Legendary, veteran and celebrated singer Asha Bhosle breathed her last today (12th April) in Bombay at Breach Candy Hospital. She had been admitted to the hospital just last evening for heart-related issues. She was 92 years old. Her last rites will be performed tomorrow (13th).
In her career spanning eight decades, Asha Bhosle rendered thousands of songs in various Indian languages. All through her chequered career, she remained among the top voices of Bollywood. If there was any competition for Asha during her prime, it was from her sister, melody queen Lata Mangeshkar. Asha Bhosle started singing at the age of 9. She lent her voice to a film song for the first time in 1943. She dominated the Hindi film music scene for more than 50 years along with sister Lata Mangeshkar, and male singers Mohd. Rafi, Mukesh and Kishore Kumar. Initially in her career, Asha was the preferred choice for cabaret songs mainly. However, she soon proved her mettle in other types of songs too. Why, her songs in Umrao Jaan are popular even today. Among the many songs which had the unmistakable Asha Bhosle stamp are Piya tu ab toh aa ja from Caravan, Yeh mera dil from Don, Dum maaro dum from Hare Rama Hare Krishna and O haseena zulfon waali from Teesri Manzil. These dance numbers were so popular that in the 1960s and 1970s, Asha would be the preferred choice for the song if it was to be picturised on Helen. Although she sang songs of other genres with equal elan, cabaret and dance songs became her signature statement.
She had won the National Film Award twice in her career — for Dil cheez kya hai from Umrao Jaan, and Mera kuchh saamaan from Ijaazat. She had been honoured with a number of awards including the Padma Vibhushan.
Asha married her personal secretary, 31-year-old Ganpatrao Bhosle, when she was just 16, against her family’s wishes. However, they separated in 1960 after three kids together. In 1980, she married composer Rahul Dev Burman, six years her junior, after a long courtship. This marriage saw opposition from the Burman family. Rahul Dev Burman died in 1994.