Legendary singer Asha Bhosle passes away at 92
She was admitted to Breach Candy Hospital in South Mumbai on Saturday evening
Legendary playback singer Asha Bhosle, who had been admitted to a private hospital here after suffering a cardiac arrest and pulmonary complications, passed away at 92, family sources said on Sunday.
She was admitted to Breach Candy Hospital on Saturday evening due to chest infection and exhaustion, her granddaughter Zanai Bhosle said.
Asha, who got married to Ganpatrao Bhosle in 1949 when she was 16 and later in life married collaborator and composer R D 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 said.
Asha, who got listeners jiving to “Aaja, Aaja” just as skilfully as she got them mourn lost love in “Chain Se Ham Ko Kabhi”, 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. Her first song was in 1943 at the age of 10 for the Marathi film “Majha Bal”. She continued to sing until the late 2010s and beyond, making her the longest performing singers in global music history.
Asha is still remembered for her ghazals in “Umrao Jaan”. She won a National Film award for the movie.
But 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.
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”, “Duniya Mein Logon Ko” and “Zaara Se Jhoom Loon Main”, among others.
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, 1933, in Sangli (Maharashtra), she was initiated into music by her father Dinanath Mangeshkar just like her sister was. Of the four sisters, Lata, Usha and Asha were playback singers while Meena is a music composer. As is their brother Hridaynath Mangeshkar.
The much-awarded Asha, who 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.
