Asha Bhosle, Legendary Bollywood Singer, Dead at 92

Renowned Indian singer Asha Bhosle, whose voice was heard in hundreds of Bollywood films and whose impact extended into the West, has died at the age of 92.

Bhosle died Sunday of multiple organ failure at a Mumbai, India hospital, the Associated Press reports. Her son Anand Bhosle added that her last rites will be performed Monday.

“Her extraordinary musical journey, spanning decades, enriched our cultural heritage and touched countless hearts across the world,” Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrote on social media Sunday. “Be it her soulful melodies or vibrant compositions, her voice carried timeless brilliance.”

One of India’s most popular and versatile “playback singers,” Bhosie is credited with recording over 12,000 songs over a career that spanned eight decades. Born into the famed Mangeshkar musical dynasty, Bhosie’s older sister was Lata Mangeshkar, dubbed India’s “Queen of Melody” who similarly became a famed playback singer, or a vocalist whose singing voice is used in Bollywood films; Mangeshkar died in 2022, also at the age of 92.

Bhosle is best known for her musical partnership with composer RD Burman, her longtime collaborator and eventually her husband. Together, the pair recorded Bollywood hits like “Dum Maro Dum” and “Piya Tu Ab To Aja.”
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A two-time Grammy nominee, Bhosle was known to Western audiences thanks to her collaborations with Boy George (“Bow Down Mister“), Michael Stipe (“The Way You Dream“), and Gorillaz, who enlisted Bhosie for “The Shadowy Light” on their new album The Mountain:

Bhosle was also the inspiration behind U.K. band Cornershop’s 1997 hit “Brimful of Asha.” Cornershop’s Tjinder Singh wrote on social media Sunday, “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 Bholse.”