MUMBAI- India : India and the world are mourning the loss of one of music’s most extraordinary voices. Legendary playback singer Asha Bhosle died at Breach Candy Hospital in Mumbai on Sunday, April 12, 2026. She was 92 years old
Bhosle passed away due to multi-organ failure, according to Dr Pratit Samdani, who was treating her at the time. She had been admitted to the hospital on Saturday after experiencing cardiac and respiratory issues, and had not been keeping well for several months before being brought in in a critical state.
Her son Anand Bhosle confirmed the news, saying: “My mother passed away today. People can pay their last respects to her at 11 am tomorrow at Casa Grande, Lower Parel, where she lived. Her last rites will be performed at 4 pm tomorrow at Shivaji Park.”
One of India’s most versatile singers, Bhosle recorded more than 12,000 songs over a career spanning more than eight decades. She began singing at the age of 10, recording her first song in 1943 for the Marathi film Majha Bal.
Born in 1933 into the musical Mangeshkar family, Asha Bhosle’s stature in Hindi film music was rivalled only by her elder sister, the late Lata Mangeshkar. Together, the two siblings defined the sound of Indian cinema for generations, their voices becoming inseparable from the golden age of Bollywood.a
Bhosle’s range was unmatched. Her work spanned classical compositions, folk songs, ghazals, bhajans, qawwalis, and pop — with recordings in over 20 languages. She gave voice to some of the most beloved songs in Indian cinema, working with legendary composers including R.D. Burman, whom she later married in 1980. Burman died in 1994.
Bhosle received several prestigious honours throughout her career, including the Dadasaheb Phalke Award and the Padma Vibhushan — among the highest civilian distinctions in India. Her influence stretched far beyond the subcontinent. British band Cornershop immortalised her in the 1998 UK chart-topping hit Brimful of Asha, and as recently as 2026, she featured on the Gorillaz album The Mountain, on the track “The Shadowy Light.”
For the large South Asian diaspora across the Gulf — from Dubai and Abu Dhabi to Bahrain and beyond — Asha Bhosle’s songs were a constant companion: at weddings, family gatherings, and quiet evenings far from home. Her passing marks the end of a musical era that spanned nearly nine decades.
She is survived by her son Anand and her grandchildren, including Zanai Bhosle, who had been a constant companion in her final years.
