Asha Bhosale - A Living Legend: 2009

About Asha

Asha Bhonsle, is one of the leading playback singer of the film Industry. She is wonderful, cheerful, versatile, all put together. She is a versatile singer and sings ghazals, bhajans, traditional Indian Classical music, pop and film music. No one can match her when it comes to variety. A living legend who remains still a heart throb of every generation.

The Musical Marathi Family:

The living legend Asha Bhonsle, one of the Mangeshkar sisters was born on 8th September, 1933 in a small hamlet called ‘Goar’ in Maharastra.in to a Musical Family of Pandit Dinanath Mangeshkar well-known Marathi theatre actor, a renowned Natya Sangeet musician and an exceptional Hindustani classical vocalist. She is also sister of well-known singers Lata Mangeshkar, Usha Mangeshkar as well as composers Hridayanath Mangeshkar and Meena Mangeshkar.
When she was nine years old, her father died. The family moved from Pune to Kolhapur and then to Bombay. 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. Asha gave her first hindi playback for the movie ‘Badi Maa’ released in the year 1944/1945, though officially her first song was Saawan aaya for Hansraj Behl's Chunariya (1948). Her first solo was for the film Raat Ki Raani (1949).

Personal Life

At the age of 16, she eloped with 31-year old Ganpatrao Bhosle (1916-1966), marrying him against her family's wishes. Ganpatrao was sister Lata's personal secretary. The marriage failed miserably. Her husband and in-laws mistreated her. After a few years of marriage, Bhosle 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, Anand. She continued to sing in films to earn money.
The 1970s Asha found a new ray of hope in the relationship that she shared with the famous legendary music director R D Burman Their collaboration resulted in several hits and admiration from many. They married in 1980. The great composer helped her establish her own feature.
Asha's house is situated in Prabhukunj Apt on Peddar Road area of South Mumbai. She has three children and five grandchildren. The eldest of her three children is Hemant Bhoslent most of his early years as a pilot and quit to have a brief career as a music director. Asha's daughter Varsha, who is younger than Hemant, worked as a columnist for The Sunday Observer and Rediff. The youngest child is Anand Bhosle, who has studied business and film direction. He manages Asha's career. Her grandson, Chaitanya (Chintu) Bhosle (Hemant's son) also ventured in the world of music, as a member of a successful boy band, "Band of Boys". Her granddaughter, Anneka Bhosle (hemant's daughter) is on her way of becoming a successful Photographer.
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 and has rarely turned down a request. 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 two restaurants in Kuwait. 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 chefs for almost six months. As part of her chain of restaurants, Asha's, Ashatai has recently opened a new restaurant in Birmingham, UK.
Asha's fashion statement is white sarees with sparkling embroidery, pearls around her neck and diamondsAsha 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.

Glance At Career

Reputed to have sung over 20,000 songs in more than 14 languages, Bhonsle’s lively style knows no limits — it matched the fun dances to the numbers picturized on Helen in the film Chinatown, and Aiye meherbaan picturized on Madhubala in the film Howrah Bridge
At 60-plus she still dares to challenge the youngsters on the scene, Alka Yagnik, Kavita Krishnamurty, Sadhana Sargam in evocative songs ‘Yai Re, Yai Re…‘ & ‘Tanha Tanha…‘ both from Rangeela or ‘Rang De…‘ from Takshak. She teams with Adnam Sami & ‘Ghulam Ali’ with the equal ease for private albums of Songs or ghazal.
Having started her career in elder sister’s shadow, she has outgrown every contemporary singer. Despite having sung varied styles and types of music, her forte is the bubbly and naughty songs. With the main songs of film going to Lata, Asha successfully managed to stamp her songs with her inimitable style.
1957 was her breakthrough year when OP Nayyar used her to sing the heroine's songs in Tumsa Nahin Dekha and Naya Daur. The same year SD Burman had his rift with Lata. And though Geeta Dutt could have been his next choice after Lata since she was already a mature singer and familiar to Burman Dada while Asha was still raw, Geeta's troubled marriage did not make her easily available for rehearsals. Consequently SD Burman chose to groom Asha along with OP Nayyar rather than wait for Geeta. The same year also saw her songs in films like Nau Do Gyarah and Paying Guest become extremely popular. The following year Asha made it right to the top with hit songs in films like Howrah Bridge (1958), Chalti ka Naam Ghadi (1958) and Lajwanti (1958). She also got involved with OP Nayyar and thereafter she remained his premier singer till their break-up in the 1970s.

O.P.Nayyar & R.D.Burman exploited her singing talent & experimented with her vocal cords to such an extent that it is difficult to imagine their music without her or Asha without them. Teesri Manzil, Ijazat, Khushboo with R.D.Burman, Mere Sanam, Kashmir Ki Kali, Ek Musafir Ek Haseena, ‘Pran Jaye Par Vachan Na Jaye’ & many others with O.P.Nayyar have added unforgettable rare gems to film music.

Prestigious Awards

Asha Bhosle has won seven Filmfare Best Female Playback Awards out of 18 nominations. She won her first two awards in 1967 and 1968, when Lata Mangeshkar still used to accept the award. 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:
1968: "Garibon ki Suno" (Dus Lakh, 1966)
1969: "Parde Mein Rehne Do" (Shikar, 1968)
1972: "Piya Tu Ab To Aaja" (Caravan, 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 Jaye, 1974)
1979: "Yeh Mera Dil" (Don, 1978)
Other Awards:
1996 - Special Award (Rangeela, 1995)
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)
Other awards
Asha has won numerous other awards, some of which include:
• 1987: Nightingale Of Asia Award (from the Indo–Pak Association, UK)
• 1989: Lata Mangeshkar Award (Government of Madhya Pradesh).
• 1997: Screen Videocon Award (for the album Jaanam Samajha Karo).
• 1997: MTV Award (for the album Jaanam Samajha Karo).
• 1997: Channel V Award (for the album Jaanam Samjha Karo).
• 1998: Dayawati Modi Award.
• 1999: Lata Mangeshkar Award (Government of Maharashtra)
• 2000: Singer of the Millennium (Dubai).
• 2000: Zee Gold Bollywood Award (for Mujhe Rang De from Thakshak).
• 2001: MTV Award (for Kambakht Ishq).
• 2002: BBC Lifetime Achievement Award (presented by the UK Prime Minister Tony Blair).
• 2002: Zee Cine Award for Best Playback Singer - Female (for Radha Kaise Na Jale from Lagaan).
• 2002: Zee Cine Special Award for Hall of Fame.
• 2002: Screen Videocon Award (for Radha Kaise Na Jale from Lagaan).
• 2002: Sansui Movie Award (for Radha Kaise Na Jale from Lagaan).
• 2003: Swaralaya Yesudas Award for outstanding contributions to Indian music.
• 2004: Living Legend Award by the Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.[17]
• 2005: MTV Immies, 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 Award, for Legacy, an album with Ustad Ali Akbar Khan.
• She has received seventeen Maharashtra State Awards.
• She received the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 2000 for her outstanding contribution to Indian cinema.
• She holds honorary doctorates from the University of Amravati and University of Jalgaon in Literature.
• 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 Vibhushan by the Government of India.
Asha Bhosle received Padma Vibhushan from President Pratibha Patil on Monday May 05, 2008.