Asha Bhosle (8 September 1933 – 12 April 2026) was an Indian playback singer whose versatile voice defined Hindi film music for more than seven decades. She sang cabaret, ghazals, pop, classical, bhajans and folk, and in 2011 Guinness World Records recognised her as the most recorded artist in music history. The younger sister of Lata Mangeshkar, she built an identity entirely her own. She received the Dadasaheb Phalke Award and the Padma Vibhushan and was nominated twice for a Grammy.
Quick Facts
| Full name | Asha Bhosle (née Mangeshkar) |
| Born | 8 September 1933, Sangli, Maharashtra, India |
| Died | 12 April 2026, Mumbai (aged 92) |
| Profession | Playback singer |
| Years active | 1943–2026 |
| Spouses | Ganpatrao Bhosle; R. D. Burman (m. 1980; d. 1994) |
| Record | Most recorded artist in music history (Guinness World Records, 2011) |
| Honours | Dadasaheb Phalke Award (2000), Padma Vibhushan (2008) |
Early Life
Asha was born in Sangli into the musical family of Pandit Deenanath Mangeshkar. After her father died in 1942, the children had to work to support the family. Asha recorded her first film song in 1943, when she was about ten. At 16 she eloped with Ganpatrao Bhosle, a marriage her family opposed and which later broke down.
Career
In the 1950s Asha was often given the songs that more established singers turned down. Her breakthrough came with composer O. P. Nayyar, for whom she sang hits in films such as Naya Daur (1957). Her bold, flexible voice suited the era’s club songs and cabaret numbers, and she made them her own.
Her partnership with composer R. D. Burman produced some of the most iconic songs in Hindi cinema. They include “Piya Tu Ab To Aaja”, “Dum Maaro Dum”, “Chura Liya Hai Tumne Jo Dil Ko” and “Mehbooba Mehbooba”. Asha and Burman married in 1980.
Asha proved her classical depth with the ghazals of Umrao Jaan (1981), including “Dil Cheez Kya Hai” and “In Aankhon Ki Masti”. They won her a National Film Award, and she won a second for “Mera Kuch Saaman” from Ijaazat (1987). In the 1990s she reinvented herself again with songs like “Rangeela Re” and “Tanha Tanha” for A. R. Rahman. She also worked on international collaborations, including a Grammy-nominated album with the Kronos Quartet. Into her nineties she still performed on stage, even singing a version of Karan Aujla’s “Tauba Tauba”.
Personal Life and Death
Asha had three children from her first marriage. She also ran a chain of restaurants. She died at Breach Candy Hospital in Mumbai on 12 April 2026, aged 92, after being admitted with exhaustion and a chest infection. The President and Prime Minister of India paid tribute to her.
Awards and Honours
Popular Songs
Frequently Asked Questions
When and where was Asha Bhosle born?
Asha Bhosle was born on 8 September 1933 in Sangli, Maharashtra, India.
When did Asha Bhosle die?
Died: 12 April 2026, Mumbai (aged 92).
What honours has Asha Bhosle received?
Dadasaheb Phalke Award (2000), Padma Vibhushan (2008).
