Asha Bhosle, playback singer. File
| Photo Credit: S. Subramanium

An artist of extraordinary range and emotional colour, Asha Bhosle breathed her last at 92. She died in Mumbai on Sunday (April 12, 2026), after a brief hospitalisation. She is survived by her son, Anand, and a fan base spread over three generations. 

Forever young, Asha’s voice helped define a major cultural shift in post-Independence India, the rise of a more confident, worldly, and self-aware portrayal of women in Indian cinema. While her sister Lata Mangeshkar often represented an idealised, and almost unreal, femininity, Asha’s singing was more down-to-earth, lively, full of emotion, and open about expressing desire.

Published – April 12, 2026 10:46 pm IST