India mourns as legendary singer Asha Bhosle passes away at 92
From 12,000 songs to timeless hits, Asha Bhosle’s eight-decade career defined versatility in Indian music, leaving a lasting legacy across generations
Asha Bhosle, who stepped out of the shadow of her sister Lata Mangeshkar’s greatness with a genre-defying voice to build a legacy of her own in Hindi playback singing, died on Sunday. She was 92.
Asha, one of the Mangeshkar sisters, whose versatility was regarded as unmatched, was admitted to Breach Candy Hospital on Saturday evening due to chest infection and exhaustion, her granddaughter Zanai Bhosle said.
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Asha, who got married to Ganpatrao Bhosle in 1949 when she was 16 and later in life married collaborator and composer RD Burman, is survived by her son Anand and her grandchildren.
“She passed way due to multi organ failure a few minutes ago,” Dr Pratit Samdani told PTI.
Versatility that defined generations
Asha Bhosle, celebrated for timeless hits 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 passing has deeply affected generations of listeners who grew up with her music.
She was just 10 when she recorded her first film song, Chala Chala Nav Bala, for the 1943 Marathi film Majha Bal. She continued to sing until the late 2010s and beyond, making her the longest performing singers in global music history.
Though she was initially associated with lively, dance-oriented numbers like O Haseena Zulfonwali, Bhosle went on to showcase remarkable range, rendering evocative ghazals such as Dil Cheez Kya Hai and classical compositions like Tora Man Darpan Kehlaye.
Two legends, one legacy
Asha and her sister Lata ruled the Hindi playback singing world for seven decades with virtually every movie song recorded in Bollywood for female leads using their voices.
Asha herself sang for more than eight decades, recording an incredible 12,000 songs. Unlike Lata, her voice remained steady and its timbre fresh, even when she was singing at the age of 80. Lata died in February 2022 also at the age of 92.
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While Lata was the go-to choice for music director Madan Mohan, the master of melody and ghazals, Asha was equally accomplished in that genre, and is still remembered for her ghazals in “Umrao Jaan”. She won a National Film award for the movie.
She also established her own identity, partnering first with OP Nayyar for his rhythmic, peppy songs and later with RD Burman for songs inspired by cabarets, romance, lament and every other emotive tonality.
Still, there was never any hint of rivalry between the two sisters who occupied almost an equally high seat in the pantheon of India's singing gods.
Legend beyond music endures
The singing legend kept pace with changing times and remained actively connected with her audience. Her X account has 4.2 million followers, while her Instagram and official Facebook pages boast over 7.6 lakh and 8.7 lakh followers, respectively.
Asha Bhosle won her first National Film Award for Umrao Jaan in 1981 and her second for Ijaazat in 1988. She was honoured with the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, Indian cinema’s highest recognition, in 2000, and the Padma Vibhushan, the country’s second-highest civilian honour, in 2008.
Her last recorded Hindi film song was Rut Bheege Tan from the 2022 film Life’s Good, starring Jackie Shroff. At 91, she also released the single Saiyaan Bina, a tribute to her late husband and frequent collaborator, music composer RD Burman.
More recently, she approached the Bombay High Court to safeguard her personality rights and was granted ad-interim protection in a landmark order.
Voice across generations, genres
Among Asha's most popular songs are Abhi Na Jao Chhod Kar, In Ankhon Ki Masti, Dil Cheez Kya Hai, Piya Tu Ab to Aaja, and Duniya Mein Logon Ko among others.
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She was the voice for many leading ladies, from Meena Kumari, Madhubala, Zeenat Aman to Kajol, Urmila Matondkar and also South actors like Padmini and Vyjayanthimala.
In 2023, she performed at a special concert, ASHA@90: Live in concert, in Dubai to celebrate her 90th birthday.
Born on September 8, 1935, in Sangli, Maharashtra, she was initiated into music by her father, Dinanath Mangeshkar, much like her sister. Music was perhaps her destiny. Of the four sisters—Lata, Usha, Asha and Meena—three became playback singers, while Meena is a music composer, as is their brother Hridaynath Mangeshkar.
The much awarded Asha, who was also was also a successful entrepreneur and ran the popular restaurant Asha in Dubai and the UK, won multiple awards, including the Dadasaheb Phalke, Padma Vibhushan, National Awards and other music honours.
(With agency inputs)