Renowned Bollywood playback singer Asha Bhosle has died at the age of 92 from multiple organ failure in Mumbai. She recorded over 12,000 songs across eight decades, shaping India's film music alongside her sister Lata Mangeshkar. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and international musicians paid tribute to her timeless voice.
Asha Bhosle died on Sunday, April 12, at Breach Candy Hospital in Mumbai after being admitted late Saturday with a chest infection and exhaustion, according to her granddaughter Zanai Bhosle and hospital physician Pratit Samdani. Her son, Anand Bhosle, said her last rites would be performed on Monday. The singer, born on September 8, 1933, into the Mangeshkar musical family, leaves behind a son and grandchildren; she was twice married, first ending in separation in 1960 and later to composer R.D. Burman in 1980, with whom she created hits like “Dum Maro Dum” and “Piya Tu Ab To Aja.” Her older sister, Lata Mangeshkar, known as India’s “Queen of Melody,” died in 2022 at 92. Bhosle, a two-time Grammy nominee, reached Western audiences through collaborations with Boy George on “Bow Down Mister,” Michael Stipe on “The Way You Dream,” and Gorillaz on “The Shadowy Light” from their album The Mountain. She inspired the 1997 Cornershop hit “Brimful of Asha.” Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi mourned her on social media, stating, “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.” Cornershop’s Tjinder Singh wrote, “The world and all-India grieve today. We don’t know whether a candle has gone out or has been lit, such was the stature of Asha Bhosle.”
