Lata Mangeshkar, Mohammed Rafi, Kishore Kumar, Mukesh, Hemant Kumar, Manna Dey – they all left us a long time back. The legends who filled our lives with joy through their singing departed, leaving only Asha Bhosle. In a TV program a couple of years back, Asha Tai had referred to herself as the last Mogul.

The last Mogul is now gone! The era of amazing music that began in the 1940s is now officially over with Asha Bhosle's departure. Her legendary sister Lata Mangeshkar left us thanks to cruel COVID at the age of 92. Asha joined her sister on 12th April 2026 in the other world at the same age of 92.

How do we offer a tribute to someone who was a colossus in the world of playback music? Imagine a young girl who started singing as a child in the year 1943. The girl, now an aged woman, sang at the age of 92, collaborating with the British band Gorillaz. 83 years of singing is an incredible achievement that only Asha Bhosle could do. She sang in a concert in Dubai last year at the age of 91 – something unimaginable! That sums up Asha Bhosle, someone who could do incredible things in the world of music.

Born into the illustrious Mangeshkar family, Asha remained in the shadow of her famous sister, Lata. It was Lata who established herself first in the music industry. Lata struggled to feed her family and worked hard to establish herself as a playback singer in the Hindi film industry. Asha joined her by singing her first Hindi song Sawan Aaya in 1948 for the movie Chunariya.

Composers preferred Lata's voice. With the already popular Shamshad Begum and the talented Geeta Dutt as competitors, Asha found it difficult to get songs. She would get leftover songs that others would not sing – mainly cabaret songs. Her first major success came in the year 1957 when producer BR Chopra and composer OP Nayyar asked her to sing for Vyjayantimala. All the songs of the movie were hits and changed Asha's career path.

Interestingly, both Nayyar and Chopra had problems with Lata. The reason for the Nayyar-Lata spat is not known, but he resolved to make Asha a great singer and gave her numerous opportunities in the 1950s. Asha became Nayyar's main voice and started delivering hit after hit. BR Chopra, meanwhile, had problems with Lata because of financial matters, and he too switched to Asha and worked with her for many decades.

Around the same time, SD Burman had a spat with Lata, and Asha ended up being the beneficiary. The golden period of Asha Bhosle had begun. She sang some of her best songs for S. D. Burman and OP Nayyar, and established herself as one of the great playback singers.

Some of her hit songs in the 1950s included:

1) O Nigahen Mastana (Paying Guest)

2) Piya Piya Piya Mora Jiya Pukare (Baap Re Baap)

3) Accha Ji Main Hari (Kaala Paani)

4) Maang Ke Saath Tumhara (Naya Daur)

5) Ek Pardesi Mera Dil Le Gaya (Phagun)

6) Aaiye Meherban (Howrah Bridge)

7) Kali Ghata Chaaye (Sujata)

8) Sar Par Topi Laal (Tumsa Nahin Dekha)

9) Eena Meena Deeka (Aasha)

However, on the home front, Asha experienced one difficulty after another. Asha may have been one of the country's great singers, but her personal life was marked by suffering and tragedy. At the young age of 16, Asha fell in love with Ganapat Bhosle (Lata’s secretary) and eloped with him. The family was furious, and this led to a rift for many years.

Sadly, Asha found no joy in Bhosle’s home. He prevented her from reuniting with her family, and even when she got a chance to sing with Lata, he would be there to prevent them from talking. She was the victim of domestic abuse. Finally, she refused to take it anymore and returned to her family. Later, she separated from Bhosle.

Her personal life was tragic. Her daughter Varsha committed suicide in 2012. Her son Hemant died of cancer in 2015. Even though Asha found success, wealth, and fame – tragedy stalked her throughout her life.

Asha's singing success continued in the 1960s, as she delivered hit after hit. Jaiye Aap Kahan Jayenge (Mere Sanam), Aaja Aaja main hoon Pyar Tera (Teesri Manzil), Raat Akeli Hain (Jewel Thief), Aage Bhi Jaane Na Tu (Waqt), Jhumka Gira Re (Mera Saaya), and Bhanwara Bada Naadan Hain (Sabig, Bibi, aur Ghulam) were some of her hits.

Asha transformed her career from a cabaret singer to a versatile performer who could sing any type of song. Starting off with cabaret songs for Helen, Asha sang for all the top heroines, including Madhubala, Asha Parekh, Waheed Rehman, and Nutan. Asha demonstrated that she could sing classical-based songs just as well as the faster numbers. Tora Man Darpan (Kajal), Nigahen Milane ko Jee Chahta Hain (Dil Hi to Hai), and Dekho Bijli Dole Bin Baadal Ki (Phir Wohi Dil Laya Hoon) are testaments to her singing prowess.

Asha’s singing success continued in the 1970s as she continued to deliver superhit songs thanks to her collaboration with the amazing R D Burman. Some of their all-time popular hit songs include:

1. Piya Tu Ab To Aaja (Caravan)

2. Chura Liya Hai Tumne Jo Dil Ko (Yaadon Ki Baarat)

3. Dum Maro Dum (Hare Rama Hare Krishna)

4. Do Lafzon Ki Hain (Great Gambler)

5. Duniya Me Logon Ko (Apna Desh)

6. Mera Kuch Saaman (Ijazat)

7. Teri Meri Yaari Badi Purani (Charitraheen)

8. Chori Chori Solah Singar (Manoranjan)

Asha’s collaboration with RD (known as Pancham) continued on the personal front. She married him in 1980 at a temple in the presence of Lata and Kishore. Pancham sadly passed away from a heart attack in 1994, leaving her alone.

Asha's successes were not limited to the musical front. She proved herself to be a good businesswoman by launching the "Asha's" brand of restaurants in 14 different places, including Birmingham, Dubai, and Abu Dhabi. Asha was known to be a good cook, and her love for cooking helped setup this successful business.

Apart from singing playback songs, Asha sang numerous other songs, including ghazals, bhajans, and even pop songs. Her collaboration with Boy George in 1991 helped her fame spread worldwide. She sang with Michael Stipe, and the song The Way You Dream was featured in the English film “Bulletproof Monk”. She even collaborated with cricketer Brett Lee for a song.

Asha sang in 20 languages and is believed to have recorded 12,000 songs. From Marathi to Tamil, and English to Bengali; she has sung it all. She even debuted as an actress in the movie Mai in 2012. Asha was well-known for her concerts and performed across the world even after she was over 90 years old – an incredible achievement.

She turned composer in 2002 with the album Aap Ki Asha. Her success did not end in the ‘80s, but continued through the '90s and into the 21st century. Her songs like Rangeela Re (Rangeela), Kambhat Ishq (Pyaar Tune Kya Kiya), Sharaara Sharaara (Mera Yaar Ki Shaadi Hai), Khallas (Company), and Radha Kaise Na Jale (Lagaan) showed the amazing range of her singing with unmatched vocals and an ever-youthful voice.

Asha has worked with all the top composers of the land. Naushad, Shankar Jaikishan, OP Nayyar, SD Burman, Ravi, Hemant Kumar, RD Burman, Laxmikant Pyarelal, Kalyanji Anandji, Jatin Lalit, Bappi Lahiri, AR Rahman, Ilayaraja – you name the composer, and she has worked with them. She sang maximum duets with Mohammed Rafi, and her songs with Kishore Kumar were big hits. She has also sung some amazing songs with her sister Lata and collaborated with almost all the playback singers from Rafi to Sonu Nigam.

Awards followed Asha, and there was no shortage of them. From the Dada Saheb Phalke Award in 2000 to the Padma Vibhushan in 2008, Asha won all the prestigious awards with many of the view that she deserved the Bharat Ratna just like her illustrious sister. She won seven Filmfare awards and was nominated twice for the Grammy awards.

She won the National Film Award for Best Playback for her epic songs Dil Cheez Kya Hai (Umrao Jaan) in 1981 and Mera Kuch Saaman (Ijazat) in 1986. She won the Maharashtra State Award 18 times and numerous Lifetime Achievement Awards.

The recent superhit movie Dhurandhar features Asha’s hit songs Piya Tu Ab To Aaja and Na To Kaarvan Ko Talash Hain (Barsaat Ki Raat). The songs reintroduced Asha's stunning vocals to Gen Z and made songs of her generation famous again.

Asha Bhosle is timeless. She may not be there with us today, but her voice will remain with us forever. The songs she has sung have entertained us, made us weep with emotion, and filled us with joy. The songs will continue to reverberate in the future as well. As we bid goodbye to Asha Tai for one final time, let us remember her prophetic words as she launched her last song:

“The boatman is my music, my guide across this river of life, and when I get to the other side, my journey shall be complete. I shall attain moksha , wherein I shall become one of the thousands of sounds floating all around us. If you put some of them together, they form a beautiful tune. Therefore, I shall become one of those sounds, which shall eventually become a musical note in a beautiful song, which shall be heard by several generations for thousands of years.”

Deepak M R is a professional writer and author, who has previously worked in academics, training, and consulting. He is the author of the novel ‘Abhimanyu – the warrior prince’ (Bloomsbury, 2021). He is also a contributing author in the anthology Unsung Valour (Bloomsbury, 2020) and a KDP e-book ‘Mahabharata Tales: Justice for Draupadi and other stories’. He is an avid fan of Hindi film music.