RIP Asha Bhosle: From Shankar Mahadevan to Kalpana Iyer, celebs remember the Queen of Melody

Today on April 12, the nation was left heartbroken when legendary playback singer Asha Bhosle breathed her last at the age of 92. She was admitted to the Breach Candy Hospital, Mumbai, for a chest infection and extreme exhaustion on the evening of April 11. A day later, the singer passed away due to multiple organ failure. Remembering Asha Tai, singer and composer Shankar Mahadevan says, “A very sad day for all of us and a very sad day for Indian music. I just cannot believe that our dearest Asha Tai is no more. I’m not able to express my sorrow and what I’m feeling right now as a musician, as Didi’s worshipper, as a very, very close family friend. And looking up to her like Ma Saraswati, I’m sure that every single Indian is just heartbroken. But Didi and her music will never ever perish from this phase of this earth till human beings exist. Because her contribution is, you know, you cannot describe in words. She is somebody who’s going to live forever, going to be there on our phones, on television, on every single medium where music plays. She’s going to be there with us, with her amazing voice, you know, resounding all over the planet. At this moment, we are all grief-stricken, we are all heartbroken, that’s all I can say. But let’s all pray that she’s in a better place, she keeps blessing us and sending us her positive, enthusiastic energy that she used to always share with us and keep her hand over our head and bless us. We’ll miss you, Didi. We’ll miss you.”

Veteran actor and dancer Kalpana Iyer, who worked with Asha Tai in several tracks including Jab Chhaye Mera Jadoo, shares, “She was one of the nicest and warmest people in the industry. After the song Jab Chaaye, she called me to her home one day and cooked for me personally. I was left awestruck by the way she served me with such warmth. It was a beautiful silver thali with the best Maharashtrian food, all freshly prepared. Asha ji knew my mother was a big fan and that they were very close; whenever they met, she would sing my mother’s favorite song, Aao Huzoor. That smiling face is gone…”

Singer and composer Leslee Lewis, who collaborated with the Playback Queen on iconic tracks such as Raat Shabnami and Jaanam Samjha Karo, says, “Today, the world feels quieter in a way words cannot explain. Asha Bhosle ji was not just a voice, she was the spirit of Indian music itself. There was a fearlessness in her singing, a freedom that allowed her to cross every boundary and still remain timeless. For all of us who create music, she was the benchmark we aspired to, often without even realising it. She could take a simple composition and turn it into something unforgettable, something that stayed with you long after the song ended. What I will always remember is her energy. She never sounded dated, never sounded tired. She sounded alive… always. That is something very few artists can achieve. Today, we mourn her loss, but her voice will never leave us. It will continue to play in our homes, in our hearts, in every note we create. Legends like Asha ji don’t go away… they become the soundtrack of our lives forever.”

Filmmaker and fashion designer Muzaffar Ali shares, “Umrao Jaan has lost its entire voice—Shahryar, Khayyam and now Asha ji. I remember, when she sang the song—in one scale lower—she said there is some magic in it. And after she won the National Award as a singer, she thanked me for making her a part of this magical project. We recorded five songs with Asha ji with the same team—Khayyam and Shahryar. They are amazing songs, and we recorded them in the late ’80s and have not given them to anyone. Now that my son (Shaad Ali) is reviving the project, we will use the songs. In fact, I have also recorded songs for a film which could not be made, and the production house must be having those songs. After that, I went to her home some three-four years back, and she served us amazing kebabs. Every moment spent with her is a golden memory for me. It’s a big loss for the industry and a major personal loss.”

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‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.hindustantimes.com ’