics and implications suggested by a song, Asha had no such qualms and thus became known as the ‘bold’ singer of her time. Her voice slowly became synonymous with what became known as Bollywood’s ‘cabaret’ phase in the 1960s and 1970s. These included songs like “Piya Tu Ab Toh Aaja,” “Yeh Mera Dil Pyar Ka Deewana,” “Hungama Ho Gaya,” and “Mera Naam Hai Shabnam”. Many of these songs were composed by RD Burman, whom she later married in 1980. For both RD Burman and Asha, this was their second marriage, and the two stayed married until his death in 1994.
Through the 1970s and 1980s, Asha sang some of her most popular songs and won her two National Film Awards. Her first award was for Umrao Jaan’s “Dil Cheez Kya Hai” and her second award was for Ijaazat’s “Mera Kuch Saamaan”. While many of Asha’s contemporaries were starting to retire from the business by the end of the 1980s, she continued just as strongly, experimenting with new sounds and new composers in the 1990s. While she was working with mainstream composers like Jatin Lalit, Anu Malik, among others, she was one of the first legendary singers to work with AR Rahman in his first Hindi film, Rangeela.
The 1990s also brought the wave of indipop and Asha was one of the few senior singers of the time who jumped on this bandwagon and welcomed this change. She, along with Leslie Lewis, remixed a few songs and launched a new album. After this, she continued to work in non-film music quite regularly. Asha had a zeal for learning new things, and keeping herself updated with what was happening in the world of music, so every new phase of music in the Hindi film industry saw Asha in attendance. Asha reportedly sang over 12,000 songs throughout her career in almost two dozen languages. Her collaborations with artists like the Kronos Quartet and Boy George showcased her ability to blend Indian music with global influences.
In the 2000s, and beyond, Asha introduced herself to the younger generation, and the audience met her through her voice in remixes of some of the all-time classics. She was also one of the only singers from the golden era of Hindi film music who continued to perform into her 80s. Her anecdotes about her time spent recording with Kishore Kumar, Mohd Rafi were often shared on television shows but after Lata’s demise in 2022, Asha decreased her public appearances.
Asha was honoured with the highest honour in cinema, the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 2000, as well as the Padma Vibhushan. She is survived by her youngest son Anand.
Curated by Aisha Patel
