End of an era: Asha Bhosle passes away at 92

Indian music lost one of its most precious and melodious voices today. Legendary Indian singer, Asha Bhosle has passed away at the age of 92. The veteran singer was admitted to the hospital on Saturday, April 11, 2026 following health complications. Less than a day later, her son, Anand Bhosle confirmed the news of passing on April 12, 2026.

The voice that went on to define Bollywood, started her musical journey when she was just 10 years old, with the Marathi song, Chala Chala Nav Bala, for the 1943 film Majha Bal.

India loses one of its brightest musical stars, Asha Bhosle

Asha Bhosle, known lovingly as Asha Tai to many, has passed away on Sunday, April 12, 2026. She was admitted to Breach Candy Hospital on Saturday.

The legend's son, Anand Bhosle, shared the news with the media. "Today, my mother Asha Bhosle has passed away. People can pay their last respects to her at 11 am tomorrow at Casa Grande, Lower Parel, where she lived...Her final rites will take place tomorrow at 4 pm", he said.

The news of her passing has sent the world of music into mourning. One of the precious gems of the Golden Age of Indian music, her music was marked by versatility and unwavering dedication. Her career spanned over eight decades where she performed over 12, 000 songs in multiple Indian languages such as Hindi, Bengali, Marathi, Malayalam, Tamil among others. She has even sung in English and Russian.

A phenomenon in Bollywood music, Asha was a Guinness World Records holder for being the most-recorded artiste in history. She was conferred the honour for singing thousands of songs, in 2011.

From ghazal to western music, she was the queen of experimentation when it came to music. Her vivacious energy made her sing a wide variety of genres, an extraordinary feat achieved by very few.

Born on September 8, 1933, in Maharashtra's Sangli, she was the recipient of several prestigious awards, such as the Dadasaheb Phalke Award (2000), Padma Vibhushan (2008), among other honours. She is a two-time National Film Awards winner for Best Female Playback Singer, which she received for Dil Cheez Kya Hai (Umrao Jaan) in 1981 and for Mera Kuch Samaan (Ijaazat) in 1987.

Asha Bhosle's talent was internationally recognised when she became the first ever Indian singer to have a Grammy nomination. She was nominated in 1997 with Ustad Ali Akbar Khan in the Best World Music Album category for their collaborative album, Legacy. In 2006, she received another nomination for Best Contemporary World Music Album for You've Stolen My Heart: Songs from R D Burman's Bollywood with Kronos Quartet.

People will be able to pay their last respects on Monday, April 13, 2026 at her Lower Parel residence before the last rites take place at Shivaji Park.

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