Mumbai/New Delhi: Hers was the voice of sass and soul that struck a million emotive chords down generations, the one they woke up to in the morning, tuned into at night, romanced and mourned loves that were never to be and yes, jived and rock and rolled to.
Asha Bhosle was 92. One half of the Mangeshkar sisters who together became the voices that not just embodied Hindi playback singing for close to seven decades but an India keeping step with the global times.
It should be difficult to separate the Lata-Asha careers but it is not. Two voices that ruled the subcontinent, representing a pan identity that knows no borders. And both now gone, both at 92. While the elder got the stardom first, feisty Asha soon followed suit. Not just sharing the spotlight but expanding its limits, making it her very own with verve and astonishing versatility.
“Humari saans nahi hoti toh aadmi mar jata hai, mere liye music meri saans hai. (A person dies if they can’t breathe. For me, music is like breathing). I have spent my life with this thought,” she told PTI ahead of her 90th birthday in 2023.
Asha, who passed away in Mumbai’s Breach Candy hospital on Sunday, was the one who got listeners dancing away to the breathless “Aaja, Aaja” and also sit back in reflective pause with the classical “Justuju Jiski Hai”. Both performed with equal felicity.
What set Asha apart was not just longevity – she sang for more than eight decades — but her reinvention of herself. From black-and-white cinema to global stages, from vinyl to streaming, she stayed relevant by constantly evolving her sound. From Meena Kumari and Madhubala to Kajol and Urmila Matondkar, the roster of heroines kept changing. Asha stayed on as a continuum linking the past to the present.
The images will live on. The singing star, always in a sari, a bindi firmly in place and her hair tied neatly in a bun. And gamely dancing to “Ek Mein Aur Ek Tu” well into her 80s and most memorably to “Tauba, Tauba”, recreating Vicky Kaushal’s signature hook step at a Dubai concert in 2024.
With an estimated 12,000 songs, mostly in Hindi but also in some 20 other languages, it’s an incredible career, impossible to take in at one go.
For Asha and her siblings – Lata, Usha, Meena and Hridayanath – music was not just their calling but also perhaps their destiny. While Lata and Usha were singers, Meena and Hridayanath are composers.
Born in 1933, Asha was trained in classical music by her father, Dinanath Mangeshkar, just as her brothers and sisters. She recorded her first song at just 10 after her father’s death. It was the Marathi song “Chala Chala Nav Bala” for “Majha Bal” in 1943. The Hindi film debut was “Saawan Aaya” for “Chunariya” in 1948. Her early years in the industry were marked by struggle: typecast into singing for second-tier productions and overshadowed by her already famous sister.
But Asha did something unexpected. She reinvented the very idea of a playback singer.
Her breakthrough came in the 1950s, especially through her bold and peppy songs with composer O. P. Nayyar. At a time when playback singing leaned heavily toward classical purity, Asha introduced flair, attitude, and a modern edge. She became the voice of club songs, cabaret numbers, and youthful romance — genres others hesitated to embrace.
The next phase of her career was even more transformative. Her partnership with R D Burman redefined Hindi film music in the 1960s and 70s. Songs like “Piya Tu Ab To Aaja” and “Dum Maro Dum” showcased her unmatched versatility. Her voice could be sensuous, playful, rebellious, romantic, plaintive, but always deeply expressive.
Yet, reducing her to just “versatile” is unfair. Asha mastered ghazals (“Dil Cheez Kya Hai”), classical-based compositions, pop, and even international collaborations.
Her achievements are formidable: multiple National Film Awards, numerous Filmfare Awards, and the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, India’s highest recognition in cinema. She also received the Padma Vibhushan.
Perhaps the longest performing singer in global music history, Asha’s personal life mirrored the bold choices of her professional life.
Always the rebellious one, she got married to Ganpatrao Bhosle in 1949 when she was just 16 against the wishes of her family. The marriage was a disaster but Ganpatrao pushed Asha to be a singer. By the time the marriage ended, Bhosle had two children and was pregnant with her third one.
She came back to her family home and continued her musical career, first only getting songs for vamps and dancers, only occasionally getting to sing one or two numbers in hits like Raj Kapoor’s “Boot Polish” where she sang the popular number “Nanhe Munne Bachche”.
Her career took an upswing when Nayyar gave her a break in “Naya Daur” where she sang for Vyjayanthimala. The song was “Maang Ke Saath Tumhara”. It went on to open many doors in the industry for Asha who sang in “Waqt” and “Gumraah”.
Later in life, Asha married R D Burman, the composer that she worked with in most of her later hits. “Umrao Jaan” and “Rangeela”, two movies across decades are a standout example of her mastery over genres — “Dil Cheez…” at one end of the spectrum and “Tanha Tanha” on the other.
The marriage did not work.
The challenges in her personal life were many. Asha is survived by her son Anand. One son Hemant died of cancer in Scotland in 2015. Daughter Varsha, who worked as a journalist, died in 2012.
“I think I’ve given a lot to music. I’ve sung different Indian songs. I feel good that I’ve come out of difficult times, many times I felt I would not be able to survive (but I did). “…I faced difficulties but today when I look back, it all looks ‘mazedar’ as I came out of it,” she told PTI in 2023.
Some songs perhaps stand out more than others in the formidable Asha playbook. “Maang Ke Saath”, “Abhi Na Jao Chhod Kar”, “Piya Tu Ab Toh Aaja”, “Dum Maaro Dum” and “Mera Kucch Saman” being just some of them.
But then Asha was never content to be only a voice for the movies.
In the 1990s, she made waves internationally, lending her voice to Boy George’s “Bow Down Mister” and singing with boy band Code Red.
Her first Grammy nomination that year came for “Legacy”, a classical album recorded with sarod maestro Ustad Ali Akbar Khan.
She embraced Indipop with the same fearlessness.
Her 1997 non-film album “Jaanam Samjha Karo”, composed by Leslie Lewis, featured the breezy “Raat Shabnami” that became an instant hit and won her MTV and Channel V awards, introducing her to a generation of listeners who had grown up on a diet of remixes.
She also collaborated with Adnan Sami on “Kabhi To Nazar Milao” and with Australian cricketer Brett Lee on “You Are the One for Me” and “Haan Main Tumhara Hoon”.
Her second Grammy nomination in 2006 came for “You’ve Stolen My Heart: Songs from R D Burman’s Bollywood”, recorded with the American string quartet Kronos Quartet.
Constantly reinventing herself, Asha made her presence felt on social media as well. Her Instagram account has over 7.5 lakh followers.
And that was Asha Bhosle. The ever adaptable artiste who combined in her persona and songs a joie de vivre, a love for life that takes in all the complexities, the good, the bad, the happiness and the sorrows.
Meanwhile, music lovers across generations mourned the passing of iconic singer Asha Bhosle on Sunday, describing it as the end of an era and recalling how her melodious, versatile voice captivated audiences for decades, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying her songs will forever resonate in people’s lives.
Glowing tributes poured in for ‘Asha tai’, as she was affectionately called, from political leaders, members of her film fraternity, sportspersons and people from all walks of life.
“The passing of Asha Bhosle Ji has created a huge void in the world of music. Her legendary career as an iconic singer has defined an era of music in India… She led her life on her own terms as an artist and as an individual… Her music will live forever,” President Droupadi Murmu said, echoing the sentiments of the countless fans of the singer.
In his message on X, Modi said that Bhosle’s extraordinary musical journey, spanning decades, enriched Indian cultural heritage and touched countless hearts across the world.
“Deeply saddened by the passing of Asha Bhosle ji, one of the most iconic and versatile voices India has ever known,” he said. Be it her soulful melodies or vibrant compositions, Bhosle’s voice carried timeless brilliance.
“I will forever cherish the memories of my conversations with her. My condolences to her family, fans and music lovers. She will continue to inspire generations and her songs will forever resonate in people’s lives,” Modi said.
The 92-year-old singer who ruled Bollywood for over seven decades with her wide range of memorable songs passed away on Sunday due to multi-organ failure at Breach Candy Hospital in South Mumbai.
“Today is a sorrowful day for every Indian, and especially for every music lover like me, as our beloved Asha Bhosle ji is no longer among us,” Union Home Minister Amit Shah said.
Extending his condolences to her family and admirers, Shah said Asha tai not only carved out a unique identity with her sweet voice and unparalleled talent, but also enriched Indian music further through her melodies.
“Her extraordinary ability to adapt to every genre of music won over every heart. Asha ji, who touched millions of hearts with her voice, left an indelible mark not just in Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Tamil, Gujarati, and many other languages, but also in folk songs,” Shah said.
Through her voice, Asha Bhosle’s art will forever remain immortal among people, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi said.
“In the passing away of Asha Bhosle, an era of playback singing comes to an end. An epitome of legendary versatility and grace, her unique style of singing was appreciated by millions across the globe,” Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said in an X post.
Vice President C P Radhakrishnan said her versatile voice allowed her to effortlessly transition across genres, mastering soulful ghazals and traditional bhajans. “Her timeless voice and musical legacy will continue to resonate in the hearts of millions and inspire generations to come,” Radhakrishnan said.
Members of the film industry recalled their association, with Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan describing her voice as one of the pillars of Indian cinema.
“It’s truly sad to learn about Asha tai’s passing… her voice has been one of the pillars of Indian cinema and will continue to resonate world over for centuries to come. A talent that will outlive many, she always showered me with blessings and love and I will miss her. Rest in Peace Asha tai… love you,” the superstar said
Actor Kajol, one of the many female stars for whom she lent her voice, recalled watching Asha Bhosle record a song when she was 19.
“Asha tai was, is and will always be a legend .. as a singer, as a persona and as a human being .. loved everything about her.. from her love of life, food and sense of humour and of course her first love .. her singing! ”
Actor and BJP MP Hema Malini said she shared a deep emotional bond with Bhosle and found it hard to believe that someone so full of life was gone.
“She has made many of my songs so popular with her unique voice and style. I had a very special relationship with both Lata ji and Asha ji, who have contributed in no small measure to my rise in the film industry,” she wrote.
“It is a huge loss for Maharashtra and for the whole of India that can never be compensated or replaced ever,” she said.
Cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar said it is “a deeply sad day for India, and for music lovers across the world”.
“For us, Asha Tai was family. Today, words feel too small for the loss we feel. One moment, the heart falls silent, and the next, it drifts through the countless melodies she gifted all of us. It feels as though time itself has paused. Yet through her eternal songs, she will remain timeless forever.
“Thank you, Tai, for filling our lives with warmth, grace, and unforgettable music. We will miss you beyond words, Asha Tai.”
