Legendary singer Asha Bhosle passed away on Sunday at the age of 92, a day after she was admitted to the Breach Candy Hospital in Mumbai. Her funeral, the singer's son Anand Bhosle, said will take place at the Shivaji Park in India's financial capital at 4 pm on Monday.
Her demise left the entire country grieving, with several prominent politicians expressing grief over her death. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said he is extremely pained by Bhosle's demise, calling it an irreplaceable loss for the music world, while paying condolences to her family.
"As a playback singer, she lent her voice to thousands of films and music albums. Generations of Indians have listened to and hummed her songs. The echo of her sweet melodies will resonate forever," he said.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah said Bhosle not only carved out unique identity with her voice, talent, but also enriched Indian music further through her melodies. "Asha Tai's voice held as much tenderness as her demeanor did simplicity and warmth. Whenever I met her, we would have long conversations on topics like music and art. Though she may not be with us today, through her voice, she will forever remain in our hearts," he said.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis called her demise extremely heartbreaking. In an X post, he said that the thought that Asha Bhosle is longer there is unbearable. "Singing over 12,000 songs in Marathi, Hindi, Bengali, along with 20 Indian languages and foreign tongues, she was also conferred awards like the ‘Bangla Vibhushan’ akin to the ‘Maharashtra Bhushan.’ Such a multifaceted singer, who so effortlessly embraced change, will not come again," he said.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee also paid tribute to Bhosle and said she is profoundly saddened by the demise, calling the singer a "great musical genius". She said Bhosle "has been an inspiring and mesmerising singer who reigned over our hearts for generations."
"She sang many Bengali songs too, and is incredibly popular in Bengal also. We could confer our highest civilian award 'Bangabibhushan' on her in 2018. My heartfelt condolences to her family and fraternity and millions of her fans all over the world," she Xed.
Expressing grief over Bhosle's death, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said the legendary singer's unparalleled singing bestowed new heights upon Indian music. Her sweet melodies will forever resonate in the hearts of the nation's people, he said.
"I pray to Lord Shri Ram that the departed noble soul attains eternal peace, and that the bereaved family and admirers are granted the strength to bear this immense sorrow," he said on X.
Maharashtra Governor Jishnu Dev Varma also condoled the demise of Bhosle and said her death is an irreparable loss to the world of music. "Asha Bhosle was one of the most accomplished and versatile playback singers India has seen. Her melodious voice, her ability to sing different genres of music and her vast and varied contribution to Indian music have left an indelible mark on generations of music lovers in India and across the world," he said.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said his condolences are with Bhosle's family. "Both the sisters, Asha Bhosle and Lata Mangeshkar, both the sisters were very good singers, and they brought name and fame to the country," he said.
Born on September 8, 1935 in Maharashtra's Sangli district, Bhosle was hospitalised on Saturday evening. She was initiated into music by her father Dinanath Mangeshkar just like her elder sister, Lata Mangeshkar was. Her other sister Meena and brother Hridaynath Mangeshkar is a music composer.
