Renowned playback singer Asha Bhosle passed away at the age of 92 at South Mumbai ’s Breach Candy Hospital on Sunday afternoon due to cardiac arrest and multiple organ failure.
Asha Bhosle was admitted to the hospital on Saturday evening after she complained of extreme exhaustion and a chest infection.
The 92-year-old singer’s career spanned over eight decades in which she sung songs in many languages and for different actors, including Meena Kumari, Madhubala, Zeenat Aman, Kajol, Urmila Matondkar, Padmini and Vyjayanthimala Bali.
Known for her versatility, Asha Bhosle recorded more than 12,000 songs in different languages like Marathi, Hindi, Malayalam, Tamil, and Bengali. She also had an international English hit number called ‘Bow Down Mister’ which she sang with British pop star Boy George in 1991.
Some of her well known Hindi songs are ‘Dum Maro Dum ’ , ‘Abhi Na Jao Chhod Kar’, ‘In Ankhon Ki Masti’, ‘Dil Cheez Kya Hai’, ‘Piya Tu Ab to Aaja’, ‘Duniya Mein Logon Ko’, and ‘Zaara Se Jhoom Loon Main’, among many others.
In her career, Bhosle, who was the younger sister of the legendary singer late Lata Mangeshkar, received numerous awards and honours, including the prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke Award and the Padma Vibhushan, which is India’s second-highest civilian award. She was also acknowledged by the Guinness World Records in 2011. She also won two National Film Awards, along with the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 2000 and the Padma Vibhushan in 2008.
Confirming her death, Dr Pratit Samdani said, “Asha Bhosle breathed her last today in Breach Candy Hospital. She passed away due to multi-organ failure”.
Asha Bhosle is survived by her son, Anand Bhosle and granddaughter, Zanai Bhosle, who is a singer.
Anand Bhosle told media persons here on Sunday, “My mother, Asha Bhosle, has passed away. All those who wish to pay their last respects may come to Casa Grand Lower Parel at 11 am. Her last rites will be held at 4 pm at Shivaji Park (electric crematorium at Dadar West”.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered his condolences on the passing of the legendary singer on his X account. “Deeply saddened by the passing of Asha Bhosle Ji, one of the most iconic and versatile voices India has ever known. Her extraordinary musical journey, spanning decades, enriched our cultural heritage and touched countless hearts across the world. Be it her soulful melodies or vibrant compositions, her voice carried timeless brilliance. I will always cherish the interactions I’ve had with her. My condolences to her family, admirers and music lovers. She will continue to inspire generations and her songs will forever echo in people’s lives,” he wrote.
Announcing Asha Bhosle’s demise, Maharashtra’s Minister for Cultural Affairs Ashish Shelar said her music was a source of joy not only for India but for the entire world. “Tomorrow, from 11 am to 3 pm, her loved ones will be able to pay their last respects at her home in Lower Parel. Her last rites will be performed at the Shivaji Park crematorium at 4 pm. She will be cremated with full state honours,” Shelar told media persons outside the Breach Candy Hospital on Sunday.
Asha Bhosle was born as Asha Mangeshkar to classical musician Pandit Dinanath Mangeshkar. Late singer Lata Mangeshkar was her eldest sister. They had siblings, namely Meena Khadikar, Marathi playback singer Usha Mangeshkar, and music director Hridaynath Mangeshkar, who composed music for the Hindi film ‘Rudali’.
Asha Bhosle’s first husband was Ganpatrao Bhosle, with whom she eloped and got married in 1949 at the age 16, going against her family’s wishes. Ganpatrao Bhosle was 31 at the time and used to work as a personal secretary to her sister Lata Mangeshkar. The marriage was documented as abusive, leading to their separation in 1960, while she was still pregnant with their third child.
She married to renowned music director Rahul Dev Burman in 1980 though she was older than him. For both of them it was a second marriage. Later, they lived separately due to personal differences but remained married until RD Burman’s death in 1994.
Asha Bhosle’s eldest son, Hemant passed away in 2015 after a long battle with cancer. Her daughter, Varsha Bhosle, who was a popular right-wing columnist in the 1990s writing for the now defunct Observer of Business & Politics, committed suicide by using a hand gun in 2012, after battling clinical depression. Her youngest son, Anand Bhosle, has produced a few Hindi films.
Despite being sisters, Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhosle were often perceived as professional rivals though Asha Bhosle regarded Lata Mangeshkar (who she called ‘Didi’) as her mentor, despite rumours of differences.
Lata Mangeshkar was often considered the voice of melody and emotion, while Asha Bhosle became known for her incredible versatility, spanning Hindi cabaret songs to classical songs.
Though Asha Bhosle was typecast by philistines as a “cabaret” song singer at a point of her career, she became renowned for hit classical and ghazal songs like ‘Dil Cheez Kya Hai’ composed by music director Khayyam for the 1981 hit film ‘Umrao Jaan’ starring actress Rekha in the title role.
She also sang ‘In Aankhon Ki Masti’, ‘Yeh Kya Jagah Hai Doston’ as well as ‘Justuju Jiski Thi’ for ‘Umrao Jaan’, which not only went on to win the National Film Awards for Best Music Direction, but was also a commercial hit along with all its songs, which became immensely popular.
If anybody had doubts that her musical talents were restricted to popular “cabaret” numbers like ‘Piya Tu Ab To Aaja’, then her performance for ‘Umrao Jaan’ shattered all those myths once and for all. It was a classic case of Asha Bhosle’s versatility getting wrongly typecast by loose tongues.
She also had an international English pop hit called ‘Bow Down Mister Hare Rama Hare Krishna’ which she sang along with British pop star Boy George released in February 11, 1991.
Asha Bhosle was a Maharashtrian and many of her Marathi songs including ‘Gomu Sangatin Mazya’, ‘Ruperi Vaalat’, ‘Dhundi Kalyan’, ‘Jambhol Piklya Zadakhali’ and ‘Nabha Utaru Aala’ are still popular even today. It can be safely stated that there is no household in Maharashtra where these songs have not been played.
Though she kicked off her singing career way back in 1943 with her debut song ‘Chala Chala Nav Bala’ for the Marathi film ‘Majha Bal’, she sang in Hindi as well as South Indian languages and Bengali.
Her Hindi numbers are simply too numerous and well known, but less known is her work in South Indian languages like Malayalam and Tamil.
Asha Bhosle’s major Malayalam hit songs include ‘Swayamvara Shubhadina Mangalamangal’, will be remembered for as long as there are Malayalis in Kerala. She sang it with music by Ravindra Jain and lyrics by Mangombu Gopalakrishnan. ‘Sujatha’ was a Malayalam film released in 1977.
Her other Malayalam hits include ‘Pottithakarna Kinaav’ (from the film Collector Mallika), ‘Manasa Mani Venuvil’, ‘Chandana Chola’ and ‘Yamune Ninnude Nenjil’. Yet she is remembered for her duet called ‘Raakuyilin Raaga Sadassil Raaga Maalika Manjari’ which she sang with the legendary singer K J Yesudas.
She also has a quite a few Tamil film numbers to her credit which include a collaboration with maestro Ilaiyaraaja called ‘Oh Butterfly’ in the Tamil film Meera, which was a duet with singer SP Balasubramaniam. Her foray into Tamil cinema began with the film ‘Puthu Paatu’.
The song ‘Enga Ooru Kaathalai Pattri Enna Ninaikirey’ from ‘Puthu Paatu’, composed by Ilaiyaraaja, unfolds as a lively exchange between a young woman from abroad and her boyfriend. With lyrics penned by film music director Gangai Amaran, the composition found an ideal voice in Asha Bhosle.
Asha Bhosle has sung many unforgettable hit songs in Tamil, with maestro Ilaiyaraaja composing the music. Songs like ‘Oh Butterfly ’ (in the film Meera), ‘Koncha Neram ’ (Chandramukhi), ‘Nee Partha Parvaikkoro Nandru ’ (Heram), and ‘Manchakattu Maina ’ (En Vee Thozhan) are some of her songs which will haunt forever.
She also sang several Bengali songs including ‘Maurya Jamche Aaj Mau Go ’, ‘ Mon Pore Ruby Roy ’, ‘’Jab Ki Jabo Na ’, and ‘’Sagar Dake Aay Aay ’ . Her many romantic and sweet songs, sung to the tunes composed by Rahul Dev Burman and Bappi Lahiri, are still loved by Bengalis even today.
Therefore, it is least surprising that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee paid tributes to Asha Bhosle, stating that she is profoundly saddened by the singer’s demise. In an X post, Mamata Banerjee tweeted that “Asha Bhosle has been an inspiring and mesmerising singer who reigned over our hearts for generations. She sang many Bengali songs too, and is incredibly popular in Bengal as well. We conferred our highest civilian award ‘Banga Bibhushan’ on her in 2018”.