Singing legend Asha Bhosle, whose voice defined Indian cinema for over seven decades, passed away on Sunday (April 12) at 92. She breathed her last at Mumbai’s Breach Candy Hospital, where she had been admitted due to health complications.
Her son Anand Bhosle confirmed her demise and told ANI, "My mother passed away today. People can pay their last respects to her at 11 am tomorrow at Casa Grande, Lower Parel, where she lived. Her last rites will be performed at 4 pm tomorrow at Shivaji Park."
While her cause of death is unclear, Bhosle’s granddaughter, Zanai, had shared an update on Saturday, revealing that the legendary singer suffered from a chest infection following extreme exhaustion.
Asha Bhosle, born in 1933, was considered among the greatest playback singers of Independent India. Daughter of late Hindustani classical vocalist Pandit Deenanath Mangeshkar, she was the younger sibling of legendary singer Lata Mangeshkar, who passed away in 2022. Their other siblings — Meena, Usha and Hridaynath — are also prominent musicians.
Over a career spanning more than seven decades, Asha Bhosle recorded an estimated 13,000 songs across languages and genres. She is widely held as one of the most recorded singers in history, earning a mention in the Guinness World Records in 2011.
Early in her career, Asha Bhosle carved out a distinct, sensuous singing style that distinguished her from her older sibling, Lata Mangeshkar. Her playful, swinging voice embraced Western influences and mirrored the shifting musical tastes of the 1950s and 1960s. Some of her most enduring tracks include 'Piya Tu Ab To Aaja', 'Dum Maro Dum', 'Chura Liya Hai Tumne', and 'Rangeela Re'. Her collaborations with iconic composers like OP Nayyar and RD Burman exhibit her breathtaking range and versatility.
Asha Bhosle married Ganpatrao Bhosle, her elder sister's secretary, in 1949, when she was 16 and he was 31. The marriage ended in separation. She later married composer Rahul Dev Burman in 1980; they lived together till his death in 1994. She is survived by three children from her first marriage: Hemant Bhosle, Varsha Bhosle (deceased), and Anand Bhosle.
Bhosle has received numerous honours including the Dadasaheb Phalke Award and the Padma Vibhushan, India’s second-highest civilian award.
