Veteran singer and actress Asha Bhosle has breathed her last. She was 92.
The Padma Vibushan and Dadasaheb Phalke Award winner was admitted to Mumbai’s Breach Candy Hospital on Saturday evening after experiencing acute uneasiness.
While her granddaughter, Zanai Bhosle, attributed the 92-year-old icon’s hospitalisation to 'extreme exhaustion and a chest infection,' hospital sources had indicated that she was being monitored for more complex cardiac and pulmonary complications.
On Sunday, early morning, some reports said the singer is 'better and recovering' under specialised care.
One of the most celebrated playback singers, she had enjoyed a career spanning over eight decades with thousands of recorded songs in more than 20 Indian languages.
From her early debut in 1943 to becoming a Guinness World Record holder, her journey is marked by versatility across genres like ghazals, pop, and classical music.
Her musical journey began at age 10 when she sang her first film song, "Chala Chala Nav Bala," for the Marathi film "Majha Bal" in 1943.
She made her Hindi cinema debut with the song "Saawan Aaya" in the movie "Chunariya" in 1948.
She rose to popularity in the 1960s, gaining widespread fame for her work in movies like "Teesri Manzil" (1966), marked by collaborations with music directors such as O.P. Nayyar and R.D. Burman.
A recipient of some of India's highest civilian and cinematic awards for her contribution to music, Bhosle was honoured with the Padma Vibhushan — India's second-highest civilian award — in 2008. She was also honoured with the Dadasaheb Phalke Award — the nation's highest award in the field of cinema — in 2000.
She won the National Film Awards twice — for Best Female Playback Singer: "Dil Cheez Kya Hai" from the film "Umrao Jaan", in 1981; and "Mera Kuch Saaman" from the film "Ijaazat" in 1986.
She was also officially acknowledged as the most recorded artist in music history, with over 11,000 recorded songs at the time.
She was the first Indian singer to be nominated for a Grammy Award in 1997 for the album "Legacy", a collaboration with Ustad Ali Akbar Khan.
In 2013, she made her acting debut in the titular role of the Marathi film "Mai", portraying a mother suffering from Alzheimer's, at the age of 79.
