Asha Bhosle
Encyclopedia
Asha Bhosle (born September 8, 1933) is an Indian singer. She is one of the best-known and most highly-regarded Hindi playback singer
s in India, although she has a wider repertoire. Bhosle's career started in 1943 and has spanned over six decades. She has done playback singing for over a thousand Bollywood movies. In addition, she has recorded several private albums and participated in numerous solo concerts in India and abroad. Bhosle is the sister of playback singer Lata Mangeshkar
.
Renowned for her voice range and often credited for her versatility, Bhosle's work includes film music
, pop
, ghazal
s, bhajan
s, traditional Indian classical music
, folk songs, qawwali
s, and Rabindra Sangeet
s. Apart from Hindi
, she has sung in over 20 Indian and foreign languages. In 2006, Asha Bhosle stated that she had sung over 12,000 songs, a figure repeated by several other sources. The World Records Academy, an international organization which certifies world records, recognised her as the "Most Recorded Artist" in the world, in September 2009. In 2011 she was officially acknowledged by the Guinness Book of World Records as the most recorded artist in music history. The Government of India
honoured her with the Dadasaheb Phalke Award
in 2000 and the Padma Vibhushan
in 2008.
, Bombay Presidency
(now in Maharashtra
), into the musical family of Master Deenanath Mangeshkar
, who belongs to Gomantak Maratha Samaj
. Her father was a theater actor
and classical singer. When she was nine years old, her father died. The family moved from Pune
to Kolhapur and then to Mumbai
. She and her elder sister Lata Mangeshkar
began singing and acting in films to support their family. She sang her first film song Chala Chala Nav Bala for the Marathi movie Majha Bal (1943). The music for the film was composed by Datta Dawjekar. She made her Hindi film debut when she sang the song Saawan Aaya for Hansraj Behl
's Chunariya (1948). Her first solo Hindi film song was for the movie Raat Ki Raani (1949).
At the age of 16, she eloped with 31-year-old Ganpatrao Bhosle, marrying him against her family's wishes. Ganpatrao was Lata's personal secretary. The marriage failed miserably. Her husband and in-laws mistreated her. After a few years of marriage, Asha was turned out (around 1960) by a suspicious Ganpatrao and she went to her maternal home with two children and pregnant with her third child. She continued to sing in films to earn money.
At that time, prominent playback singers like Geeta Dutt
, Shamshad Begum
and Lata Mangeshkar
monopolized the singing for the female lead and the big films, whilst Asha used to get the assignments they refused: singing for the bad girls and vamps, or songs in the second-grade movies. In the 1950s, she sang more songs than most playback singers in Bollywood (not counting Lata). Most of these were in low budget B or C-grade films. Her earliest songs were composed by A R Qureshi, Sajjad Hussain and Ghulam Mohammed, most of which failed to do well. Singing in Sangdil (1952), composed by Sajjad Hussain, she got reasonable recognition. Consequently, film director Bimal Roy
gave her a chance to sing in Parineeta
(1953). Raj Kapoor
signed her to sing "Nanhe Munne Bachche" with Mohammed Rafi
in Boot Polish
(1954), which gained popularity.
O. P. Nayyar
gave Asha a break in C.I.D. (1956). She first achieved success in B. R. Chopra's Naya Daur (1957), composed by him. Her duets with Rafi like "Maang Ke Saath Tumhara", "Saathi Haath Badhana" and "Uden Jab Jab Zulfein Teri", penned by Sahir Ludhianvi
, earned her recognition. It was the first time she sang all the songs for a film's leading actress. Chopra approached her for several of his later prosuctions, including Gumraah (1963), Waqt (1965), Hamraaz (1965), Aadmi Aur Insaan (1966) and Dhund (1972). Nayyar's future collaboration with Bhosle also resulted in success. Gradually, she established her status and received the patronage of such composers as Sachin Dev Burman
and Ravi
. Bhosle and Nayyar had a professional and personal parting of ways in the 1970s.
In 1966, Bhosle's performances in the duets from one of music director R.D. Burman's
first soundtracks, for the movie Teesri Manzil
, won popular acclaim. Reportdly, when she first heard the dance number "Aaja Aaja", she felt she would not be able to sing this westernised tune. While Burman offered to change the music, she refused, taking it as a challenge. She completed the song after ten days of rehearsals, and "Aaja Aaja", along with such other songs as "O Haseena Zulfonwali" and "O Mere Sona Re" (all three duets with Rafi), became successful. Shammi Kapoor
, the film's leading actor, was once quoted as saying– "If I did not have Mohammad Rafi to sing for me, I would have got Asha Bhosle to do the job". Bhosle's collaboration with Burman resulted in numerous hits and a marriage. During the 1960-70s, she was the voice of Bollywood's actress and dancer, Helen
, on whom "O Haseena Zulfon Wali" was picturised. It is said that Helen would attend her recording sessions so that she could understand the song better and plan dance steps accordingly. Some of their other popular numbers include "Piya Tu Ab To Aaja" (Caravan
) and "Yeh Mera Dil" (Don
), among others.
By the 1980s, Bhosle, although highly regarded for her abilities and versatility, had sometimes been stereotyped as a "cabaret singer" and a "pop crooner". In 1981 she attempted a different genre by singing several ghazal
s for the Rekha-starrer Umrao Jaan
, including "Dil Cheez Kya Hai", "In Aankhon Ki Masti Ke", "Yeh Kya Jagah Hai Doston" and "Justju Jiski Thi". The film's music director Khayyam
, had lowered her pitch by half a note. Bhosle herself expressed surprise that she could sing so differently. The ghazals won her the first National Film Award
of her career. A few years later, she won another National Award for the song "Mera Kuchh Saamaan
" from Ijaazat
(1987).
In 1995, 62-year-old Bhosle sang for actress Urmila Matondkar
in the movie Rangeela
. The soundtrack featured songs like "Tanha Tanha" and "Rangeela Re" sung by her, and composed by music director A. R. Rahman
, who would go on to record several songs with her. During the 2000s, several of Bhosle's numbers became chartbusters, including "Radha Kaise Na Jale" from Lagaan
(2001), "Kambakht Ishq" from Pyaar Tune Kya Kiya
(2001), ""Yeh Lamha" from Filhaal (2002), "Lucky Lips" from Lucky
(2005). In October 2004, The Very Best of Asha Bhosle, The Queen of Bollywood
, a compilation album of songs recorded by Bhosle for albums and Bollywood films that were released between 1966 and 2003, was released.
Music director O. P. Nayyar
's association with Asha is part of Bollywood
lore. He was the composer who first gave Asha her own identity. Many people have speculated about a romantic relationship between the two.
Nayyar first met Asha in 1952, at the music recording of Chham Chhama Chham. He first called her for a film called Mangu (1954), and gave her a big break in CID (1956). However, it was the success of Naya Daur (1957), that made the duo very popular. After 1959, she was emotionally and professionally involved with Nayyar.
The team of O.P. Nayyar and Asha Bhosle is best remembered for their breezy and sometimes siren
ish songs. Some good examples of their sensuous numbers are Aaiye meherbaan picturised on Madhubala
(Howrah Bridge
, 1958) and Yeh hai reshmi zulfon ka andhera picturised on Mumtaz
(Mere Sanam
, 1965). They also recorded songs for many hit movies like Tumsa Nahin Dekha
(1957), Howrah Bridge (1958), Ek Musafir Ek Hasina (1962), Kashmir Ki Kali
(1964), Aao huzur tumko (Kismat) and Jaaiye aap kahan (Mere Sanam). O.P. Nayyar used the Asha Bhosle-Mohammad Rafi duo for his most popular duets such as Ude jab jab zulfein teri (Naya Daur), Main pyaar ka rahi hoon (Ek Musafir Ek Haseena), Deewana Hua Baadal and Ishaaron hi isharon mein (Kashmir Ki Kali).
Asha recorded her last song for O.P. Nayyar in the movie Pran Jaye Par Vachan Na Jaye
(1974). The solo number Chain se got many awards, but it was not included in the movie.
They split on August 5, 1972. It is not clear what made them part their ways. On being asked the reason for their parting, O P Nayyar once said, "I know astrology very well. I knew that one day I had to part with her. Something also happened, that upset me, so I left her." Nevertheless, he also said "...now that I am seventy-six, I can say that the most important person in my life was Asha Bhosle. She was the best person I ever met."
The parting of Asha Bhosle and O.P. Nayyar was bitter, and probably therefore she has hesitated to give Nayyar his due. While talking about O.P. Nayyar in an interview with The Times of India
, she once remarked - "Whichever composer gave me work, it was because my voice was suited to his music at that point. No one musician did me any favor by asking me to sing for him." She gives the credit for her first big break to B. R. Chopra
, the producer of Naya Daur.
Khayyam
Another music director who recognized Asha's talent early was Khayyam
. Their partnership dates back to his first movie Biwi (1948). Khayyam gave her some good assignments in the 1950s, including Dard and Phir Subah Hogi. But the team is chiefly remembered for the songs of Umrao Jaan
.
Ravi
Music composer Ravi
considered Asha one of his favorite singers. She sang for his first movie Vachan (1955). The melodious lullaby
from the movie, Chandamama door ke became an overnight hit among young mothers in India. Ravi got her to sing bhajan
s for the movies Gharana
, Grihasti, Kajal and Phool Aur Patthar
, at a time when most of the composers remembered her only when they needed to record B-grade songs picturized on the vamps or the side-heroines. Ravi and Asha recorded a variety of songs, including the popular funny duet with Kishore Kumar
- C A T...Cat maane billi (Dilli Ka Thug
). The bhajan
Tora man darpan (Kajal) is considered one of Asha's best songs.
They also recorded songs for many popular movies like Waqt
, Chaudhvin Ka Chand
, Gumrah, Bahu Beti, China Town, Aadmi Aur Insaan, Dhund
and Humraaz
. For Chaudhvin Ka Chand, Ravi wanted Geeta Dutt
(the wife of actor and producer Guru Dutt
) to sing the songs. But when she backed out, Guru Dutt insisted that Asha sing the songs.
Sachin Dev Burman
One of Bollywood's most famous composers, Sachin Dev Burman
and his favorite singer, Lata Mangeshkar
, were not on good terms from 1957 to 1962. During this period, S D Burman used Asha as his lead female voice. She and Burman gave many hit songs in movies such as Kaala Pani, Kaala Bazaar, Insaan Jaag Utha, Lajwanti, Sujata and Teen Deviyaan (1965). They recorded many songs together after 1962 as well. Most famous of these songs were Asha's duets with Mohammed Rafi
and Kishore Kumar
. The song Ab ke baras in Bimal Roy's Bandini (1963) consolidated her position as a lead singer. The seductive song Raat Akeli Hai from Jewel Thief
(1967), picturised on Tanuja, became very popular.
Rahul Dev Burman (Pancham)
Asha first met Rahul Dev Burman
(a.k.a. "Pancham") when she was the mother of two and he was in 10th grade having dropped out to pursue music. Their partnership was first noticed in Teesri Manzil (1966). She went on to record a variety of songs with him - cabaret
s, rock
, disco
, ghazal
s and Indian classical music
.
In the 1970s, Asha and Pancham's youthful Western songs took Bollywood music by storm - the raunchy cabaret
Piya tu ab to aaja (Caravan
, picturized on Helen), the rebellious Dum Maro Dum ( Hare Rama Hare Krishna, 1971), the sexy Duniya mein (Apna Desh
, 1972) and the romantic Chura Liyaa Hai Tumne (Yaadon Ki Baaraat, 1973). Pancham also recorded many hit duets with Asha and Kishore Kumar such as Jaane jaan (Jawani Diwani
) and Bhali bhali si ek soorat (Buddha Mil Gaya
).
In 1980s, Pancham and Asha recorded subtle numbers for films like Ijaazat (1987)- Mera kuch saaman, Khaali haath shaam aayi hai and Katra Katra. They also recorded the popular duet O Maria (Saagar
).
Asha used to call R D Burman "Bubs". She married him in 1980. Their partnership lasted until his death.
R D Burman made her sing some of the most legendary songs in Bengali language as well, namely Mohuyae Jomechhe Aaj mou go,Chokhe Chokhe kotha bolo Chokhhe naame brishti(Bengali version of Jaane Kya Baat hai), Baanshi sune ki ghore thaka jaye,Sondhya Belae tumi aami and Aaj Gungun gun gunje amar (Bengali version of Pyaar Deewana hota hai).
Ilaiyaraaja
Prolific south Indian film composer Ilaiyaraaja
began employing Asha's vocals in the early 1980s, their earliest collaboration being for the film Moondram Pirai
(1982) (remade in Hindi as Sadma in 1983). Their association continued, mostly through the latter half of the 1980s and early 1990s. Another notable song from this period is Shenbagamae (Enga Ooru Paattukkaaran, 1987, Tamil). In 2000, Asha sung the theme song for Kamal Haasan
's political film Hey Ram
. The song, Nee Partha Parvai (Janmon Ki Jwala in Hindi) (or Aparna's Theme), was a duet with singer Hariharan
.
A. R. Rahman
A. R. Rahman
is credited with Asha's 'comeback' with Rangeela
(1994). Songs like Tanha Tanha and Rangeela Re were chartbusters. She and Rahman went on to record more hits like Mujhe Rang De (Thakshak
), Radha Kaise Na Jale (Lagaan
, duet with Udit Narayan
), Kahin Aag Lage (Taal
), O Bhanware (Daud
, duet with K. J. Yesudas
), Venilla Venilla (Iruvar
,1999) and Dhuan Dhuan (Meenaxi
,2004).
Jaidev
When S D Burman's assistant Jaidev
started giving music independently, he got Asha to sing some of his songs as well. They worked in Hum Dono (1961), Mujhe Jeene Do (1963), Do Boond Pani (1971) and other movies. In 1971, the pair released an LP of eight non-film devotional songs and ghazal
s called An Unforgettable Treat. Asha considered Jaidev a close friend who stood by her when she was struggling personally and professionally. Upon his death in 1987, she released a compilation album of lesser-known songs he had composed for her, called Suranjali.
Shankar-Jaikishan
Shankar-Jaikishan worked relatively little with Asha. However, the trio produced quite a few hits including the seductive Parde mein rehne do (Shikar
, 1968). Asha got her second Filmfare Award for the song. She also sang Zindagi ek safar hai suhaana (Andaz
) for Shankar-Jaikishan, in which she tried to yodel like Kishore Kumar, whose version of the song is more better known. When Raj Kapoor was not on speaking terms with Lata Mangeshkar, Asha got to sing the songs of Mera Naam Joker
(1970), composed by Shankar-Jaikishan.
Anu Malik
Composer Anu Malik
and Asha have recorded many hit songs together, including songs for his first movie Sohni Mahiwal
(1984). Their most popular songs include Filhaal (Filhaal) and Kitabein bahut si (Baazigar
) among others. The four lines sung by Asha in Malik's Jab dil mile (Yaadein
) stood out among voices of Sukhwinder Singh, Udit Narayan
and Sunidhi Chauhan
. Asha had also sung for Anu's father Sardar Malik in the 1950s and 1960s, most notably in Saranga (1960).
Other Composers
Madan Mohan
recorded a number of songs with Asha, including the popular folk number Jhumka Gira Re from Mera Saaya
(1966). In Chhoti Si Baat
(1975), Asha sang the Jaaneman Jaaneman number with K. J. Yesudas
for Salil Chowdhury
. Salil's 1956 movie Jagte Raho
also had a number recorded by Asha, Thandi Thandi Saawan ki Phuhaar. Another Asha patron is the young composer Sandeep Chowta
, who got her to sing Kambakht Ishq, a duet with Sonu Nigam for the movie Pyaar Tune Kya Kiya(2001). The song gained major popularity among the Indian youth.
Asha has worked with Lata-patrons like Laxmikant-Pyarelal, Naushad
, Ravindra Jain, N Dutta and Hemant Kumar. When Naushad was asked to sum up the essential difference between Lata and Asha, he said that Asha "lacks certain something which Lata, and Lata alone has". Later he accepted in an interview, "May be I said it because I then had a closed ear on Asha". Naushad, later in his life, also admitted that he has been unfair to Asha. Asha has also worked with other noted Bollywood composers like Jatin-Lalit, Bappi Lahiri
, Kalyanji-Anandji, Usha Khanna
, Chitragupt
, and Roshan
.
, music director R.D. Burman and Asha Bhosle, came together in 1987, to create a double album, titled, Dil Padosi Hai
, which was released on September 8, 1987. In 1995, Asha underwent the gatha bandan (thread-tying) ceremony with Hindustani classical music
maestro Ali Akbar Khan
to learn a classical repertoire held within the Maihar gharana (stylistic school of Indian classical music), as handed down to Khan by his father Allauddin Khan
(the guru of Ravi Shankar
). Later, Asha and Ustad Ali Akbar Khan recorded eleven fixed compositions (or bandishes) in California
for Legacy, a private album that earned them a Grammy Award
nomination.
In 1990s, Asha experimented with remix
ed R.D. Burman songs. She was criticized by many, including Khayyam
for tampering with old melodies. Nevertheless, albums like Rahul And I became quite popular. In 1997, Asha did a private Indipop album Janam Samjha Karo with Leslie Lewis
. The album was hugely popular and won her many awards including the 1997 MTV
Award.
Asha had been once asked by director B R Ishaara to compose music for one of his films, but she had politely declined. In 2002, she turned music composer with the album Aap Ki Asha, an eight-song music and video album. The lyrics were written by Majrooh Sultanpuri
(his last lyrics). The album was released by Sachin Tendulkar
on May 21, 2001 at a lavish party in Mumbai. The album received mixed reviews.
Asha had spotted Pakistani singer Adnan Sami
's talent when he was about 10 years old. At that time, she was performing in London
, with R D Burman. It was she who had asked him to pursue his interests in music seriously. When Adnan grew up and became a professional musician, Asha sang the title duet with him for his best-selling album Kabhi to nazar milao. The two came together again in the album Barse Badal. The album comprises eight songs, based on Indian Classical music
. She contributed the song Yun Na Thi to the recording Womad Talking Book Volume Four: An Introduction to Asia 1 on Womad Records.
Asha has sung ghazal
s for many albums like Meraj-E-Ghazal, Aabshar-E-Ghazal and Kashish. In 2005, Asha released a self-titled album as a tribute to the four ghazal
maestros - Mehdi Hassan
, Ghulam Ali
, Farida Khanum
and Jagjit Singh. The album features eight of her favorite ghazal
s like Farida Khanum’s Aaj Jaane Ki Zid Na Karo, Ghulam Ali
’s Chupke Chupke, Aawargi and Dil Mein Ek Lahar, Jagjit Singh’s Ahista Ahista and Mehdi Hassan
’s Ranjish Hi Sahi, Rafta Rafta and Mujhe Tum Nazar Se. These classic ghazals were recreated with modern sounds by musician Pandit Somesh Mathur. The album was aimed at the younger generation, who, according to Asha, are "turned off" by the traditional sounds of tabla and sarangi.
Numerous compilations of Asha's songs have been released as well. To commemorate her 60th birthday, EMI
India released three cassettes: Bala Main Bairagan Hoongi (devotional songs), The Golden Collection: Memorable Ghazals (non-film ghazal
s by composers such as Ghulam Ali
, R.D. Burman and Nazar Hussain), and The Golden Collection: The Ever Versatile Asha Bhosle (44 popular film songs).
In 1996, Asha Bhosle sang Channeache Rati
among several other songs in Rajendra Talak's Konkani album Daryachya Deger with Suresh Wadkar
.
In 2006, she recorded an album Asha and Friends, singing duets, with film actors Sanjay Dutt
and Urmila Matondkar
and famous cricket player Brett Lee
, with whom she sang, You're the One for Me
(Haan Main Tumhara Hoon). All these songs composed by Shamir Tandon were shot on video by journalist turned director S Ramachandran.
, Dubai
, UK
, U.S.
and many other countries. In 1989, during a world tour, she performed in 13 US cities in 20 days. Immediately after this, she had an already sold-out concert scheduled in Stockholm
, Sweden
. Due to the stressful schedule, Asha suffered a massive attack of colitis
, together with fever
, cough
and weakness. In Stockholm, a pre-concert crisis meeting was called, attended by Asha's son (and manager) Anand and the sponsors. It was decided that the orchestra
will play many instrumental tracks, the accompanying singers like Suresh Wadkar
will shoulder the load, and Asha will make a small appearance. But Asha rejected all such proposals, and sang at the concert with great difficulty, in a not-so-good voice. Her first set of six Bollywood songs did not receive any response from the audience, which consisted mostly of Indian and Pakistan
i expats. Before the start of the second set of songs, a fan in the crowd requested her to sing a Marathi
song. Asha obliged and sang Naach-naachuni ati mi damale ("I'm very tired of this endless dancing"). When the song ended, the auditorium erupted with claps and the encores started. After the concert, Asha was in bed for a month, recuperating from overexertion. In October 2002, she did a concert with Sudesh Bhosle and others, in London
, for "Help the Aged" to help raise funds for the elderly in India. In 2007 she toured the US, Canada, and West Indies in a tour called "The Incredibles". In this tour, she was accompanied by singers Sonu Nigam
, Kunal Ganjawala
and Kailash Kher. This tour, originally scheduled for only 12 concerts, went on to hold more than 20.
In the mid-1980s, Asha sang with Boy George
(Bow down mister) and Stephen Lauscombe. In 1997, she sang a love song with the boy band Code Red
, at the age of 64. She also recorded the song The Way you Dream (One Giant Leap, http://www.1giantleap.tv/) with Michael Stipe
that was used in the English movie, Bulletproof Monk
. The song was also released on the album 1 Giant Leap
for 2002.
In 1997, the British
band Cornershop
paid tribute to Asha with their song Brimful of Asha
, an international hit which was later remixed by Fatboy Slim
. In 2001, the CD
single of Nelly Furtado
's "I'm Like A Bird" included a "Nellie vs. Asha Remix" created by Digital Cutup Lounge.
In 2003, British opera pop singer Sarah Brightman
sampled her song "Dil Cheez Kya Hai" on her album Harem
. It was used as the intro for her song "You Take My Breath Away".
In 2005, American string quartet
Kronos Quartet
re-recorded R D Burman compositions like Chura Liya
, Piya Tu, Mera Kuchh Saaman among others and got Asha to sing them. Despite her age, she recorded three to four songs in a day, leaving the quartet members stupefied. On August 23, 2005, You've stolen my heart - Songs From R D Burman's Bollywood
was released in US. The album was nominated for Grammy Award
s 2006 in the category of "Best Contemporary World Music Album". In the 1990s, a friend had introduced David Harrington of Kronos Quartet
to the song Aaj ki raat. Harrington was mesmerised, and the song ended up on the album Kronos Caravan.
Also in 2005, The Black Eyed Peas
sampled her songs "Ae Naujawan Sab Kuchh Yahan" (Apradh
, 1972) and "Yeh Mera Dil Pyaar Ka Diwana" (Don
, 1978) in their hit single "Don't Phunk with My Heart
". In late 2006, Asha collaborated with Australian test cricket star, Brett Lee
. The single, You're the One for Me
, debuted at number 4 on the charts and reached a peak position of number 2.
In 2006 Asha recorded one song for the soundtrack of Pakistan
i movie Mein Ek Din Laut Kay Aaaonga. She sang the song, titled Dil Key Taar Bajey, with famous Pakistani pop singer Jawad Ahmed. It was aired as part of the film's promotional campaign and became very popular, featuring on top music charts
.
area of South Mumbai
. She has three children and five grandchildren. The eldest of her three children, Hemant Bhosle (named after Hemant Kumar), spent most of his early years as a pilot and quit to have a brief career as a music director. Asha's daughter Varsha
worked as a columnist for The Sunday Observer and Rediff. Asha's youngest child, Anand Bhosle, has studied business and film direction. He manages Asha's career. Her grandson, Chaitanya (Chintu) Bhosle (Hemant's son) is a part of the world of music. He is a member of India's first & only boy band
, "A Band of Boys". Her sisters Lata
and Usha Mangeshkar
are playback singers. Her other, sister Meena Mangeshkar and brother Hridayanath Mangeshkar
are music director
s.
Asha is an excellent cook and cooking
is her favorite hobby. She often gets flooded with requests by Bollywood celebrities for kadai ghosht and biryani
dishes and has rarely turned down a request. In fact, her paya curry
, Goa
n fish curry and dal
are very popular with the Kapoor
family of Bollywood. Once, when asked in a Times of India interview, what if her singing career had not taken off, she said "I would have become a cook. I'd have cooked in four houses and made money."
Asha is a successful restaurateur and runs restaurants in Dubai
and Kuwait
, called Asha's. Asha's offers traditional north-western Indian cuisine
. It has a presence in the Wafi City development in Dubai
, as well as three restaurants in Kuwait
, at The Avenues Mall
, the Marina Mall
and a brand new third outlet at the Spoons Complex. Other restaurants can be found in Abu Dhabi
's Khaldiya Mall, Doha
's Villagio and Bahrain's City Center Mall, with future outposts planned for Dubai's Mall of the Emirates and Cairo, Egypt. Asha Bhosle has a 20% stake in the business. Asha is not involved in day-to-day running of the restaurant which is looked after by the Wafi Group. She takes care of the kitchen and the décor. She personally trained the chef
s for almost six months. According to a December 2004 report in the Menu Magazine, Russell Scott, a former head of Harry Ramsden's (the fish and chips chain), secured the UK rights to the Asha's brand and planned to open up to 40 restaurants over the next five years. As part of her chain of restaurants, Asha has recently opened a new restaurant in Birmingham, UK.
Asha's fashion statement is white saree with sparkling embroidery, pearls around her neck and a touch of diamond
s. Harrington said "The first time I met Ashaji she was dressed in the most beautiful sari
with diamonds and looked very regal. Then I looked down and saw that she was wearing tennis shoes! I thought I love this woman."
Asha is a good mimicry artist as well. At a concert at World Trade Center in Dubai on April 22, 2004, she mimicked the song Kabhi To Nazar Milaao in the voices of Noor Jehan
, Lata Mangeshkar and Ghulam Ali
.
Nowadays, apart from singing and her restaurant, Asha is also working on her autobiography.
with Lata Mangeshkar
is often talked about, in spite of their insistence that these are just tales. As young children, they were very close. As a child, Lata used to carry Asha all the time. They were so inseparable that when Lata went to school she would take Asha with her. One day the teacher protested and said that they cannot have two students on one fee. Lata refused to return to school without Asha and quit her studies.
Lata considered Asha's act of eloping with her lover as irresponsible, leaving her alone to sing and earn for the family. This led to tensions between them. Asha herself accepted in an interview — "It was a love marriage and Lata didi did not speak to me for a long time. She disapproved of the alliance." At one time, their relationship was very adversarial and there have been periods of non-communication.
In her initial days in the industry, Asha always played second fiddle to her elder sister. Some say that Lata had once criticised Asha's relationship with O. P. Nayyar
. This widened the rift between the two sisters and O P Nayyar also decided that he would never work with Lata. O.P. Nayyar had once revealed "Asha and Lata, staying in opposite flats at Bombay's Peddar Road
, had a common maidservant. Now this maidservant had merely to come and tell the younger sister that Lata had just recorded something wonderful for Asha to lose her vocal poise. Such was her Lata phobia that it took me some months to convince Asha that she had a voice individualistic enough to evolve a singing style all of her own." Asha once said that she has worked for years to create a voice and a style that was different from Lata, so that she could carve her own niche and not be banished to live in her sister's shadow.
Asha and Lata have also sung together. Their first duet was for the film Daman (1951). Some of their songs include Man Bhawan Ke Ghar aye (Chori Chori
, 1956), Sakhi ri sun bole papihaa us paar (Miss Mary, 1957), O chaand jahaan woh jaaye (Sharada, 1957), Mere Mehboob Mein Kya Nahi (Mere Mehboob
, 1963), Ai kash kisi deewane ko (Aaye Din Bahar Ke
, 1966), Main Chali Main Chali (Padosan
, 1968), Chhap tilak sab (Main Tulsi Tere Aangan Ki
, 1978), and Man kyun behka (Utsav
, 1984). While singing, Lata used to hold her notebook in her right hand, while Asha held hers in the left hand. This meant Lata had her face away from Asha, making it difficult for them to "anticipate" each other.
The movie Saaz
, was supposedly based on Lata and Asha's rivalry. Asha said about the movie — "To have two women in long plaits, take a couple of incidents and exaggerate them into a 3-hour film is such a waste of time." In the last few years, Asha and Lata have often been seen in public, enjoying each other's company. In an interview with The Times of India
, Asha once said - "I remember, sometimes both of us would be at a function and some industry types would ignore me and interact only with her, as if to prove their loyalty. Later, didi and I would have a good laugh!"
Asha Bhosle has won seven Filmfare Best Female Playback Award
s of 18 nominations. She won her first two awards in 1967 and 1968. (Mangeshkar asked not to be considered for the award nominations after 1969 to promote new talent). After receiving the award in 1979, Bhosle emulated her elder sister and requested that her name not be considered for the nominations hereafter. Despite this, Bhosle is the most frequent winner of this award to date, tying with Alka Yagnik
. She was later given a Special Award for Rangeela
in 1996, and the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award
in 2001. Following is the list of her Filmfare Awards:
Filmfare Best Female Playback Award
:
Other Awards:
National Film Awards
Asha has won the National Film Award for Best Female Playback Singer
twice:
Other awards
Asha has won numerous other awards, including:
Honours and recognitions
Playback singer
A playback singer is a singer whose singing is prerecorded for use in movies. Playback singers record songs for soundtracks, and actors or actresses lip-sync the songs for cameras, while the actual singer does not appear on screen.-South Asia:...
s in India, although she has a wider repertoire. Bhosle's career started in 1943 and has spanned over six decades. She has done playback singing for over a thousand Bollywood movies. In addition, she has recorded several private albums and participated in numerous solo concerts in India and abroad. Bhosle is the sister of playback singer Lata Mangeshkar
Lata Mangeshkar
Lata Mangeshkar is a singer from India. She is one of the best-known and most respected playback singers in India. Mangeshkar's career started in 1942 and has spanned over six and a half decades. She has recorded songs for over a thousand Hindi films and has sung songs in over thirty-six regional...
.
Renowned for her voice range and often credited for her versatility, Bhosle's work includes film music
Filmi
Filmi is Indian popular music as written and performed for Indian cinema. Music directors make up the main body of composers; the songs are performed by playback singers and it makes up 72% of the music sales in India....
, pop
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
, ghazal
Ghazal
The ghazal is a poetic form consisting of rhyming couplets and a refrain, with each line sharing the same meter. A ghazal may be understood as a poetic expression of both the pain of loss or separation and the beauty of love in spite of that pain. The form is ancient, originating in 6th century...
s, bhajan
Bhajan
A Bhajan is any type of Indian devotional song. It has no fixed form: it may be as simple as a mantra or kirtan or as sophisticated as the dhrupad or kriti with music based on classical ragas and talas. It is normally lyrical, expressing love for the Divine...
s, traditional Indian classical music
Indian classical music
The origins of Indian classical music can be found in the Vedas, which are the oldest scriptures in the Hindu tradition. Indian classical music has also been significantly influenced by, or syncretised with, Indian folk music and Persian music. The Samaveda, one of the four Vedas, describes music...
, folk songs, qawwali
Qawwali
Qawwali is a form of Sufi devotional music popular in South Asia, particularly in the Punjab and Sindh regions of Pakistan, Hyderabad, Delhi, and other parts of northern India...
s, and Rabindra Sangeet
Rabindra Sangeet
Rabindra Sangeet , also known as Tagore Songs in English, is a form of music composed by Rabindranath Tagore who added a new dimension to the musical concept of India in general and Bengal in specific....
s. Apart from Hindi
Hindi
Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
, she has sung in over 20 Indian and foreign languages. In 2006, Asha Bhosle stated that she had sung over 12,000 songs, a figure repeated by several other sources. The World Records Academy, an international organization which certifies world records, recognised her as the "Most Recorded Artist" in the world, in September 2009. In 2011 she was officially acknowledged by the Guinness Book of World Records as the most recorded artist in music history. The Government of India
Government of India
The Government of India, officially known as the Union Government, and also known as the Central Government, was established by the Constitution of India, and is the governing authority of the union of 28 states and seven union territories, collectively called the Republic of India...
honoured her with the Dadasaheb Phalke Award
Dadasaheb Phalke Award
The Dadasaheb Phalke Award is India's highest award in cinema given annually by the Government of India for lifetime contribution to Indian cinema. It was instituted in 1969, the birth centenary year of Dadasaheb Phalke, considered as the father of Indian cinema.The award for a particular year is...
in 2000 and the Padma Vibhushan
Padma Vibhushan
The Padma Vibhushan is the second highest civilian award in the Republic of India. It consists of a medal and a citation and is awarded by the President of India. It was established on 2 January 1954. It ranks behind the Bharat Ratna and comes before the Padma Bhushan...
in 2008.
Biography
Asha Bhosle was born in the small hamlet of Goar in SangliSangli
Sangli is a city in the state of Maharashtra of India. Sangli is known as the Turmeric city for its vast production of Turmeric. Sangli is situated on the banks of river Krishna and is the largest market place for Turmeric in Asia and houses many sugar factories, which it is also noted for...
, Bombay Presidency
Bombay Presidency
The Bombay Presidency was a province of British India. It was established in the 17th century as a trading post for the English East India Company, but later grew to encompass much of western and central India, as well as parts of post-partition Pakistan and the Arabian Peninsula.At its greatest...
(now in Maharashtra
Maharashtra
Maharashtra is a state located in India. It is the second most populous after Uttar Pradesh and third largest state by area in India...
), into the musical family of Master Deenanath Mangeshkar
Deenanath Mangeshkar
Dinanath Mangeshkar was a well-known Marathi theatre actor, a renowned Natya Sangeet musician and an exceptional Hindustani classical vocalist....
, who belongs to Gomantak Maratha Samaj
Gomantak Maratha Samaj
Gomantak Maratha Samaj is a Konkani speaking community found in Indian state of Goa.They are known as Naik Maratha Samaj and Nutan Maratha Samaj Karwar in Karnataka and Sindhudurg district of Maharashtra respectively.-Origin:...
. Her father was a theater actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
and classical singer. When she was nine years old, her father died. The family moved from Pune
Pune
Pune , is the eighth largest metropolis in India, the second largest in the state of Maharashtra after Mumbai, and the largest city in the Western Ghats. Once the centre of power of the Maratha Empire, it is situated 560 metres above sea level on the Deccan plateau at the confluence of the Mula ...
to Kolhapur and then to Mumbai
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
. She and her elder sister Lata Mangeshkar
Lata Mangeshkar
Lata Mangeshkar is a singer from India. She is one of the best-known and most respected playback singers in India. Mangeshkar's career started in 1942 and has spanned over six and a half decades. She has recorded songs for over a thousand Hindi films and has sung songs in over thirty-six regional...
began singing and acting in films to support their family. She sang her first film song Chala Chala Nav Bala for the Marathi movie Majha Bal (1943). The music for the film was composed by Datta Dawjekar. She made her Hindi film debut when she sang the song Saawan Aaya for Hansraj Behl
Hansraj Behl
Hansraj Behl was an Indian music composer, who composed music for Hindi and Punjabi films.-Early life and education:Born in Ambala, Punjab, Hansraj received his early education in music from Pandit Chunnilal.-Career:...
's Chunariya (1948). Her first solo Hindi film song was for the movie Raat Ki Raani (1949).
At the age of 16, she eloped with 31-year-old Ganpatrao Bhosle, marrying him against her family's wishes. Ganpatrao was Lata's personal secretary. The marriage failed miserably. Her husband and in-laws mistreated her. After a few years of marriage, Asha was turned out (around 1960) by a suspicious Ganpatrao and she went to her maternal home with two children and pregnant with her third child. She continued to sing in films to earn money.
At that time, prominent playback singers like Geeta Dutt
Geeta Dutt
Geetā Dutt was a prominent singer in India. She found particular prominence as a playback singer in Hindi cinema...
, Shamshad Begum
Shamshad Begum
Shamshad Begum is an Indian singer who was one of the first playback singers in the Hindi film industry.Begum was born in Amritsar, Punjab. She was a big fan of K.L. Saigal and watched Devdas 14 times...
and Lata Mangeshkar
Lata Mangeshkar
Lata Mangeshkar is a singer from India. She is one of the best-known and most respected playback singers in India. Mangeshkar's career started in 1942 and has spanned over six and a half decades. She has recorded songs for over a thousand Hindi films and has sung songs in over thirty-six regional...
monopolized the singing for the female lead and the big films, whilst Asha used to get the assignments they refused: singing for the bad girls and vamps, or songs in the second-grade movies. In the 1950s, she sang more songs than most playback singers in Bollywood (not counting Lata). Most of these were in low budget B or C-grade films. Her earliest songs were composed by A R Qureshi, Sajjad Hussain and Ghulam Mohammed, most of which failed to do well. Singing in Sangdil (1952), composed by Sajjad Hussain, she got reasonable recognition. Consequently, film director Bimal Roy
Bimal Roy
Bimal Roy was one of the most acclaimed Indian film directors of all time. He is particularly noted for his realistic and socialistic films like Do Bigha Zamin, Parineeta, Biraj Bahu, Madhumati, Sujata, and Bandini, making him an important director of Hindi cinema...
gave her a chance to sing in Parineeta
Parineeta (1953 film)
Parineeta is a 1953 film based upon the 1914 novel by Sharat Chandra Chattopadhyay. The film was directed by Bimal Roy. This version of the film is considered by many to be the most faithful adaptation of the novella, particularly due to Meena Kumari's interpretation of the role of...
(1953). Raj Kapoor
Raj Kapoor
Known as Ranbir Raj Kapoor Rāj Kapūr, 14 December 1924 – 2 June 1988), also known as The Show-Man, was an Indian film actor, producer and director of Hindi cinema. He was the winner of nine Filmfare Awards, while his films Awaara and Boot Polish were nominated for the Palme d'Or at the...
signed her to sing "Nanhe Munne Bachche" with Mohammed Rafi
Mohammed Rafi
Mohammad Rafi , was an Indian playback singer whose career spanned four decades. He was awarded National Award and 6 Filmfare Awards. In 1967, he was honoured with the Padma Shri awarded by the Government of India....
in Boot Polish
Boot Polish (film)
Boot Polish is a 1954 Hindi film directed by Prakash Arora and produced by Raj Kapoor. It won Best Film at the Filmfare Awards and was nominated for the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival.-Plot:...
(1954), which gained popularity.
O. P. Nayyar
O. P. Nayyar
Omkar Prasad Nayyar was an Indian film music director and composer born in Lahore, India, now in modern day Pakistan. He was particularly acclaimed for his peppy numbers.-Career:...
gave Asha a break in C.I.D. (1956). She first achieved success in B. R. Chopra's Naya Daur (1957), composed by him. Her duets with Rafi like "Maang Ke Saath Tumhara", "Saathi Haath Badhana" and "Uden Jab Jab Zulfein Teri", penned by Sahir Ludhianvi
Sahir Ludhianvi
Sahir Ludhianvi was a popular Urdu poet and Hindi lyricist and songwriter. Sahir Ludhianvi is his pseudonym...
, earned her recognition. It was the first time she sang all the songs for a film's leading actress. Chopra approached her for several of his later prosuctions, including Gumraah (1963), Waqt (1965), Hamraaz (1965), Aadmi Aur Insaan (1966) and Dhund (1972). Nayyar's future collaboration with Bhosle also resulted in success. Gradually, she established her status and received the patronage of such composers as Sachin Dev Burman
Sachin Dev Burman
Sachin Dev Burman , also credited as Burman da, Kumar Sachindra Dev Barman, Sachin karta or S. D. Burman, was one of the most famous music composers for Hindi movies and a Bengali singer and composer. His son Rahul Dev Burman also achieved great success as a Bollywood music director in his own...
and Ravi
Ravi (music director)
Ravi Shankar Sharma , often referred to mononymously as Ravi, is an Indian music director, who has composed music for several Hindi and Malayalam films...
. Bhosle and Nayyar had a professional and personal parting of ways in the 1970s.
In 1966, Bhosle's performances in the duets from one of music director R.D. Burman's
Rahul Dev Burman
Rahul Dev Burman commonly known as R. D. Burman and nicknamed Pancham da or simply Pancham, was an influential Bollywood music composer. He was the only son of singer and Bollywood music composer Sachin Dev Burman and his wife Meera...
first soundtracks, for the movie Teesri Manzil
Teesri Manzil
Teesri Manzil is a Bollywood thriller directed by Vijay Anand and produced by Nasir Hussain. It starred his regular actors Shammi Kapoor and Asha Parekh. Nazima, Premnath, Prem Chopra, Iftekhar, Helen, K. N. Singh and Salim Khan were part of the supporting cast...
, won popular acclaim. Reportdly, when she first heard the dance number "Aaja Aaja", she felt she would not be able to sing this westernised tune. While Burman offered to change the music, she refused, taking it as a challenge. She completed the song after ten days of rehearsals, and "Aaja Aaja", along with such other songs as "O Haseena Zulfonwali" and "O Mere Sona Re" (all three duets with Rafi), became successful. Shammi Kapoor
Shammi Kapoor
Shammi Kapoor was an Indian film actor and director. He was a prominent lead actor in Hindi cinema from the late 1950s until the early 1970s....
, the film's leading actor, was once quoted as saying– "If I did not have Mohammad Rafi to sing for me, I would have got Asha Bhosle to do the job". Bhosle's collaboration with Burman resulted in numerous hits and a marriage. During the 1960-70s, she was the voice of Bollywood's actress and dancer, Helen
Helen (actress)
Helen Jairag Richardson is an Indian film actress and dancer of Anglo-Burmese descent, working in Hindi films. She is often cited as the most popular dancer of the item number in her time. She was the inspiration for four films and a book.-Early life and background:Helen was born in Burma on 21...
, on whom "O Haseena Zulfon Wali" was picturised. It is said that Helen would attend her recording sessions so that she could understand the song better and plan dance steps accordingly. Some of their other popular numbers include "Piya Tu Ab To Aaja" (Caravan
Caravan (1971 film)
Caravan is a 1971 movie under Nasir Hussain films banner. Nasir Hussain and Sachin Bhowmick wrote the screenplay. Hussain's brother Tahir Hussain is credited as producer. It starred Jeetendra and the Nasir Husain fixture- Asha Parekh. It also had Aruna Irani , Helen and Madan Puri...
) and "Yeh Mera Dil" (Don
Don (1978 film)
Don is a 1978 Indian action film, produced by Nariman Irani and directed by Chandra Barot, with music by Kalyanji Anandji and lyrics by Anjaan. The film stars Amitabh Bachchan, Zeenat Aman, Pran, Iftekhar, Helen and Om Shivpuri, Satyen Kappu and Pinchoo Kapoor. It was the third-highest grossing...
), among others.
By the 1980s, Bhosle, although highly regarded for her abilities and versatility, had sometimes been stereotyped as a "cabaret singer" and a "pop crooner". In 1981 she attempted a different genre by singing several ghazal
Ghazal
The ghazal is a poetic form consisting of rhyming couplets and a refrain, with each line sharing the same meter. A ghazal may be understood as a poetic expression of both the pain of loss or separation and the beauty of love in spite of that pain. The form is ancient, originating in 6th century...
s for the Rekha-starrer Umrao Jaan
Umrao Jaan
Umrao Jaan is a 1981 Bollywood film, directed by Muzaffar Ali. It is based on the Urdu novel Umrao Jaan Ada , written by Mirza Hadi Ruswa based on the famous Lucknow courtesan...
, including "Dil Cheez Kya Hai", "In Aankhon Ki Masti Ke", "Yeh Kya Jagah Hai Doston" and "Justju Jiski Thi". The film's music director Khayyam
Mohammed Zahur Khayyam
Mohammed Zahur "Khayyam" Hashmi, better known as Khayyam, is an Indian music composer whose career spanned four decades .He has won three Filmfare Awards for Best Music in 1977 for Kabhi Kabhie and 1982 for Umrao Jaan, and a lifetime achievement award in 2010...
, had lowered her pitch by half a note. Bhosle herself expressed surprise that she could sing so differently. The ghazals won her the first National Film Award
National Film Award for Best Female Playback Singer
The National Film Award for Best Female Playback Singer winners are given below. Lata Mangeshkar is the oldest winner in this category, whereas Anjali Marathe is the youngest winner; while K. S. Chithra been awarded for the maximum number of times .-Superlatives:...
of her career. A few years later, she won another National Award for the song "Mera Kuchh Saamaan
Mera Kuchh Saamaan
Mera Kuch Samaan is a popular song from the acclaimed 1987 movie Ijaazat, directed by Gulzar, who also wrote the song. The song was composed by R D Burman and sung by Asha Bhosle...
" from Ijaazat
Ijaazat
Ijaazat is an acclaimed 1987 Indian Hindi film directed by Gulzar, based on a Bengali story, Jatugriha by Subodh Ghosh....
(1987).
In 1995, 62-year-old Bhosle sang for actress Urmila Matondkar
Urmila Matondkar
Urmila Matondkar is an Indian film actress.Matondkar, who made her screen debut as a child artist in the 1980 film Kalyug, debuted as an adult in Narasimha...
in the movie Rangeela
Rangeela (film)
Rangeela is a 1995 Hindi film directed by Ram Gopal Varma, and starring Aamir Khan, Jackie Shroff and Urmila Matondkar.Rangeela was music director A. R. Rahman's debut Hindi film with an original score, as the previous ones were dubbed from his Tamil scores...
. The soundtrack featured songs like "Tanha Tanha" and "Rangeela Re" sung by her, and composed by music director A. R. Rahman
A. R. Rahman
Allah Rakha Rahman is an Indian composer, singer-songwriter, record producer, musician, and philanthropist. Described as the world's most prominent and prolific film composer by Time, his works are notable for integrating eastern classical music with electronic music sounds, world music genres and...
, who would go on to record several songs with her. During the 2000s, several of Bhosle's numbers became chartbusters, including "Radha Kaise Na Jale" from Lagaan
Lagaan
Lagaan is a 2001 Bollywood sports film written and directed by Ashutosh Gowariker. Aamir Khan, who was also the producer for the film, stars with Gracy Singh in the lead roles; British actors Rachel Shelley and Paul Blackthorne play the supporting roles...
(2001), "Kambakht Ishq" from Pyaar Tune Kya Kiya
Pyaar Tune Kya Kiya
Pyaar Tune Kya Kiya is a 2001 produced by Ram Gopal Varma and starring Fardeen Khan, Urmila Matondkar and Sonali Kulkarni. The soundtrack was composed by Sandeep Chowta and the songs are sung by Sonu Nigam, Sukhwinder Singh, Asha Bhosle, Alka Yagnik, Alisha Chinai, K. S. Chitra and Sowmya Raoh...
(2001), ""Yeh Lamha" from Filhaal (2002), "Lucky Lips" from Lucky
Lucky: No Time for Love
Lucky: No Time For Love is a 2005 Hindi-language film depicting the story of two lovers in war-torn Russia. The film stars Salman Khan and Sneha Ullal in the lead roles.- Synopsis :...
(2005). In October 2004, The Very Best of Asha Bhosle, The Queen of Bollywood
The Very Best of Asha Bhosle, The Queen of Bollywood
The Very Best of Asha Bhosle, The Queen of Bollywood, released in October 2003, is a compilation album of songs recorded by the Indian playback singer Asha Bhosle for albums and Bollywood films released during 1966-2003.-Disc One – Traditional :...
, a compilation album of songs recorded by Bhosle for albums and Bollywood films that were released between 1966 and 2003, was released.
Partnership with music directors
O.P. NayyarMusic director O. P. Nayyar
O. P. Nayyar
Omkar Prasad Nayyar was an Indian film music director and composer born in Lahore, India, now in modern day Pakistan. He was particularly acclaimed for his peppy numbers.-Career:...
's association with Asha is part of Bollywood
Bollywood
Bollywood is the informal term popularly used for the Hindi-language film industry based in Mumbai , Maharashtra, India. The term is often incorrectly used to refer to the whole of Indian cinema; it is only a part of the total Indian film industry, which includes other production centers producing...
lore. He was the composer who first gave Asha her own identity. Many people have speculated about a romantic relationship between the two.
Nayyar first met Asha in 1952, at the music recording of Chham Chhama Chham. He first called her for a film called Mangu (1954), and gave her a big break in CID (1956). However, it was the success of Naya Daur (1957), that made the duo very popular. After 1959, she was emotionally and professionally involved with Nayyar.
The team of O.P. Nayyar and Asha Bhosle is best remembered for their breezy and sometimes siren
Siren
In Greek mythology, the Sirens were three dangerous mermaid like creatures, portrayed as seductresses who lured nearby sailors with their enchanting music and voices to shipwreck on the rocky coast of their island. Roman poets placed them on an island called Sirenum scopuli...
ish songs. Some good examples of their sensuous numbers are Aaiye meherbaan picturised on Madhubala
Madhubala
Mumtaz Jahan Begum Dehlavi, known by her stage name Madhubala was a Hindi movie actress. She starred in several successful movies in the 1950s and early 1960s, many of which have attained a classic status...
(Howrah Bridge
Howrah Bridge (film)
Howrah Bridge is a 1958 film directed by Shakti Samanta. Its name is a reference to Howrah Bridge, which connects Howrah to Kolkata over the Hooghly River. It features the well known Hindi song "Mera Naam Chin Chin Chu"which was reused in the film Salaam Bombay!. This song was sung by Geeta Dutt...
, 1958) and Yeh hai reshmi zulfon ka andhera picturised on Mumtaz
Mumtaz (actress)
Mumtaz , fondly called Mumu, is a famous Bollywood actress, best remembered for her roles in Tere Mere Sapne and Khilona . Her performance in Khilona got her the Filmfare Best Actress Award, while the film itself won the Filmfare Best Movie Award...
(Mere Sanam
Mere Sanam
Mere Sanam was a Hindi film released in 1965 Hindi film starring Asha Parekh, Biswajeet, Pran, Rajindernath and Mumtaz. The film was a hit at the box office. The ear-pleasing music and beautiful locations were mostly responsible for the film's success. The story line and direction were also good,...
, 1965). They also recorded songs for many hit movies like Tumsa Nahin Dekha
Tumsa Nahin Dekha (1957 film)
Tumsa Nahin Dekha is a 1957 film produced by Sashadhar Mukherjee for Filmistan- the breakaway studio formed by some old Bombay Talkies hands like Sashadhar. The film marked Nasir Hussain's evolution into a director. He had written films like Munimjee and Paying Guest...
(1957), Howrah Bridge (1958), Ek Musafir Ek Hasina (1962), Kashmir Ki Kali
Kashmir Ki Kali
Kashmir Ki Kali is a 1964 Indian film directed by Shakti Samanta.-Plot:Wealthy and pampered Rajiv Lal is the only son of widowed Rani Maa. She would like him to get married and starts receiving proposals from all over the country. She meets with and interviews various prospective brides, and picks...
(1964), Aao huzur tumko (Kismat) and Jaaiye aap kahan (Mere Sanam). O.P. Nayyar used the Asha Bhosle-Mohammad Rafi duo for his most popular duets such as Ude jab jab zulfein teri (Naya Daur), Main pyaar ka rahi hoon (Ek Musafir Ek Haseena), Deewana Hua Baadal and Ishaaron hi isharon mein (Kashmir Ki Kali).
Asha recorded her last song for O.P. Nayyar in the movie Pran Jaye Par Vachan Na Jaye
Pran Jaye Par Vachan Na Jaye
Pran Jaye Par Vachan Na Jaye is a 1974 Hindi film produced by Ratan Mohan and directed by S. Ali Raza. The film stars Sunil Dutt, Rekha, Iftekhar, Premnath, Jeevan, Bindu, Madan Puri, Ranjeet and Jayshree T. The film's music is by O. P. Nayyar.-Awards:...
(1974). The solo number Chain se got many awards, but it was not included in the movie.
They split on August 5, 1972. It is not clear what made them part their ways. On being asked the reason for their parting, O P Nayyar once said, "I know astrology very well. I knew that one day I had to part with her. Something also happened, that upset me, so I left her." Nevertheless, he also said "...now that I am seventy-six, I can say that the most important person in my life was Asha Bhosle. She was the best person I ever met."
The parting of Asha Bhosle and O.P. Nayyar was bitter, and probably therefore she has hesitated to give Nayyar his due. While talking about O.P. Nayyar in an interview with The Times of India
The Times of India
The Times of India is an Indian English-language daily newspaper. TOI has the largest circulation among all English-language newspaper in the world, across all formats . It is owned and managed by Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd...
, she once remarked - "Whichever composer gave me work, it was because my voice was suited to his music at that point. No one musician did me any favor by asking me to sing for him." She gives the credit for her first big break to B. R. Chopra
Baldev Raj Chopra
Baldev Raj Chopra was an Indian director and producer of Bollywood movies and television serials...
, the producer of Naya Daur.
Khayyam
Another music director who recognized Asha's talent early was Khayyam
Mohammed Zahur Khayyam
Mohammed Zahur "Khayyam" Hashmi, better known as Khayyam, is an Indian music composer whose career spanned four decades .He has won three Filmfare Awards for Best Music in 1977 for Kabhi Kabhie and 1982 for Umrao Jaan, and a lifetime achievement award in 2010...
. Their partnership dates back to his first movie Biwi (1948). Khayyam gave her some good assignments in the 1950s, including Dard and Phir Subah Hogi. But the team is chiefly remembered for the songs of Umrao Jaan
Umrao Jaan
Umrao Jaan is a 1981 Bollywood film, directed by Muzaffar Ali. It is based on the Urdu novel Umrao Jaan Ada , written by Mirza Hadi Ruswa based on the famous Lucknow courtesan...
.
Ravi
Music composer Ravi
Ravi (music director)
Ravi Shankar Sharma , often referred to mononymously as Ravi, is an Indian music director, who has composed music for several Hindi and Malayalam films...
considered Asha one of his favorite singers. She sang for his first movie Vachan (1955). The melodious lullaby
Lullaby
A lullaby is a soothing song, usually sung to young children before they go to sleep, with the intention of speeding that process. As a result they are often simple and repetitive. Lullabies can be found in every culture and since the ancient period....
from the movie, Chandamama door ke became an overnight hit among young mothers in India. Ravi got her to sing bhajan
Bhajan
A Bhajan is any type of Indian devotional song. It has no fixed form: it may be as simple as a mantra or kirtan or as sophisticated as the dhrupad or kriti with music based on classical ragas and talas. It is normally lyrical, expressing love for the Divine...
s for the movies Gharana
Gharana
In Hindustani music, a gharānā is a system of social organization linking musicians or dancers by lineage or apprenticeship, and by adherence to a particular musical style. A gharana also indicates a comprehensive musicological ideology. This ideology sometimes changes substantially from one...
, Grihasti, Kajal and Phool Aur Patthar
Phool Aur Patthar
Phool Aur Patthar was O.P. Ralhan's 1966 Hindi film that made Dharmendra a star in the Hindi Film Industry. It starred Meena Kumari along with Dharmendra who played a villainous character whose inner good being is drawn out by Meena Kumari...
, at a time when most of the composers remembered her only when they needed to record B-grade songs picturized on the vamps or the side-heroines. Ravi and Asha recorded a variety of songs, including the popular funny duet with Kishore Kumar
Kishore Kumar
Kishore Kumar , born Abhas Kumar Ganguly, was an Indian film playback singer and an actor who also worked as lyricist, composer, producer, director, screenwriter and scriptwriter.Kishore Kumar was one of India's greatest performers of the late 20th century...
- C A T...Cat maane billi (Dilli Ka Thug
Dilli Ka Thug
Dilli Ka Thug is a 1958 Hindi comedy film. It stars Kishore Kumar, Nutan, Madan Puri and Iftekhar. Music was by Ravi and Lyrics by S.H. Bihari and Majrooh Sultanpuri -Plot:...
). The bhajan
Bhajan
A Bhajan is any type of Indian devotional song. It has no fixed form: it may be as simple as a mantra or kirtan or as sophisticated as the dhrupad or kriti with music based on classical ragas and talas. It is normally lyrical, expressing love for the Divine...
Tora man darpan (Kajal) is considered one of Asha's best songs.
They also recorded songs for many popular movies like Waqt
Waqt (1965 film)
Waqt is a 1965 Indian film directed by Yash Chopra. It made it onto the BFI's long list of films in consideration for their top ten of Indian films award. It was produced by B.R...
, Chaudhvin Ka Chand
Chaudhvin Ka Chand
Chaudhvin Ka Chand is a 1960 Hindi feature film directed by Mohammed Sadiq. A production of Guru Dutt, the film centers on a love triangle between Guru Dutt, Rehman and Waheeda Rehman, and features music by Ravi. Farida Jalal is a guest appearance in the film, her debut...
, Gumrah, Bahu Beti, China Town, Aadmi Aur Insaan, Dhund
Dhund (1973 film)
Dhund is a 1973 Hindi movie produced and directed by B. R. Chopra. The film is based on Agatha Christie's play, The Unexpected Guest, and stars Sanjay Khan, his then flame Zeenat Aman, Danny Denzongpa, Deven Verma, Madan Puri, Navin Nischol and Ashok Kumar...
and Humraaz
Humraaz
Humraaz is a 2002 Bollywood romantic thriller film directed by duo Abbas-Mustan and produced under Venus Movies banner...
. For Chaudhvin Ka Chand, Ravi wanted Geeta Dutt
Geeta Dutt
Geetā Dutt was a prominent singer in India. She found particular prominence as a playback singer in Hindi cinema...
(the wife of actor and producer Guru Dutt
Guru Dutt
Vasanth Kumar Shivashankar Padukone , popularly known as Guru Dutt, was an Indian film director, producer and actor. He is often credited with ushering in the golden era of Hindi cinema...
) to sing the songs. But when she backed out, Guru Dutt insisted that Asha sing the songs.
Sachin Dev Burman
One of Bollywood's most famous composers, Sachin Dev Burman
Sachin Dev Burman
Sachin Dev Burman , also credited as Burman da, Kumar Sachindra Dev Barman, Sachin karta or S. D. Burman, was one of the most famous music composers for Hindi movies and a Bengali singer and composer. His son Rahul Dev Burman also achieved great success as a Bollywood music director in his own...
and his favorite singer, Lata Mangeshkar
Lata Mangeshkar
Lata Mangeshkar is a singer from India. She is one of the best-known and most respected playback singers in India. Mangeshkar's career started in 1942 and has spanned over six and a half decades. She has recorded songs for over a thousand Hindi films and has sung songs in over thirty-six regional...
, were not on good terms from 1957 to 1962. During this period, S D Burman used Asha as his lead female voice. She and Burman gave many hit songs in movies such as Kaala Pani, Kaala Bazaar, Insaan Jaag Utha, Lajwanti, Sujata and Teen Deviyaan (1965). They recorded many songs together after 1962 as well. Most famous of these songs were Asha's duets with Mohammed Rafi
Mohammed Rafi
Mohammad Rafi , was an Indian playback singer whose career spanned four decades. He was awarded National Award and 6 Filmfare Awards. In 1967, he was honoured with the Padma Shri awarded by the Government of India....
and Kishore Kumar
Kishore Kumar
Kishore Kumar , born Abhas Kumar Ganguly, was an Indian film playback singer and an actor who also worked as lyricist, composer, producer, director, screenwriter and scriptwriter.Kishore Kumar was one of India's greatest performers of the late 20th century...
. The song Ab ke baras in Bimal Roy's Bandini (1963) consolidated her position as a lead singer. The seductive song Raat Akeli Hai from Jewel Thief
Jewel Thief
Jewel Thief is a 1967 Indian Hindi film. Produced by Navketan films , the film is directed by Dev's brother Vijay Anand. Music is by S.D. Burman and the lyrics by Majrooh Sultanpuri. The film is a crime thriller, and stars Dev Anand, Vyjayantimala, Ashok Kumar, Tanuja, Faryal, Anju Mahendru,...
(1967), picturised on Tanuja, became very popular.
Rahul Dev Burman (Pancham)
Asha first met Rahul Dev Burman
Rahul Dev Burman
Rahul Dev Burman commonly known as R. D. Burman and nicknamed Pancham da or simply Pancham, was an influential Bollywood music composer. He was the only son of singer and Bollywood music composer Sachin Dev Burman and his wife Meera...
(a.k.a. "Pancham") when she was the mother of two and he was in 10th grade having dropped out to pursue music. Their partnership was first noticed in Teesri Manzil (1966). She went on to record a variety of songs with him - cabaret
Cabaret
Cabaret is a form, or place, of entertainment featuring comedy, song, dance, and theatre, distinguished mainly by the performance venue: a restaurant or nightclub with a stage for performances and the audience sitting at tables watching the performance, as introduced by a master of ceremonies or...
s, rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
, disco
Disco
Disco is a genre of dance music. Disco acts charted high during the mid-1970s, and the genre's popularity peaked during the late 1970s. It had its roots in clubs that catered to African American, gay, psychedelic, and other communities in New York City and Philadelphia during the late 1960s and...
, ghazal
Ghazal
The ghazal is a poetic form consisting of rhyming couplets and a refrain, with each line sharing the same meter. A ghazal may be understood as a poetic expression of both the pain of loss or separation and the beauty of love in spite of that pain. The form is ancient, originating in 6th century...
s and Indian classical music
Indian classical music
The origins of Indian classical music can be found in the Vedas, which are the oldest scriptures in the Hindu tradition. Indian classical music has also been significantly influenced by, or syncretised with, Indian folk music and Persian music. The Samaveda, one of the four Vedas, describes music...
.
In the 1970s, Asha and Pancham's youthful Western songs took Bollywood music by storm - the raunchy cabaret
Cabaret
Cabaret is a form, or place, of entertainment featuring comedy, song, dance, and theatre, distinguished mainly by the performance venue: a restaurant or nightclub with a stage for performances and the audience sitting at tables watching the performance, as introduced by a master of ceremonies or...
Piya tu ab to aaja (Caravan
Caravan (1971 film)
Caravan is a 1971 movie under Nasir Hussain films banner. Nasir Hussain and Sachin Bhowmick wrote the screenplay. Hussain's brother Tahir Hussain is credited as producer. It starred Jeetendra and the Nasir Husain fixture- Asha Parekh. It also had Aruna Irani , Helen and Madan Puri...
, picturized on Helen), the rebellious Dum Maro Dum ( Hare Rama Hare Krishna, 1971), the sexy Duniya mein (Apna Desh
Apna Desh
Apna Desh is a 1972 Hindi movie. Produced by T.M. Kittu and A. V. Subramaniam and directed by Jambu. The film stars Rajesh Khanna, Mumtaz, Om Prakash, Jagdeep, Mukkamala, Madan Puri and the uncredited Roja Ramani, who plays Rajesh Khanna's niece Sharda. The films music is by R. D. Burman. ...
, 1972) and the romantic Chura Liyaa Hai Tumne (Yaadon Ki Baaraat, 1973). Pancham also recorded many hit duets with Asha and Kishore Kumar such as Jaane jaan (Jawani Diwani
Jawani Diwani
Jawani Diwani is a 1972 Bollywood movie directed by Narender Bedi, and starring Randhir Kapoor, Jaya Bhaduri, Balraj Sahni, Nirupa Roy, as leads....
) and Bhali bhali si ek soorat (Buddha Mil Gaya
Buddha Mil Gaya
Buddha Mil Gaya is a 1971 Hindi film. Produced by L.B. Thakur, the film is directed by Hrishikesh Mukherjee.The film stars Om Prakash, Navin Nischol, Archana, Sonia Sahni, Deven Verma, Aruna Irani, Asit Sen, Lalita Pawar and Shetty. The music is by R.D...
).
In 1980s, Pancham and Asha recorded subtle numbers for films like Ijaazat (1987)- Mera kuch saaman, Khaali haath shaam aayi hai and Katra Katra. They also recorded the popular duet O Maria (Saagar
Saagar
Saagar is a 1985 Bollywood film directed by Ramesh Sippy. The film stars Rishi Kapoor and Dimple Kapadia along with Kamal Hassan.Saagar was a comeback film for Kapadia, and contained a fleeting topless shot of her...
).
Asha used to call R D Burman "Bubs". She married him in 1980. Their partnership lasted until his death.
R D Burman made her sing some of the most legendary songs in Bengali language as well, namely Mohuyae Jomechhe Aaj mou go,Chokhe Chokhe kotha bolo Chokhhe naame brishti(Bengali version of Jaane Kya Baat hai), Baanshi sune ki ghore thaka jaye,Sondhya Belae tumi aami and Aaj Gungun gun gunje amar (Bengali version of Pyaar Deewana hota hai).
Ilaiyaraaja
Prolific south Indian film composer Ilaiyaraaja
Ilaiyaraaja
Ilaiyaraaja is an Indian film composer, singer, and lyricist mainly in the Tamil film Industry. He is regarded as one of the finest music composers in India. Ilaiyaraaja is also an instrumentalist, conductor, and a songwriter...
began employing Asha's vocals in the early 1980s, their earliest collaboration being for the film Moondram Pirai
Moondram Pirai
Moondram Pirai is a 1982 Indian Tamil film written and directed by Balu Mahendra, starring Sridevi, Kamal Haasan, Poornam Vishwanathan and Silk Smitha. Ilaiyaraaja composed the music. Kamal Haasan won the National Film Award for Best Actor for his role as Srinivas...
(1982) (remade in Hindi as Sadma in 1983). Their association continued, mostly through the latter half of the 1980s and early 1990s. Another notable song from this period is Shenbagamae (Enga Ooru Paattukkaaran, 1987, Tamil). In 2000, Asha sung the theme song for Kamal Haasan
Kamal Haasan
Kamal Haasan is an Indian film actor, screenwriter and director, considered to be one of the leading method actors of Indian cinema. He is widely acclaimed as an actor and is well known for his versatility in acting...
's political film Hey Ram
Hey Ram
Hey Ram is a controversial Indian film released both in Tamil and Hindi in 2000 and written, directed, produced by and starring Kamal Haasan...
. The song, Nee Partha Parvai (Janmon Ki Jwala in Hindi) (or Aparna's Theme), was a duet with singer Hariharan
Hariharan (singer)
Hariharan , born 3 April 1955) is an Indian playback singer in Hindi, Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada, Marathi, Bhojpuri and Telugu movies, an established ghazal singer, and one of the pioneers of Indian fusion music. His melody is strongly appreciated by the film fraternity...
.
A. R. Rahman
A. R. Rahman
A. R. Rahman
Allah Rakha Rahman is an Indian composer, singer-songwriter, record producer, musician, and philanthropist. Described as the world's most prominent and prolific film composer by Time, his works are notable for integrating eastern classical music with electronic music sounds, world music genres and...
is credited with Asha's 'comeback' with Rangeela
Rangeela (film)
Rangeela is a 1995 Hindi film directed by Ram Gopal Varma, and starring Aamir Khan, Jackie Shroff and Urmila Matondkar.Rangeela was music director A. R. Rahman's debut Hindi film with an original score, as the previous ones were dubbed from his Tamil scores...
(1994). Songs like Tanha Tanha and Rangeela Re were chartbusters. She and Rahman went on to record more hits like Mujhe Rang De (Thakshak
Thakshak
Thakshak is a 1999 action-drama Hindi film written and directed by director Govind Nihalani. Touted as Nihalani's attempt at popular cinema, this film starred Ajay Devgan, Tabu and Rahul Bose in the lead roles. The soundtrack was composed by A. R...
), Radha Kaise Na Jale (Lagaan
Lagaan
Lagaan is a 2001 Bollywood sports film written and directed by Ashutosh Gowariker. Aamir Khan, who was also the producer for the film, stars with Gracy Singh in the lead roles; British actors Rachel Shelley and Paul Blackthorne play the supporting roles...
, duet with Udit Narayan
Udit Narayan
-Career:King of melody, Udit Narayan Jha was born on 1 December, 1955 in a village called Bhardaha in the Saptari district , Nepal. His father was Hare Krishna Jha and his mother was Bhuwaneshwari Devi.Narayan studied at P.B...
), Kahin Aag Lage (Taal
Taal
Taal is the Dutch and Afrikaans word for language and was used as an early name for Afrikaans; it may also refer to the South African creole language Tsotsitaal.The word Taal can also refer to:*Tala...
), O Bhanware (Daud
Daud (film)
Daud is a 1997 Hindi Road movie thriller by Ram Gopal Varma, starring Sanjay Dutt and Urmila Matondkar, with music composed by A. R. Rahman...
, duet with K. J. Yesudas
K. J. Yesudas
Kattassery Joseph Yesudas is an Indian classical musician and playback singer.Yesudas sings Indian classical, devotional, and popular music. He has recorded more than 50,000 songs in many languages including Malayalam, Tamil, Hindi, Kannada, Telugu, Bengali, Gujarati, Oriya, Marathi, Punjabi,...
), Venilla Venilla (Iruvar
Iruvar
Iruvar is a 1997 Tamil film directed, co-written, and co-produced by Mani Ratnam, with music composed by A. R. Rahman. The film is a fictionalized account of the lives of 1980s Tamil Nadu political icons M. G. Ramachandran and M...
,1999) and Dhuan Dhuan (Meenaxi
Meenaxi (soundtrack)
Meenaxi is the soundtrack to the 2004 bollywood film Meenaxi: A Tale of Three Cities, directed by famous artist M. F. Husain and starring starring Tabu, Kunal Kapoor and Raghuvir Yadav. A.R. Rahman is the music director of this film. Rahat Indori, M. F. Husain, and Sukhwinder Singh were the lyricists...
,2004).
Jaidev
When S D Burman's assistant Jaidev
Jaidev
Jaidev Hindi:जयदेव वर्मा , was a music composer in Bollywood films, most known for his work in films: Hum Dono , Reshma Aur Shera , Prem Parbat and Gharonda ....
started giving music independently, he got Asha to sing some of his songs as well. They worked in Hum Dono (1961), Mujhe Jeene Do (1963), Do Boond Pani (1971) and other movies. In 1971, the pair released an LP of eight non-film devotional songs and ghazal
Ghazal
The ghazal is a poetic form consisting of rhyming couplets and a refrain, with each line sharing the same meter. A ghazal may be understood as a poetic expression of both the pain of loss or separation and the beauty of love in spite of that pain. The form is ancient, originating in 6th century...
s called An Unforgettable Treat. Asha considered Jaidev a close friend who stood by her when she was struggling personally and professionally. Upon his death in 1987, she released a compilation album of lesser-known songs he had composed for her, called Suranjali.
Shankar-Jaikishan
Shankar-Jaikishan worked relatively little with Asha. However, the trio produced quite a few hits including the seductive Parde mein rehne do (Shikar
Shikar (1968 film)
Shikar is a 1968 Hindi movie produced and directed by Atma Ram. The film is a murder mystery that became a box office hit. The film stars Dharmendra, Asha Parekh, Sanjeev Kumar, Helen, Rehman, Bela Bose, Ramesh Deo and Johnny Walker....
, 1968). Asha got her second Filmfare Award for the song. She also sang Zindagi ek safar hai suhaana (Andaz
Andaz (1971 film)
Andaz or Andaaz is a 1971 Hindi romantic movie starring Shammi Kapoor, Hema Malini and Rajesh Khanna...
) for Shankar-Jaikishan, in which she tried to yodel like Kishore Kumar, whose version of the song is more better known. When Raj Kapoor was not on speaking terms with Lata Mangeshkar, Asha got to sing the songs of Mera Naam Joker
Mera Naam Joker
Mera Naam Joker is a 1970 Hindi film directed by Raj Kapoor. The screenplay was written by Khwaja Ahmad Abbas. This film was the debut of Rishi Kapoor. Mera Naam Joker is a film about a clown who must make his audience laugh at the cost of his own sorrows. The film is reportedly inspired by Raj...
(1970), composed by Shankar-Jaikishan.
Anu Malik
Composer Anu Malik
Anu Malik
Anu Malik , born Anwar Sardaar Malik, is a famous music director in the Hindi film industry. Son of veteran music director Sardar Malek, Anu Malik made his debut as a music composer in the year 1977. After a considerable period of struggle, the 90's welcomed Anu with hits like 'Phir Teri Kahani...
and Asha have recorded many hit songs together, including songs for his first movie Sohni Mahiwal
Sohni Mahiwal
Sohni Mahiwal and is included in seven popular tragic romances from Sindh and Baluchistan. The other six are Momal Rano, Umar Marvi, LiLa Chanesar, Noori Jam Tamachi, Sassi Punnun and Dhaj, Ror Kumar commonly known as Seven Queens of Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai...
(1984). Their most popular songs include Filhaal (Filhaal) and Kitabein bahut si (Baazigar
Baazigar
Baazigar is a 1993 Indian Hindi film directed by Abbas-Mustan. Inspired by the novel A Kiss Before Dying, it is a contemporary thriller about a young man who stops at nothing to get what he wants. The film shocked its Indian audience with an unexpected violation of the standard Bollywood formula,...
) among others. The four lines sung by Asha in Malik's Jab dil mile (Yaadein
Yaadein
Yaadein is a 2001 Bollywood film directed by Subhash Ghai. It was filmed throughout India, Malaysia and the UK.-Plot:Raj Singh Puri is best friends with L.K. Malhotra who is the younger brother of J.K. Malhotra. The brothers are business tycoons and Raj works in their company.Raj is father to...
) stood out among voices of Sukhwinder Singh, Udit Narayan
Udit Narayan
-Career:King of melody, Udit Narayan Jha was born on 1 December, 1955 in a village called Bhardaha in the Saptari district , Nepal. His father was Hare Krishna Jha and his mother was Bhuwaneshwari Devi.Narayan studied at P.B...
and Sunidhi Chauhan
Sunidhi Chauhan
Sunidhi Chauhan is an Indian playback singer, best known for her Hindi film songs in Bollywood. She has also recorded songs for Marathi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Bengali, Assamese and Gujarati films and is credited with over 2000 songs....
. Asha had also sung for Anu's father Sardar Malik in the 1950s and 1960s, most notably in Saranga (1960).
Other Composers
Madan Mohan
Madan Mohan
Madan Mohan Kohli , better known as Madan Mohan, was a famed Bollywood film music director of the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s...
recorded a number of songs with Asha, including the popular folk number Jhumka Gira Re from Mera Saaya
Mera Saaya
Mera Saaya is a 1966 Indian Hindi film directed by Raj Khosla. The film was a remake of Marathi film called Pathlag. The film's music is by Madan Mohan and lyrics by Raja Mehdi Ali Khan. The film stars Sunil Dutt and Sadhana. This is director Raj Khosla's third film with Sadhana after Ek Musafir...
(1966). In Chhoti Si Baat
Chhoti Si Baat
Chhoti Si Baat is a 1975 Hindi romantic comedy film directed by Basu Chatterjee. The film's title means "Small Talk" in Hindi. Considered one of the best Hindi comedy films of the 1970s, it is a nostalgic favourite for its quirky take on pre-hypercongestion Bombay...
(1975), Asha sang the Jaaneman Jaaneman number with K. J. Yesudas
K. J. Yesudas
Kattassery Joseph Yesudas is an Indian classical musician and playback singer.Yesudas sings Indian classical, devotional, and popular music. He has recorded more than 50,000 songs in many languages including Malayalam, Tamil, Hindi, Kannada, Telugu, Bengali, Gujarati, Oriya, Marathi, Punjabi,...
for Salil Chowdhury
Salil Chowdhury
Salil Chowdhury was an Indian music composer. He mainly composed for Bengali, Hindi, and Malayalam films. He was also a poet and a playwright. He is affectionately called Salilda by all his admirers....
. Salil's 1956 movie Jagte Raho
Jagte Raho
Jagte Raho is a 1956 film directed by Amit Maitra and Sombhu Mitra, produced by and starring Raj Kapoor. The film centers on the trials of a poor villager who comes to a city in search of a better life. However, the naive man soon becomes trapped in a web of middle-class greed and corruption...
also had a number recorded by Asha, Thandi Thandi Saawan ki Phuhaar. Another Asha patron is the young composer Sandeep Chowta
Sandeep Chowta
Sandeep Chowta is an Indian Bollywood and Tollywood music director and head of Columbia Records in India. He has also sung some of his songs.In 2003, he produced an anti substance abuse documentary, titled Dead End, that was entered into numerous film festivals and was government acclaimed...
, who got her to sing Kambakht Ishq, a duet with Sonu Nigam for the movie Pyaar Tune Kya Kiya(2001). The song gained major popularity among the Indian youth.
Asha has worked with Lata-patrons like Laxmikant-Pyarelal, Naushad
Naushad
Naushad Ali was an Indian musician. He was one of the foremost music directors for Bollywood films, and is particularly known for popularizing the use of classical music in films.His first film as an independent music director was Prem Nagar in 1940...
, Ravindra Jain, N Dutta and Hemant Kumar. When Naushad was asked to sum up the essential difference between Lata and Asha, he said that Asha "lacks certain something which Lata, and Lata alone has". Later he accepted in an interview, "May be I said it because I then had a closed ear on Asha". Naushad, later in his life, also admitted that he has been unfair to Asha. Asha has also worked with other noted Bollywood composers like Jatin-Lalit, Bappi Lahiri
Bappi Lahiri
Bappi Lahiri or Alokesh Lahiri , born 27 November 1952, is a music director in the Hindi film industry. He pioneered the use of disco music in Indian cinema and sang some of his own compositions. He was popular in the 1980s with films like Disco Dancer, Namak Halaal and Sharaabi among others.-Early...
, Kalyanji-Anandji, Usha Khanna
Usha Khanna
Usha Khanna is an Indian music director. Regarded as the first established female music director in the Indian film industry, she remained active for more than 3 decades from 1960s to 1980s. She is still active making some music for some movies and television-serials, more than 40 years after her...
, Chitragupt
Chitragupt
Chitragupta Shrivastava , better known by his first name alone, was an Indian film music director of the 1960s.-Career:...
, and Roshan
Roshan (music director)
Roshanlal Nagrath , better known simply by his first name Roshan, was a Bollywood film music composer. He was the father of the actor and film director Rakesh Roshan and music director Rajesh Roshan and grandfather of Hritik Roshan.-Early life and education:Roshan was born in Gujranwala, Punjab,...
.
Private albums
In a rare feat, noted lyricist GulzarGulzar (lyricist)
Sampooran Singh Kalra , known popularly by his pen name Gulzar , is an Indian poet, lyricist and director. He primarily writes in Hindi-Urdu and has also written in Punjabi and several dialects of Hindi such as Braj Bhasha, Khariboli, Haryanvi and Marwari.Gulzar was awarded the Padma Bhushan in...
, music director R.D. Burman and Asha Bhosle, came together in 1987, to create a double album, titled, Dil Padosi Hai
Dil Padosi Hai
Dil Padosi Hai is a 1987, private Indian music album by Music director R. D. Burman. The songs of the album were penned by Gulzar. All the songs in the album are sung by Asha Bhosle, on whose birthday, September 8, 1987, the album was released in Mumbai....
, which was released on September 8, 1987. In 1995, Asha underwent the gatha bandan (thread-tying) ceremony with Hindustani classical music
Hindustani classical music
Hindustani classical music is the Hindustani or North Indian style of Indian classical music found throughout the northern Indian subcontinent. The style is sometimes called North Indian Classical Music or Shāstriya Sangeet...
maestro Ali Akbar Khan
Ali Akbar Khan
Ali Akbar Khan , often referred to as Khansahib or by the title Ustad , was a Hindustani classical musician of the Maihar gharana, known for his virtuosity in playing the sarod...
to learn a classical repertoire held within the Maihar gharana (stylistic school of Indian classical music), as handed down to Khan by his father Allauddin Khan
Allauddin Khan
Allauddin Khan , was a Bengali sarodiya and multi-instrumentalist, composer and one of the most renowned music teachers of the 20th Century in Indian classical music.In 1935, he toured Europe, along with Uday Shankar's ballet troupe, and later also worked at his...
(the guru of Ravi Shankar
Ravi Shankar
Ravi Shankar , often referred to by the title Pandit, is an Indian musician and composer who plays the plucked string instrument sitar. He has been described as the best known contemporary Indian musician by Hans Neuhoff in Musik in Geschichte und Gegenwart.Shankar was born in Varanasi and spent...
). Later, Asha and Ustad Ali Akbar Khan recorded eleven fixed compositions (or bandishes) in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
for Legacy, a private album that earned them a Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
nomination.
In 1990s, Asha experimented with remix
Remix
A remix is an alternative version of a recorded song, made from an original version. This term is also used for any alterations of media other than song ....
ed R.D. Burman songs. She was criticized by many, including Khayyam
Mohammed Zahur Khayyam
Mohammed Zahur "Khayyam" Hashmi, better known as Khayyam, is an Indian music composer whose career spanned four decades .He has won three Filmfare Awards for Best Music in 1977 for Kabhi Kabhie and 1982 for Umrao Jaan, and a lifetime achievement award in 2010...
for tampering with old melodies. Nevertheless, albums like Rahul And I became quite popular. In 1997, Asha did a private Indipop album Janam Samjha Karo with Leslie Lewis
Leslie Lewis
Leslie Lewis is an Indian composer, perhaps best known for his work in Colonial Cousins, a duo composed of Lewis and Hariharan.In 2003 Lewis stated that he felt the public associated him too much with remixes and for that reason he had begun to avoid remixes and instead concentrate on his original...
. The album was hugely popular and won her many awards including the 1997 MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
Award.
Asha had been once asked by director B R Ishaara to compose music for one of his films, but she had politely declined. In 2002, she turned music composer with the album Aap Ki Asha, an eight-song music and video album. The lyrics were written by Majrooh Sultanpuri
Majrooh Sultanpuri
Majrooh Sultanpuri was an Urdu poet, lyricist and songwriter...
(his last lyrics). The album was released by Sachin Tendulkar
Sachin Tendulkar
Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar is an Indian cricketer widely regarded as one of the greatest batsmen in the history of cricket. He is the leading run-scorer and century maker in Test and one-day international cricket. He is the only male player to score a double century in the history of ODI cricket...
on May 21, 2001 at a lavish party in Mumbai. The album received mixed reviews.
Asha had spotted Pakistani singer Adnan Sami
Adnan Sami
Adnan Sami is a British-born Pakistani-Indian- Canadian singer, musician, pianist, actor and composer of Pakistani origin. He currently holds Canadian citizenship and works and lives in Mumbai, India...
's talent when he was about 10 years old. At that time, she was performing in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, with R D Burman. It was she who had asked him to pursue his interests in music seriously. When Adnan grew up and became a professional musician, Asha sang the title duet with him for his best-selling album Kabhi to nazar milao. The two came together again in the album Barse Badal. The album comprises eight songs, based on Indian Classical music
Indian classical music
The origins of Indian classical music can be found in the Vedas, which are the oldest scriptures in the Hindu tradition. Indian classical music has also been significantly influenced by, or syncretised with, Indian folk music and Persian music. The Samaveda, one of the four Vedas, describes music...
. She contributed the song Yun Na Thi to the recording Womad Talking Book Volume Four: An Introduction to Asia 1 on Womad Records.
Asha has sung ghazal
Ghazal
The ghazal is a poetic form consisting of rhyming couplets and a refrain, with each line sharing the same meter. A ghazal may be understood as a poetic expression of both the pain of loss or separation and the beauty of love in spite of that pain. The form is ancient, originating in 6th century...
s for many albums like Meraj-E-Ghazal, Aabshar-E-Ghazal and Kashish. In 2005, Asha released a self-titled album as a tribute to the four ghazal
Ghazal
The ghazal is a poetic form consisting of rhyming couplets and a refrain, with each line sharing the same meter. A ghazal may be understood as a poetic expression of both the pain of loss or separation and the beauty of love in spite of that pain. The form is ancient, originating in 6th century...
maestros - Mehdi Hassan
Mehdi Hassan
Mehdi Hassan is a Pakistani ghazal singer and a former playback singer for Lollywood. He is famously known as the 'King of ghazal' . He has ruled the Pakistan film industry along with Ahmed Rushdi...
, Ghulam Ali
Ghulam Ali
USTAAD Ghulam Ali is a Pakistani ghazal singer of the Patiala gharana. He is not to be confused with the Indian singer Bade Ghulam Ali Khan or Chhote Ghulam Ali, who is another Pakistani singer in the Qual Bachon Gharana....
, Farida Khanum
Farida Khanum
Farida Khanum is a Pakistani Ghazal singer from Punjab. The Times of India has called her "Malika-e-Ghazal" ....
and Jagjit Singh. The album features eight of her favorite ghazal
Ghazal
The ghazal is a poetic form consisting of rhyming couplets and a refrain, with each line sharing the same meter. A ghazal may be understood as a poetic expression of both the pain of loss or separation and the beauty of love in spite of that pain. The form is ancient, originating in 6th century...
s like Farida Khanum’s Aaj Jaane Ki Zid Na Karo, Ghulam Ali
Ghulam Ali
USTAAD Ghulam Ali is a Pakistani ghazal singer of the Patiala gharana. He is not to be confused with the Indian singer Bade Ghulam Ali Khan or Chhote Ghulam Ali, who is another Pakistani singer in the Qual Bachon Gharana....
’s Chupke Chupke, Aawargi and Dil Mein Ek Lahar, Jagjit Singh’s Ahista Ahista and Mehdi Hassan
Mehdi Hassan
Mehdi Hassan is a Pakistani ghazal singer and a former playback singer for Lollywood. He is famously known as the 'King of ghazal' . He has ruled the Pakistan film industry along with Ahmed Rushdi...
’s Ranjish Hi Sahi, Rafta Rafta and Mujhe Tum Nazar Se. These classic ghazals were recreated with modern sounds by musician Pandit Somesh Mathur. The album was aimed at the younger generation, who, according to Asha, are "turned off" by the traditional sounds of tabla and sarangi.
Numerous compilations of Asha's songs have been released as well. To commemorate her 60th birthday, EMI
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
India released three cassettes: Bala Main Bairagan Hoongi (devotional songs), The Golden Collection: Memorable Ghazals (non-film ghazal
Ghazal
The ghazal is a poetic form consisting of rhyming couplets and a refrain, with each line sharing the same meter. A ghazal may be understood as a poetic expression of both the pain of loss or separation and the beauty of love in spite of that pain. The form is ancient, originating in 6th century...
s by composers such as Ghulam Ali
Ghulam Ali
USTAAD Ghulam Ali is a Pakistani ghazal singer of the Patiala gharana. He is not to be confused with the Indian singer Bade Ghulam Ali Khan or Chhote Ghulam Ali, who is another Pakistani singer in the Qual Bachon Gharana....
, R.D. Burman and Nazar Hussain), and The Golden Collection: The Ever Versatile Asha Bhosle (44 popular film songs).
In 1996, Asha Bhosle sang Channeache Rati
Channeache Rati
Channeache Rati is a Goan Konkani song.-Creation:The song was composed by at the time of the Goa Opinion Poll in 1967 in support of the anti-merger movement, of which Buyao was an important part. The lyrics were writtrn by advocate and editor of the Konkani newspaper Sunaprant Uday Bhembre, who...
among several other songs in Rajendra Talak's Konkani album Daryachya Deger with Suresh Wadkar
Suresh Wadkar
Suresh Ishwar Wadkar is an Indian playback singer. He performs in both Hindi and Marathi films.He has sung songs in some Bhojpuri films and in Konkani.- Early life :...
.
In 2006, she recorded an album Asha and Friends, singing duets, with film actors Sanjay Dutt
Sanjay Dutt
Sanjay Dutt is an Indian Hindi film actor and politician. Dutt, son of Hindi film actors Sunil and Nargis Dutt, made his acting debut in 1981.-Personal life:...
and Urmila Matondkar
Urmila Matondkar
Urmila Matondkar is an Indian film actress.Matondkar, who made her screen debut as a child artist in the 1980 film Kalyug, debuted as an adult in Narasimha...
and famous cricket player Brett Lee
Brett Lee
Brett Lee is an Australian cricketer.After breaking into the Australian Test team, Lee was recognised as one of the fastest bowlers in world cricket...
, with whom she sang, You're the One for Me
You're the One for Me
"You're the One For Me" is a song written by Australian cricketer Brett Lee during the 2006 ICC Champions Trophy in India. It was released as a duet featuring Lee and Bollywood star Asha Bhosle....
(Haan Main Tumhara Hoon). All these songs composed by Shamir Tandon were shot on video by journalist turned director S Ramachandran.
Concerts and collaborations with foreign artists
In 1980s and 1990s, Asha went globe-trotting, staging concerts in CanadaCanada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, Dubai
Dubai
Dubai is a city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates . The emirate is located south of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula and has the largest population with the second-largest land territory by area of all the emirates, after Abu Dhabi...
, UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and many other countries. In 1989, during a world tour, she performed in 13 US cities in 20 days. Immediately after this, she had an already sold-out concert scheduled in Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
. Due to the stressful schedule, Asha suffered a massive attack of colitis
Colitis
In medicine, colitis refers to an inflammation of the colon and is often used to describe an inflammation of the large intestine .Colitides may be acute and self-limited or chronic, i.e...
, together with fever
Fever
Fever is a common medical sign characterized by an elevation of temperature above the normal range of due to an increase in the body temperature regulatory set-point. This increase in set-point triggers increased muscle tone and shivering.As a person's temperature increases, there is, in...
, cough
Cough
A cough is a sudden and often repetitively occurring reflex which helps to clear the large breathing passages from secretions, irritants, foreign particles and microbes...
and weakness. In Stockholm, a pre-concert crisis meeting was called, attended by Asha's son (and manager) Anand and the sponsors. It was decided that the orchestra
Orchestra
An orchestra is a sizable instrumental ensemble that contains sections of string, brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. The term orchestra derives from the Greek ορχήστρα, the name for the area in front of an ancient Greek stage reserved for the Greek chorus...
will play many instrumental tracks, the accompanying singers like Suresh Wadkar
Suresh Wadkar
Suresh Ishwar Wadkar is an Indian playback singer. He performs in both Hindi and Marathi films.He has sung songs in some Bhojpuri films and in Konkani.- Early life :...
will shoulder the load, and Asha will make a small appearance. But Asha rejected all such proposals, and sang at the concert with great difficulty, in a not-so-good voice. Her first set of six Bollywood songs did not receive any response from the audience, which consisted mostly of Indian and Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
i expats. Before the start of the second set of songs, a fan in the crowd requested her to sing a Marathi
Marathi language
Marathi is an Indo-Aryan language spoken by the Marathi people of western and central India. It is the official language of the state of Maharashtra. There are over 68 million fluent speakers worldwide. Marathi has the fourth largest number of native speakers in India and is the fifteenth most...
song. Asha obliged and sang Naach-naachuni ati mi damale ("I'm very tired of this endless dancing"). When the song ended, the auditorium erupted with claps and the encores started. After the concert, Asha was in bed for a month, recuperating from overexertion. In October 2002, she did a concert with Sudesh Bhosle and others, in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, for "Help the Aged" to help raise funds for the elderly in India. In 2007 she toured the US, Canada, and West Indies in a tour called "The Incredibles". In this tour, she was accompanied by singers Sonu Nigam
Sonu Nigam
Sonu Nigam is an Indian playback singer whose songs have been featured in numerous Hindi movies, as well as films in Assamese, Punjabi, Bengali, Marathi and Kannada language. He has also released numerous Indi-pop albums and acted in a few Hindi feature films...
, Kunal Ganjawala
Kunal Ganjawala
Kunal Ganjawala is popularly known as Bollywood playback singer. But he also did a very well contribution to Kanada film industry as well. Kunal began his career by singing jingles. He came to limelight with the song 'Bheege Honth Tere' form film Murder in 2004. It was his first biggest hit...
and Kailash Kher. This tour, originally scheduled for only 12 concerts, went on to hold more than 20.
In the mid-1980s, Asha sang with Boy George
Boy George
Boy George is a British singer-songwriter who was part of the English New Romantic movement which emerged in the early 1980s. He helped give androgyny an international stage with the success of Culture Club during the 1980s. His music is often classified as blue-eyed soul, which is influenced by...
(Bow down mister) and Stephen Lauscombe. In 1997, she sang a love song with the boy band Code Red
Code Red (band)
-Formation:Phillip Andrew Rodell, Neil James Watts, Lee John Missen, and Roger Ratajczak formed themselves as the lineup for the vocal group, and they were signed by Polydor Records...
, at the age of 64. She also recorded the song The Way you Dream (One Giant Leap, http://www.1giantleap.tv/) with Michael Stipe
Michael Stipe
John Michael Stipe is an American singer and lyricist. He was the lead vocalist of the alternative rock band R.E.M.Stipe is noted and occasionally parodied for the "mumbling" style of his early career as well as his social and political activism. He was in charge of R.E.M.'s visual image; often...
that was used in the English movie, Bulletproof Monk
Bulletproof Monk
Bulletproof Monk is a 2003 action film starring Chow Yun-fat, Seann William Scott and Jaime King. The film was directed by Paul Hunter. It is loosely based on the comic book by Michael Avon Oeming....
. The song was also released on the album 1 Giant Leap
1 Giant Leap
1 Giant Leap is a concept band and media project consisting of the two principal artists, Jamie Catto and Duncan Bridgeman.-Information:...
for 2002.
In 1997, the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
band Cornershop
Cornershop
Cornershop are a British indie rock band formed in 1991 by Wolverhampton-born Tjinder Singh , his brother Avtar Singh , David Chambers and Ben Ayres , the first three having previously been members of Preston-based band General Havoc, who released one single in 1991...
paid tribute to Asha with their song Brimful of Asha
Brimful of Asha
"Brimful of Asha" is a 1997 single by the British alternative rock band Cornershop, which originally reached number 60 in the UK Singles Chart in 1997...
, an international hit which was later remixed by Fatboy Slim
Fatboy Slim
Norman Quentin Cook better known by his former stage name Fatboy Slim, is a British DJ, electronic dance music musician, and record producer. He is a pioneer of the big beat genre that achieved mainstream popularity in the 1990s...
. In 2001, the CD
Compact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
single of Nelly Furtado
Nelly Furtado
Nelly Kim Furtado is a Canadian singer-songwriter, record producer and actress. Furtado grew up in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.Furtado first gained fame with her debut album, Whoa, Nelly!, and its single "I'm Like a Bird", which won a 2001 Juno Award for Single of the Year and a 2002 Grammy...
's "I'm Like A Bird" included a "Nellie vs. Asha Remix" created by Digital Cutup Lounge.
In 2003, British opera pop singer Sarah Brightman
Sarah Brightman
Sarah Brightman is an English classical crossover soprano, actress, songwriter and dancer. She is famous for possessing a vocal range of over 3 octaves and singing in the whistle register...
sampled her song "Dil Cheez Kya Hai" on her album Harem
Harem (album)
Harem is a 2003 album by English singer Sarah Brightman. It mixes her operatic voice with Middle-Eastern and Indian rhythms and vocals. Thanks to an idea of Frank Peterson, the producer of this album, in the song "Mysterious Days", they included the vocals of the late singer Ofra Haza, who worked...
. It was used as the intro for her song "You Take My Breath Away".
In 2005, American string quartet
String quartet
A string quartet is a musical ensemble of four string players – usually two violin players, a violist and a cellist – or a piece written to be performed by such a group...
Kronos Quartet
Kronos Quartet
Kronos Quartet is a string quartet founded by violinist David Harrington in 1973 in Seattle, Washington. Since 1978, the quartet has been based in San Francisco, California. The longest-running combination of performers had Harrington and John Sherba on violin, Hank Dutt on viola, and Joan...
re-recorded R D Burman compositions like Chura Liya
Chura Liyaa Hai Tumne
Chura Liyaa Hai Tumne is an Indian Bollywood film which is directed by Sangeeth Sivan and released on 21 March 2003. Zayed Khan, the son of actor and director Sanjay Khan made his film debut with this film.-Synopsis:...
, Piya Tu, Mera Kuchh Saaman among others and got Asha to sing them. Despite her age, she recorded three to four songs in a day, leaving the quartet members stupefied. On August 23, 2005, You've stolen my heart - Songs From R D Burman's Bollywood
Bollywood
Bollywood is the informal term popularly used for the Hindi-language film industry based in Mumbai , Maharashtra, India. The term is often incorrectly used to refer to the whole of Indian cinema; it is only a part of the total Indian film industry, which includes other production centers producing...
was released in US. The album was nominated for Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
s 2006 in the category of "Best Contemporary World Music Album". In the 1990s, a friend had introduced David Harrington of Kronos Quartet
Kronos Quartet
Kronos Quartet is a string quartet founded by violinist David Harrington in 1973 in Seattle, Washington. Since 1978, the quartet has been based in San Francisco, California. The longest-running combination of performers had Harrington and John Sherba on violin, Hank Dutt on viola, and Joan...
to the song Aaj ki raat. Harrington was mesmerised, and the song ended up on the album Kronos Caravan.
Also in 2005, The Black Eyed Peas
The Black Eyed Peas
The Black Eyed Peas are an American pop group , formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1995. The group includes rappers will.i.am, apl.de.ap, and Taboo, and singer Fergie. Since the release of their third album Elephunk in 2003, the group has sold an estimated 56 million records worldwide...
sampled her songs "Ae Naujawan Sab Kuchh Yahan" (Apradh
Apradh
Apradh is a 1972 Hindi film produced and directed by Feroz Khan. It was Feroz Khans debut as a producer and a director. The film stars Feroz Khan, Mumtaz, Prem Chopra, Iftekhar, Helen, Faryal and Madan Puri. The films music is by Kalyanji Anandji...
, 1972) and "Yeh Mera Dil Pyaar Ka Diwana" (Don
Don (1978 film)
Don is a 1978 Indian action film, produced by Nariman Irani and directed by Chandra Barot, with music by Kalyanji Anandji and lyrics by Anjaan. The film stars Amitabh Bachchan, Zeenat Aman, Pran, Iftekhar, Helen and Om Shivpuri, Satyen Kappu and Pinchoo Kapoor. It was the third-highest grossing...
, 1978) in their hit single "Don't Phunk with My Heart
Don't Phunk with My Heart
"Don't Phunk with My Heart", titled "Don't Mess with My Heart" on some radio edits, is a song by The Black Eyed Peas from their fourth album Monkey Business. It was released as the lead single from the album on May 10, 2005....
". In late 2006, Asha collaborated with Australian test cricket star, Brett Lee
Brett Lee
Brett Lee is an Australian cricketer.After breaking into the Australian Test team, Lee was recognised as one of the fastest bowlers in world cricket...
. The single, You're the One for Me
You're the One for Me
"You're the One For Me" is a song written by Australian cricketer Brett Lee during the 2006 ICC Champions Trophy in India. It was released as a duet featuring Lee and Bollywood star Asha Bhosle....
, debuted at number 4 on the charts and reached a peak position of number 2.
In 2006 Asha recorded one song for the soundtrack of Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
i movie Mein Ek Din Laut Kay Aaaonga. She sang the song, titled Dil Key Taar Bajey, with famous Pakistani pop singer Jawad Ahmed. It was aired as part of the film's promotional campaign and became very popular, featuring on top music charts
Record chart
A record chart is a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....
.
Personal life
Asha's house is situated in Prabhukunj Apt on Peddar RoadPeddar Road
Pedder Road is the former name of a busy arterial road in South Mumbai passing through the affluent Cumballa Hill neighborhood. It was named after Mr. W. G. Pedder, Municipal Commissioner . He was in the Bombay Civil Service, 1855-1879, and on his retirement was appointed Secretary to the Revenue...
area of South Mumbai
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
. She has three children and five grandchildren. The eldest of her three children, Hemant Bhosle (named after Hemant Kumar), spent most of his early years as a pilot and quit to have a brief career as a music director. Asha's daughter Varsha
Varsha Bhosle
Varsha Bhosle is an Indian singer, journalist and writer based in Mumbai. She is the daughter of Indian playback singer, Asha Bhosle.-Career:...
worked as a columnist for The Sunday Observer and Rediff. Asha's youngest child, Anand Bhosle, has studied business and film direction. He manages Asha's career. Her grandson, Chaitanya (Chintu) Bhosle (Hemant's son) is a part of the world of music. He is a member of India's first & only boy band
Boy band
A boy band is loosely defined as a popular music act consisting of only male singers. The members are expected to dance as well as sing, usually giving highly choreographed performances. More often than not, boy band members do not play musical instruments, either in recording sessions or on...
, "A Band of Boys". Her sisters Lata
Lata Mangeshkar
Lata Mangeshkar is a singer from India. She is one of the best-known and most respected playback singers in India. Mangeshkar's career started in 1942 and has spanned over six and a half decades. She has recorded songs for over a thousand Hindi films and has sung songs in over thirty-six regional...
and Usha Mangeshkar
Usha Mangeshkar
Usha Mangeshkar is an Indian singer who has recorded many Hindi, Marathi and Gujarati songs soundtracks.She is daughter of Pandit Deenanath Mangeshkar & Shevanti . She is the younger sister of singers, Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhosle and elder to her music-director brother Hridaynath Mangeshkar...
are playback singers. Her other, sister Meena Mangeshkar and brother Hridayanath Mangeshkar
Hridayanath Mangeshkar
Hridaynath Mangeshkar is a composer/singer from India known for his eclectic compositions and a well-respected body of work. He is the younger brother of Indian music icons Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhosle...
are music director
Music director
A music director may be the director of an orchestra, the director of music for a film, the director of music at a radio station, the head of the music department in a school, the co-ordinator of the musical ensembles in a university or college , the head bandmaster of a military band, the head...
s.
Asha is an excellent cook and cooking
Cooking
Cooking is the process of preparing food by use of heat. Cooking techniques and ingredients vary widely across the world, reflecting unique environmental, economic, and cultural traditions. Cooks themselves also vary widely in skill and training...
is her favorite hobby. She often gets flooded with requests by Bollywood celebrities for kadai ghosht and biryani
Biryani
Biryani, biriani, or beriani is a set of rice-based foods made with spices, rice and meat, fish, eggs or vegetables. The name is derived from the Persian word beryā which means "fried" or "roasted"....
dishes and has rarely turned down a request. In fact, her paya curry
Curry
Curry is a generic description used throughout Western culture to describe a variety of dishes from Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Sri Lankan, Thai or other Southeast Asian cuisines...
, Goa
Goa
Goa , a former Portuguese colony, is India's smallest state by area and the fourth smallest by population. Located in South West India in the region known as the Konkan, it is bounded by the state of Maharashtra to the north, and by Karnataka to the east and south, while the Arabian Sea forms its...
n fish curry and dal
Dal
Dal is a preparation of pulses which have been stripped of their outer hulls and split. It also refers to the thick stew prepared from these, an important part of Indian, Nepali, Pakistani, Sri Lankan, and Bangladeshi cuisine...
are very popular with the Kapoor
Kapoor
Kapoor or Kapur and sometimes but rarely Capoor is the name of a gotra of punjabi descent belonging to the Khatri Varna. They are part of the "Dhai Ghar", meaning two and a half houses. Kapurs, Malhotra , Khanna and Seth marry their children with each other...
family of Bollywood. Once, when asked in a Times of India interview, what if her singing career had not taken off, she said "I would have become a cook. I'd have cooked in four houses and made money."
Asha is a successful restaurateur and runs restaurants in Dubai
Dubai
Dubai is a city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates . The emirate is located south of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula and has the largest population with the second-largest land territory by area of all the emirates, after Abu Dhabi...
and Kuwait
Kuwait
The State of Kuwait is a sovereign Arab state situated in the north-east of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south at Khafji, and Iraq to the north at Basra. It lies on the north-western shore of the Persian Gulf. The name Kuwait is derived from the...
, called Asha's. Asha's offers traditional north-western Indian cuisine
Indian cuisine
Indian cuisine consists of thousands of regional cuisines which date back thousands of years. The dishes of India are characterised by the extensive use of various Indian spices, herbs, vegetables and fruit. Indian cuisine is also known for the widespread practice of vegetarianism in Indian society...
. It has a presence in the Wafi City development in Dubai
Dubai
Dubai is a city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates . The emirate is located south of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula and has the largest population with the second-largest land territory by area of all the emirates, after Abu Dhabi...
, as well as three restaurants in Kuwait
Kuwait
The State of Kuwait is a sovereign Arab state situated in the north-east of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south at Khafji, and Iraq to the north at Basra. It lies on the north-western shore of the Persian Gulf. The name Kuwait is derived from the...
, at The Avenues Mall
The Avenues (Kuwait)
The Avenues mall is the largest mall and shopping center in Kuwait. It is soon to be one of the largest malls in the Middle East. It is located in the Al-Rai industrial area, along the Fifth Ring Road...
, the Marina Mall
Marina World
Marina World is Kuwait's second largest shopping and entertainment complex, located on the beachfront in the exclusive shopping district of Salmiya...
and a brand new third outlet at the Spoons Complex. Other restaurants can be found in Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi , literally Father of Gazelle, is the capital and the second largest city of the United Arab Emirates in terms of population and the largest of the seven member emirates of the United Arab Emirates. Abu Dhabi lies on a T-shaped island jutting into the Persian Gulf from the central western...
's Khaldiya Mall, Doha
Doha
Doha is the capital city of the state of Qatar. Located on the Persian Gulf, it had a population of 998,651 in 2008, and is also one of the municipalities of Qatar...
's Villagio and Bahrain's City Center Mall, with future outposts planned for Dubai's Mall of the Emirates and Cairo, Egypt. Asha Bhosle has a 20% stake in the business. Asha is not involved in day-to-day running of the restaurant which is looked after by the Wafi Group. She takes care of the kitchen and the décor. She personally trained the chef
Chef
A chef is a person who cooks professionally for other people. Although over time the term has come to describe any person who cooks for a living, traditionally it refers to a highly skilled professional who is proficient in all aspects of food preparation.-Etymology:The word "chef" is borrowed ...
s for almost six months. According to a December 2004 report in the Menu Magazine, Russell Scott, a former head of Harry Ramsden's (the fish and chips chain), secured the UK rights to the Asha's brand and planned to open up to 40 restaurants over the next five years. As part of her chain of restaurants, Asha has recently opened a new restaurant in Birmingham, UK.
Asha's fashion statement is white saree with sparkling embroidery, pearls around her neck and a touch of diamond
Diamond
In mineralogy, diamond is an allotrope of carbon, where the carbon atoms are arranged in a variation of the face-centered cubic crystal structure called a diamond lattice. Diamond is less stable than graphite, but the conversion rate from diamond to graphite is negligible at ambient conditions...
s. Harrington said "The first time I met Ashaji she was dressed in the most beautiful sari
Sari
A sari or sareeThe name of the garment in various regional languages include: , , , , , , , , , , , , , is a strip of unstitched cloth, worn by females, ranging from four to nine metres in length that is draped over the body in various styles. It is popular in India, Bangladesh, Nepal,...
with diamonds and looked very regal. Then I looked down and saw that she was wearing tennis shoes! I thought I love this woman."
Asha is a good mimicry artist as well. At a concert at World Trade Center in Dubai on April 22, 2004, she mimicked the song Kabhi To Nazar Milaao in the voices of Noor Jehan
Noor Jehan
Noorjehan or Noorjehan was the adopted stage name for Allah Wasai who was a legendary singer and actress in British India and Pakistan. Her career spanned seven decades...
, Lata Mangeshkar and Ghulam Ali
Ghulam Ali
USTAAD Ghulam Ali is a Pakistani ghazal singer of the Patiala gharana. He is not to be confused with the Indian singer Bade Ghulam Ali Khan or Chhote Ghulam Ali, who is another Pakistani singer in the Qual Bachon Gharana....
.
Nowadays, apart from singing and her restaurant, Asha is also working on her autobiography.
Rivalry with Lata Mangeshkar
Asha's sibling rivalrySibling rivalry
Sibling rivalry is a type of competition or animosity among children, blood-related or not.Siblings generally spend more time together during childhood than they do with parents. The sibling bond is often complicated and is influenced by factors such as parental treatment, birth order, personality,...
with Lata Mangeshkar
Lata Mangeshkar
Lata Mangeshkar is a singer from India. She is one of the best-known and most respected playback singers in India. Mangeshkar's career started in 1942 and has spanned over six and a half decades. She has recorded songs for over a thousand Hindi films and has sung songs in over thirty-six regional...
is often talked about, in spite of their insistence that these are just tales. As young children, they were very close. As a child, Lata used to carry Asha all the time. They were so inseparable that when Lata went to school she would take Asha with her. One day the teacher protested and said that they cannot have two students on one fee. Lata refused to return to school without Asha and quit her studies.
Lata considered Asha's act of eloping with her lover as irresponsible, leaving her alone to sing and earn for the family. This led to tensions between them. Asha herself accepted in an interview — "It was a love marriage and Lata didi did not speak to me for a long time. She disapproved of the alliance." At one time, their relationship was very adversarial and there have been periods of non-communication.
In her initial days in the industry, Asha always played second fiddle to her elder sister. Some say that Lata had once criticised Asha's relationship with O. P. Nayyar
O. P. Nayyar
Omkar Prasad Nayyar was an Indian film music director and composer born in Lahore, India, now in modern day Pakistan. He was particularly acclaimed for his peppy numbers.-Career:...
. This widened the rift between the two sisters and O P Nayyar also decided that he would never work with Lata. O.P. Nayyar had once revealed "Asha and Lata, staying in opposite flats at Bombay's Peddar Road
Peddar Road
Pedder Road is the former name of a busy arterial road in South Mumbai passing through the affluent Cumballa Hill neighborhood. It was named after Mr. W. G. Pedder, Municipal Commissioner . He was in the Bombay Civil Service, 1855-1879, and on his retirement was appointed Secretary to the Revenue...
, had a common maidservant. Now this maidservant had merely to come and tell the younger sister that Lata had just recorded something wonderful for Asha to lose her vocal poise. Such was her Lata phobia that it took me some months to convince Asha that she had a voice individualistic enough to evolve a singing style all of her own." Asha once said that she has worked for years to create a voice and a style that was different from Lata, so that she could carve her own niche and not be banished to live in her sister's shadow.
Asha and Lata have also sung together. Their first duet was for the film Daman (1951). Some of their songs include Man Bhawan Ke Ghar aye (Chori Chori
Chori Chori
Chori Chori is a 1956 Hindi film directed by Anant Thakur, with music by Shankar Jaikishan and lyrics by Hasrat Jaipuri and Shailendra. The film is inspired by the Hollywood movie, It Happened One Night. The film stars Raj Kapoor and Nargis. Bhagwan Dada, Pran, David, and Johnny Walker have...
, 1956), Sakhi ri sun bole papihaa us paar (Miss Mary, 1957), O chaand jahaan woh jaaye (Sharada, 1957), Mere Mehboob Mein Kya Nahi (Mere Mehboob
Mere Mehboob
Mere Mehboob is a 1963 Indian film directed by Harnam Singh Rawail and starring Rajendra Kumar, Sadhana, Ashok Kumar, Nimmi, Pran, Johnny Walker and Ameeta. The film became a "blockbuster" and took the number one position at the box office in 1963. The movie drew a background from Aligarh Muslim...
, 1963), Ai kash kisi deewane ko (Aaye Din Bahar Ke
Aaye Din Bahar Ke
Aaye Din Bahar Ke is a 1966 Hindi film produced by J. Om Prakash. It became a box office hit. The film stars Dharmendra, Asha Parekh, Nazima, Sulochna, Balraj Sahni and Rajindernath. The film is a musical romance with music given by Laxmikant Pyarelal. Anand Bakshi is the lyricist...
, 1966), Main Chali Main Chali (Padosan
Padosan
Padosan is a 1968 Indian Hindi film. Directed by Jyoti Swaroop, Produced by Mehmood, N. C. Sippy, and written by Rajendra Krishan. The music is by R.D. Burman. The movie stars Sunil Dutt, Saira Banu in the lead roles. Kishore Kumar, Mukri, Raj Kishore and Keshto Mukherjee played the supporting roles...
, 1968), Chhap tilak sab (Main Tulsi Tere Aangan Ki
Main Tulsi Tere Aangan Ki
Main Tulsi Tere Aangan Ki is a 1978 Indian film directed by Raj Khosla and Sudesh Issar. Based on a Marathi novel titled Ashi Tujhi Preet by famous Marathi storywriter Chandrakant Kakodkar .-Plot :...
, 1978), and Man kyun behka (Utsav
Utsav
Utsav is a 1984 Hindi film, produced by Shashi Kapoor and directed by Girish Karnad.The film stars Shashi Kapoor, Rekha, Amjad Khan, Anuradha Patel, Shekhar Suman, Anupam Kher, Shankar Nag, Neena Gupta, Kulbhushan Kharbanda, Annu Kapoor, Sanjana Kapoor and Kunal Kapoor.The role played by Shashi...
, 1984). While singing, Lata used to hold her notebook in her right hand, while Asha held hers in the left hand. This meant Lata had her face away from Asha, making it difficult for them to "anticipate" each other.
The movie Saaz
Saaz (film)
Saaz is a Hindi movie produced and directed by Sai Paranjpye and released in 1998, starring Aruna Irani and Shabana Azmi in lead roles. The plot is allegedly based on the life of legendary singing sisters of Bollywood, Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhosle . In an interview after the release of the film...
, was supposedly based on Lata and Asha's rivalry. Asha said about the movie — "To have two women in long plaits, take a couple of incidents and exaggerate them into a 3-hour film is such a waste of time." In the last few years, Asha and Lata have often been seen in public, enjoying each other's company. In an interview with The Times of India
The Times of India
The Times of India is an Indian English-language daily newspaper. TOI has the largest circulation among all English-language newspaper in the world, across all formats . It is owned and managed by Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd...
, Asha once said - "I remember, sometimes both of us would be at a function and some industry types would ignore me and interact only with her, as if to prove their loyalty. Later, didi and I would have a good laugh!"
Awards
Filmfare awardsFilmfare Awards
The Filmfare Awards are presented annually by The Times Group to honour both artistic and technical excellence of professionals in the Hindi language film industry of India. The Filmfare ceremony is one of the oldest and most prominent film events given for Hindi films in India. The awards were...
Asha Bhosle has won seven Filmfare Best Female Playback Award
Filmfare Best Female Playback Award
The Filmfare Best Female Playback Award is given by Filmfare as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films, to recognise a female playback singer who has delivered an outstanding performance in a film song....
s of 18 nominations. She won her first two awards in 1967 and 1968. (Mangeshkar asked not to be considered for the award nominations after 1969 to promote new talent). After receiving the award in 1979, Bhosle emulated her elder sister and requested that her name not be considered for the nominations hereafter. Despite this, Bhosle is the most frequent winner of this award to date, tying with Alka Yagnik
Alka Yagnik
Alka Yagnik is an Indian singer who is ranked among the best Hindi playback singers of all time. She is a seven-time winner of the Filmfare Best Female Playback Award as well as a two-time recipient of the prestigious National Film Awards...
. She was later given a Special Award for Rangeela
Rangeela (film)
Rangeela is a 1995 Hindi film directed by Ram Gopal Varma, and starring Aamir Khan, Jackie Shroff and Urmila Matondkar.Rangeela was music director A. R. Rahman's debut Hindi film with an original score, as the previous ones were dubbed from his Tamil scores...
in 1996, and the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award
Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award
The Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award, initially named Raj Kapoor Award for Lifetime Achievement after Raj Kapoor is given by the Filmfare magazine as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films....
in 2001. Following is the list of her Filmfare Awards:
Filmfare Best Female Playback Award
Filmfare Best Female Playback Award
The Filmfare Best Female Playback Award is given by Filmfare as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films, to recognise a female playback singer who has delivered an outstanding performance in a film song....
:
- 1968: "Garibon ki Suno" (Dus Lakh, 1966)
- 1969: "Parde Mein Rehne Do" (ShikarShikar (1968 film)Shikar is a 1968 Hindi movie produced and directed by Atma Ram. The film is a murder mystery that became a box office hit. The film stars Dharmendra, Asha Parekh, Sanjeev Kumar, Helen, Rehman, Bela Bose, Ramesh Deo and Johnny Walker....
, 1968) - 1972: "Piya Tu Ab To Aaja" (CaravanCaravan (1971 film)Caravan is a 1971 movie under Nasir Hussain films banner. Nasir Hussain and Sachin Bhowmick wrote the screenplay. Hussain's brother Tahir Hussain is credited as producer. It starred Jeetendra and the Nasir Husain fixture- Asha Parekh. It also had Aruna Irani , Helen and Madan Puri...
, 1971) - 1973: "Dum Maro Dum" (Hare Rama Hare Krishna, 1972)
- 1974: "Hone Lagi Hain Raat" (Naina, 1973)
- 1975: "Chain Se Humko Kabhi" (Pran Jaye Par Vachan Na JayePran Jaye Par Vachan Na JayePran Jaye Par Vachan Na Jaye is a 1974 Hindi film produced by Ratan Mohan and directed by S. Ali Raza. The film stars Sunil Dutt, Rekha, Iftekhar, Premnath, Jeevan, Bindu, Madan Puri, Ranjeet and Jayshree T. The film's music is by O. P. Nayyar.-Awards:...
, 1974) - 1979: "Yeh Mera Dil" (DonDon (1978 film)Don is a 1978 Indian action film, produced by Nariman Irani and directed by Chandra Barot, with music by Kalyanji Anandji and lyrics by Anjaan. The film stars Amitabh Bachchan, Zeenat Aman, Pran, Iftekhar, Helen and Om Shivpuri, Satyen Kappu and Pinchoo Kapoor. It was the third-highest grossing...
, 1978)
Other Awards:
- 1996 - Special Award (RangeelaRangeela (film)Rangeela is a 1995 Hindi film directed by Ram Gopal Varma, and starring Aamir Khan, Jackie Shroff and Urmila Matondkar.Rangeela was music director A. R. Rahman's debut Hindi film with an original score, as the previous ones were dubbed from his Tamil scores...
, 1995) - 2001 - Filmfare Lifetime Achievement AwardFilmfare Lifetime Achievement AwardThe Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award, initially named Raj Kapoor Award for Lifetime Achievement after Raj Kapoor is given by the Filmfare magazine as part of its annual Filmfare Awards for Hindi films....
National Film Awards
National Film Awards
The National Film Awards is the most prominent film award ceremony in India. Established in 1954, it is administered, along with the International Film Festival of India and the Indian Panorama, by the Indian government's Directorate of Film Festivals since 1973.Every year, a national panel...
Asha has won the National Film Award for Best Female Playback Singer
National Film Award for Best Female Playback Singer
The National Film Award for Best Female Playback Singer winners are given below. Lata Mangeshkar is the oldest winner in this category, whereas Anjali Marathe is the youngest winner; while K. S. Chithra been awarded for the maximum number of times .-Superlatives:...
twice:
- 1981: Dil Cheez Kya Hai (Umrao JaanUmrao JaanUmrao Jaan is a 1981 Bollywood film, directed by Muzaffar Ali. It is based on the Urdu novel Umrao Jaan Ada , written by Mirza Hadi Ruswa based on the famous Lucknow courtesan...
) - 1986: Mera Kuch Samaan (IjaazatIjaazatIjaazat is an acclaimed 1987 Indian Hindi film directed by Gulzar, based on a Bengali story, Jatugriha by Subodh Ghosh....
)
Other awards
Asha has won numerous other awards, including:
- 1987: Nightingale Of Asia Award (from the IndoIndiaIndia , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
–PakPakistanPakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
Association, UKUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
). - 1989: Lata Mangeshkar Award (Government of Madhya PradeshMadhya PradeshMadhya Pradesh , often called the Heart of India, is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal and Indore is the largest city....
). - 1997: Screen VideoconVideoconVideocon is an industrial conglomerate with interests all over the world, and is a Indian multinational company. The group has 17 manufacturing sites in India and plants in China, Poland, Italy and Mexico. It is also the third largest picture tube manufacturer in the world...
Award (for the album Jaanam Samajha Karo). - 1997: MTVMTVMTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
Award (for the album Jaanam Samajha Karo). - 1997: Channel VChannel VChannel [V] is the brand name for multiple international music television networks owned by STAR TV and Fox International Channels, fully owned subsidiaries of News Corporation.-Channel [V] International:...
Award (for the album Jaanam Samjha Karo). - 1998: Dayawati Modi Award.
- 1999: Lata Mangeshkar Award (Government of MaharashtraMaharashtraMaharashtra is a state located in India. It is the second most populous after Uttar Pradesh and third largest state by area in India...
) - 2000: Singer of the Millennium (DubaiDubaiDubai is a city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates . The emirate is located south of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula and has the largest population with the second-largest land territory by area of all the emirates, after Abu Dhabi...
). - 2000: ZeeZee TVZee TV is an India-based satellite television channel owned by Zee Entertainment Enterprises based in Mumbai, Maharashtra, which broadcasts various programmes in Hindi and other regional languages of India. Broadcasting is also present in various nations of South Asia, Europe, the Middle East,...
Gold Bollywood Award (for Mujhe Rang De from Thakshak). - 2001: MTVMTVMTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
Award (for Kambakht Ishq). - 2002: BBCBBCThe British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
Lifetime Achievement Award (presented by the UK Prime MinisterPrime ministerA prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
Tony BlairTony BlairAnthony Charles Lynton Blair is a former British Labour Party politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was the Member of Parliament for Sedgefield from 1983 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007...
). - 2002: Zee Cine Award for Best Playback Singer - Female (for Radha Kaise Na Jale from Lagaan).
- 2002: Zee Cine Special Award for Hall of FameZee Cine Special Award for Hall of FameThe Zee Cine Special Award for Hall of Fame was used in the year .Each year introduces a special category at the awards. In 2002, they tried to acknowledge different kinds of artists, one of them was a playback singer who has sung for years and still sings at age 69 for the new breed of actresses....
. - 2002: Screen VideoconVideoconVideocon is an industrial conglomerate with interests all over the world, and is a Indian multinational company. The group has 17 manufacturing sites in India and plants in China, Poland, Italy and Mexico. It is also the third largest picture tube manufacturer in the world...
Award (for Radha Kaise Na Jale from Lagaan). - 2002: SansuiSansui) is a Japanese manufacturer of audio and video equipment. Headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, it is part of Grande Holdings, a Chinese Hong Kong-based conglomerate, which also owns Japanese brands Akai and Nakamichi....
Movie Award (for Radha Kaise Na Jale from Lagaan). - 2003: Swaralaya Yesudas AwardSwaralaya Yesudas AwardSwaralaya Yesudas award is a prestigious award for music artists in recognition to their outstanding performance. The award is instituted jointly by Swaralaya, an organization that promotes music and Kairali Channel, based at Trivandrum, India. Awards have been given annually since 2000. Dr. K. J...
for outstanding contributions to Indian music. - 2004: Living Legend Award by the Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce and IndustryFICCIThe Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry is an association of business organizations in India, headquartered in the national capital New Delhi. FICCI is one of the main organizations to fund and support many governmental and non-governmental educational institutes...
. - 2005: MTV ImmiesMTV IndiaMTV India is the Indian version of MTV , a channel specialising in music and youth culture programming. It was launched in 1996 and is now part of the Viacom 18 Media Pvt. Ltd based in Mumbai. . "MTV India" is one of the oldest Music Television Networks in Asia...
, Best Female Pop Act for Aaj Jaane Ki Zid Na Karo. - 2005: Most Stylish People in Music.
Honours and recognitions
- In 1997, Asha became the first Indian singer to be nominated for the Grammy AwardGrammy AwardA Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
, for Legacy, an album with Ustad Ali Akbar Khan. - She has received seventeen MaharashtraMaharashtraMaharashtra is a state located in India. It is the second most populous after Uttar Pradesh and third largest state by area in India...
State Awards. - She received the Dadasaheb Phalke AwardDadasaheb Phalke AwardThe Dadasaheb Phalke Award is India's highest award in cinema given annually by the Government of India for lifetime contribution to Indian cinema. It was instituted in 1969, the birth centenary year of Dadasaheb Phalke, considered as the father of Indian cinema.The award for a particular year is...
in 2000 for her outstanding contribution to Indian cinema. - She holds honorary doctorateDoctorateA doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder to teach in a specific field, A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder...
s from the University of AmravatiAmravatiAmravati is a city in the state of Maharashtra, India and the seventh most populous metropolitan area in Maharashtra. It is also the administrative headquarters of the Amravati district...
and University of Jalgaon in LiteratureLiteratureLiterature is the art of written works, and is not bound to published sources...
. - She has received The Freddie Mercury Award for Outstanding Achievement in Arts.
- The Birmingham Film Festival paid her a special tribute in November 2002.
- She was honoured with the Padma VibhushanPadma VibhushanThe Padma Vibhushan is the second highest civilian award in the Republic of India. It consists of a medal and a citation and is awarded by the President of India. It was established on 2 January 1954. It ranks behind the Bharat Ratna and comes before the Padma Bhushan...
by the Government of IndiaGovernment of IndiaThe Government of India, officially known as the Union Government, and also known as the Central Government, was established by the Constitution of India, and is the governing authority of the union of 28 states and seven union territories, collectively called the Republic of India...
. - She was among top 20 music icons of the past 50 years.
- In 2011 the Guinness Book of World Records officially acknowledged Bhosle as the most recorded artist in the history of music. She was awarded a certificate for "the most studio recordings (singles) for recording up to 11,000 solo, duet and chorus-backed songs and in over 20 Indian languages since 1947".
External links
- Asha Bhosle: The Voice Of Bollywood And More - audio report by NPRNPRNPR, formerly National Public Radio, is a privately and publicly funded non-profit membership media organization that serves as a national syndicator to a network of 900 public radio stations in the United States. NPR was created in 1970, following congressional passage of the Public Broadcasting...