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PTC News Desk: Veteran singer Asha Bhosle passed away on Sunday at Mumbai's Breach Candy Hospital after multi-organ failure. She breather her last at the age of 92.

She was admitted to the hospital on late Saturday night after she suffered a cardiac arrest. Her health gradually deteriorated and she died after multi-organ failure. 

Asha Bhosle's demise was confirmed by her son Anand Bhosle. "My mother passed away today. People can pay their last respects to her at 11 am tomorrow at Casa Grande, Lower Parel, where she lived. Her last rites will be performed at 4 pm tomorrow at Shivaji Park," he said. 

Earlier, in an X post shared shortly after Bhosle's hospitalisation, her granddaughter, Zanai Bhosle, had written, "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 (sic)."

Born into music

Asha Bhosle was born on September 8, 1933, in Sangli, Maharashtra, to Deenanath Mangeshkar and his wife Shevanti. Her father, a classical singer and actor, passed away when she was just nine years old.

After his death, the family moved to Kolhapur and later to Mumbai. There, Asha and her elder sister Lata Mangeshkar began working in films as singers and actors. By 1943, Asha was already recording songs, including “Chala Chala Nav Bala” for the Marathi film Majha Bal. She made her Hindi film debut in 1948 with the song “Saawan Aaya” for Chunariya. Her first solo Hindi song came in 1949 for Raat Ki Rani.

Voice of Bollywood’s golden era

Asha Bhosle became one of the most iconic voices of Bollywood’s golden era (1950s–1970s), alongside legends like Mohammed Rafi, Kishore Kumar, Mukesh and Manna Dey.

She was known for her unique voice and incredible versatility, singing across many styles like film songs, pop, classical, bhajans, ghazals, folk, qawwali and Rabindra Sangeet. Over her lifetime, she recorded songs in more than 20 Indian and international languages. In 2006, she said she had recorded over 12,000 songs.

Top honours and achievements

Asha Bhosle received some of India’s highest honours for her contribution to music. She was awarded the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 2000 and the Padma Vibhushan in 2008.

She also won two National Film Awards for Best Female Playback Singer—for “Dil Cheez Kya Hai” from Umrao Jaan (1981) and “Mera Kuch Samaan” from Ijaazat (1987)—along with many other popular awards. With a career spanning more than eight decades, she is widely regarded as one of the most influential voices in Indian music.