The renowned Indian playback singer Asha Bhosle is a legend whose voice captivates listeners with her fascinating range and emotional depth across generations. Her path from modest beginnings to becoming a legend of the Indian music industry is nothing short of incredible. Asha was born in Sangli, Maharashtra on September 8, 1933. Throughout a career spanning more than seven decades, Bhosle’s name has come to represent adaptability, creativity, and pure musical genius.
Her work with the great music director R.D. Burman produced some of the most memorable songs in Indian movie history, making her known as the “Queen of Playback Singing.” Bhosle’s discography includes a wide range of musical styles, including pop, ghazals, bhajans, film songs, soul-stirring masterpieces, and foot-tapping successes.
Beyond her unmatched vocal ability, Bhosle’s life story is one of tenacity, willpower, and the unwavering quest for perfection. She overcame many obstacles and disappointments to become a trailblazer who dispelled myths and redefined the place of women in the traditionally male-dominated music business.
This biography explores Asha Bhosle’s complex personality, revealing her many facets as well as her achievements, setbacks, and lasting legacy. Come along on a trip through the life and times of this musical icon, whose immortal melodies and unyielding passion have inspired millions of people throughout centuries.
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Early Life Of Asha Bhosle
Born in the modest Sangli hamlet of Goar on September 8, Asha Mangeshkar grew up in the musical family of her Marathi-Konkani father Deenanath Mangeshkar, and his Gujarati wife Shevanti. Sangli was then a minor princely state.
After relocating from Pune to Kolhapur, the family migrated to Mumbai. To help support their family, she and her older sister Lata Mangeshkar started performing in movies and singing. She made her cinematic debut in the Marathi film Majha Bal (1943) with the song “Chala Chala Nav Bala”. Datta Davjekar wrote the soundtrack for the movie.
When she performed the song “Saawan Aaya” for Hansraj Behl’s Chunariya (1948), she made her screen debut in Hindi cinema.Raat Ki Raani (1949) was the film in which she sang her debut solo Hindi song.She married 31-year-old Ganpatrao Bhosle against the wishes of her family when she eloped with him when she was 16 years old.
Profile of Asha Bhosle
- Birth Name: Asha Mangeshkar
- Date of Birth: 8 September 1933 (age 90)
- Birth Place: Goar, Sangli, Sangli State, British India
- Father’s Name: Deenanath Mangeshkar
- Occupations: Playback singer, entrepreneur actress television personality
- Spouse(s): Ganpatrao Bhosle
- Children : 3
- Honors: Dadasaheb Phalke Award (2000), Padma, Banga Bibhushan (2018), Maharashtra Bhushan (2021)
- Genres: Filmi, Qawwali, Ghazals, Folk, Bhajans, Pop, Classical, Gurbani, Nazrul Geeti, Rabindra Sangeet
- Instrument(s): Vocals
- Years active: 1943–present
Asha Bhosle’s Career
Prominent playback singers like Lata Mangeshkar, Shamshad Begum, and Geeta Dutt dominated the singing for the female lead in big-budget movies in the early 1960s. When Asha used to sing for the bad ladies and vamps or for songs in low-budget movies, she would receive the tasks that they refused. She performed more songs than the majority of playback singers in Hindi movies in the 1950s. Consequently, she was allowed to sing in Parineeta (1953) by film director Bimal Roy.
She was engaged by Raj Kapoor to perform “Nanhe Munne Bachche” alongside Mohammed Rafi in Boot Polish (1954), a song that became well-known. In C.I.D., O. P. Nayyar gave Asha a break (1956). Her first notable performance was in B. R. Chopra’s 1957 composition Naya Daur. “Maang Ke Saath Tumhara”, “Saathi Haath Badhana”, and “Uden Jab Jab Zulfein ” written by Sahir Ludhianvi, were duets she sang with Rafi that brought her fame. She has never performed all the songs for the lead actress in a movie before.
In 1966, Bhosle received widespread praise for his performances in the duets from one of the first soundtracks composed by music director R.D. Burman for the film Teesri Manzil. She reportedly thought she wouldn’t be able to sing this Westernized song when she first heard the dance number “Aaja Aaja”. She declined Burman’s invitation to alter the song, viewing it as a challenge. Together, Bhosle and Burman produced a number of hits as well as a marriage. She provided the voice of Hind dancer and film actress Helen in the 1960s and 1970s.
She provided the voice of Hind film actress and dancer Helen in the 1960s and 1970s, when “O Haseena Zulfon Wali” was based on her. It is rumored that Helen would go to her recording sessions in order to better comprehend the song and choreograph dance moves appropriately.”
Awards
Asha Bhosle has won seven Filmfare Best Female Playback Awards out of 18 nominations. Her first two honors came in 1967 and 1968. To foster emerging talent, Mangeshkar requested not to be considered for award nominations after 1969. After winning the award in 1979, Bhosle asked that her name not be included in any future nominations.
Despite this, Bhosle, tied with Alka Yagnik, is the most frequent recipient of this honor to date. Later, in 1996, she received a Special Award for Rangeela, and in 2001, she was honored with the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award.
The list of her Filmfare Awards is as follows:
Special Award
IIFA Awards
- IIFA Award for Best Female Playback
2002: “Radha Kaisa Na Jale” (Lagaan)
Grammys Bhosle is one of the very few Indian artists who has been nominated at the Grammy Awards.39th Grammy Awards – 1997
– Grammy Award for Best Global Music Album – Ali Akbar Khan’s Legacy (nominated)
48th Grammy Awards – 2006
– Grammy Award for Best Contemporary World Music Album – You’ve Stolen My Heart (nominated)
- 1996 – Special Award (Rangeela, 1995)
- Lifetime Achievement Award
2001 – Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award - National Film Awards
Asha has won the National Film Award for Best Female Playback Singer twice:
- 1981: Dil Cheez Kya Hai (Umrao Jaan)
- 1986: Mera Kuch Samaan (Ijaazat)
- Filmfare Best Female Playback Award
- 1979: “Yeh Mera Dil” (Don, 1978)
- 1975: “Chain Se Humko Kabhi” (Pran Jaye Par Vachan Na Jaye, 1974)
- 1974: “Hone Lagi Hai Raat” (Naina, 1973)
- 1973: “Dum Maro Dum” (Hare Rama Hare Krishna, 1972)
- 1972: “Piya Tu Ab To Aaja” (Caravan, 1971)
- 1969: “Parde Mein Rehne Do” (Shikar, 1968)
- 1968: “Garibon ki Suno” (Dus Lakh, 1966)
Honours And Recognitions
Her seventeen Maharashtra State Awards are in her possession. Asha made history in 1997 when she was the first Indian vocalist to receive a Grammy Award nomination for her album Legacy, which featured Ustad Ali Akbar Khan. She was honored with the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 2000 for her exceptional work in Indian cinema. She has honorary doctorates in literature from the Universities of Amravati and Jalgaon as well as in arts from the University of Salford.
The Freddie Mercury Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Arts has been given to her. In November 2002, she received a special homage from the Birmingham Film Festival. The Government of India bestowed upon her the award of the Padma Vibhushan. The Maharashtra government awarded Bhosle the Maharashtra Bhushan in 2021. She was one of the best. She was one of the top 20 musical icons of the previous half-century. At the 2011 Asian Awards, Bhosle received formal recognition as the most-recorded musician in music history from the Guinness Book of World Records.
Since 1947, she has recorded approximately 11,000 songs in over 20 Indian languages, including solo, duet, and chorus backing. She also received the Lifetime Achievement Award at the function. The first Doctor of Literature (D.Litt.) from Jodhpur National University has been awarded to Asha Bhosle.
BBC’s 2015 list of 100 inspirational women.
Upshot
The life story of Asha Bhosle is not limited to just documenting her singing career; it also showcases her talent, perseverance, and devotion to her extraordinary seven-decade career. Bhosle’s path is one of unrelenting tenacity and artistic progress, starting from modest beginnings and ending up as the voice behind numerous legendary songs in various languages and genres.
Bhosle has left a lasting impression on the Indian music scene with her unmatched adaptability and ability to change with the times. She has received worldwide praise and multiple awards, including the esteemed Padma Vibhushan, India’s second-highest civilian honor. Beyond her artistic accomplishments, Bhosle’s narrative demonstrates fortitude in the face of hardship as she overcame obstacles in her personal and professional life with elegance and resiliency.
Asha Bhosle is a cultural icon whose impact goes well beyond the music industry, motivating both listeners and new generations of musicians. Her biography pays homage to the timeless ability of music to transcend boundaries and touch the hearts of millions of people worldwide in addition to showcasing her incredible talent. For many years to come, the legacy of Asha Bhosle will reverberate, serving as a constant reminder of the transformational potential of art and the limitless potential of the human spirit.
FAQs
Which significant moments in Asha Bhosle’s career stand out?
A: Renowned for her multifaceted singing career spanning more than seven decades is Asha Bhosle. In addition to several other languages, she has recorded over 12,000 songs in Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Gujarati, and more. Her work with music director R.D. Burman and her well-known songs from Bollywood movies from the 1950s to the 1980s are only a couple of her noteworthy partnerships. She has won various accolades and distinctions, including India’s second-highest civilian award, the Padma Vibhushan, and the Dadasaheb Phalke Award.
What difficulties did Asha Bhosle face in her professional life?
A: Even with her enormous skill and contributions to the music industry, Asha Bhosle had a number of difficulties in her professional life. At the beginning of her career, she encountered harsh criticism and rivalry while trying to make a name for herself as a playback vocalist in Bollywood. She also went through personal struggles, such as the untimely death of her first husband, Ganpatrao Bhosle. Nevertheless, she overcame these challenges and cemented her reputation as one of India’s most renowned vocalists thanks to her tenacity, devotion, and creative approach to songwriting.