Veteran playback singer Asha Bhosle passed away at the age of 92 in Mumbai on Sunday following a cardiac arrest and pulmonary complications.
Her son Anand Bhosle confirmed the news of her death and said, "She is no more. Her last rites will be held at 4 p.m. tomorrow at Shivaji Park in Mumbai,'' as per NDTV.
Earlier in the day, news agency PTI reported that the legendary singer remained in critical condition after she hospitalised in South Mumbai's Breach Candy Hospital on Saturday.
Her granddaughter, Zanai, took to Instagram to share details about Bhosle's health on April 11. "My grandmother, Asha Bhosle due to extreme exhaustion and suffering a chest infection has been admitted to hospital and we request you to value our privacy. Treatment is ongoing and hopefully everything will be well and we shall update you positively," she wrote.
ALSO READ: 'Every Indian Is Heartbroken Today': Tributes Pour In As Nation Mourns Asha Bhosle's Death
A Musical Eight-Decade Career
Bhosle, the younger sister of the late legendary singer Lata Mangeshkar, has recorded over 12,500 songs in different languages over a career spanning eight decades, lending her voice to leading ladies from Meena Kumari, Madhubala and Zeenat Aman to Kajol, Urmila Matondkar and South stars like Padmini and Vyjayanthimala. Her first song was in 1943 at the age of 10 for the Marathi film Majha Bal.
Among her top chartbuster 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. While her elder sister Lata was the go-to choice for music director Madan Mohan, the master of melody and ghazals, Asha was equally accomplished in that genre, and is still remembered for her ghazals in Umrao Jaan. She won a National Film award for the movie.
In 2023, she performed at a special concert, 'ASHA@90: Live in concert', in Dubai to celebrate her 90th birthday. She continued to sing until the late 2010s and beyond, making her the longest performing singers in global music history. Asha, who was also was also a successful entrepreneur and ran the popular restaurant Asha in Dubai and UK, won multiple awards, including the Dadasaheb Phalke, Padma Vibhushan, National Awards and other music honours.
ALSO READ: Asha Bhosle: Playful, Plaintive Or Pop, India's Voice For Every Mood Falls Silent
Personal Life
Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhosle's youngest sister is singer Usha Mangeshkar. The Mangeshkar sisters were born into the legendary Mangeshkar family, to Pandit Deenanath Mangeshkar and Shevanti Mangeshkar. The couple had five children together: Lata, Meena, Asha, Usha and Hridaynath. At the age of 16, Bhosle eloped with her personal secretary, Ganpatrao Bhosle. She had three children with him, but the marriage did not last.
After years of alleged mistreatment by her first husband and in-laws, Bhosle separated from Ganpatrao in 1960. 20 years later, she married iconic music composer Rahul Dev Burman. The couple became the country's musician-singer duo for the ages. They did not have any children together. Bhosle lost two of her children. While her daughter Varsha died by suicide in 2012, her elder son Hemant died of cancer in 2015. Her youngest child, Anand is the only surviving child of the three.
(With inputs from PTI)
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