Image: Raju Shinde/Hindustan Times/Sipa USA/picture alliance

Asha Bhosle was one of the world's most prolific recording artists, with some 11,000 songs. She is one of the most celebrated voices of Bollywood songs in Indian history.

Veteran Indian playback singer Asha Bhosle died in Mumbai on Sunday, a day after being hospitalized for a chest infection. She was 92 years old, News.Az reports, DW.

Bhosle's granddaughter Zanai Bhosle took to social media on Saturday to let her grandmother's fans know about her situation, amid rumors of a cardiac arrest.

"My grandmother, Asha Bhosle, due to extreme exhaustion and suffering a chest infection, has been admitted to hospital, and we request you to value our privacy. Treatment is ongoing and hopefully everything will be well, and we shall update you positively," she had said on X.

While Zanai is yet to release any official statement, Bhosle's doctor confirmed her death. "She passed away due to multi-organ failure a few minutes ago," Dr Pratit Samdani told Indian press agency PTI.

Meanwhile, her son Anand Bhosle informed reporters of arrangements for the singer's last rites.

"My mother passed away today. People can pay their last respects to her at 11 a.m. tomorrow at Casa Grande, Lower Parel, where she lived. Her last rites will be performed at 4 p.m. tomorrow at Shivaji Park," he said.

Born in a village called Sangli in the western state of Maharashtra, Bhosle was one of the most popular playback voices of Indian cinema. She began her music career in the late 50s and sang through the 1980s.

In 2011, the legendary singer was officially recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records as the most-recorded artist in music history with over 11,000 songs.

Apart from several private awards, Bhosle was awarded the Padma Vibhushan (the second-highest civilian award in India), the Dadasaheb Phalke Award (the highest award in the field of cinema) and two National Film Awards for Best Female Playback Singer.

Some of her most popular songs include "Abhi na jao chod kar," "Chura liya hai tumne jo dilko," "Dum maro dum," "Jawan jaaneman" and "Jhumka gira re."

But her vast career in Indian playback music makes it next to impossible to compile a list of hits. Most Indians across multiple generations have their own set of favorite songs recorded by the singer, fondly known as "Asha Tai" — a tag for "elder sister."

She is widely known for being the voice behind spicy Indian cabaret songs in Bollywood, breaking out of the mainstream mold of modest, romantic songs traditionally sung by women. 

Bhosle was the younger sister of Lata Mangeshkar, another legendary Indian playback singer sometimes called the "Nightingale of India." Incidentally, Mangeshkar also passed away at the age of 92.

Despite the elder sister's dominant popularity, Bhosle carved out her own space in India's music industry and is commended for being one of the most versatile singers in Indian history.

Tributes pour in for 'Asha Tai'

As news of Bhosle's demise broke, tributes from across industries poured in. Celebrities took to social media to recall their cherished moments spent with her, others mentioned their favorite songs of the playback icon.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said she was "one of the most iconic and versatile voices" of India. "I'll always cherish the interactions I’ve had with her," he said, sharing images of their past meetings in a post on X. The Chief Minister of her home state, Maharashtra, fondly remembered the time she made him sing. "We were together at a World Radio Day programme where she insisted that I sing 'Abhi Na Jao Chhodkar' and remarked with a smile, 'See, I made the Chief Minister sing.' It is hard to believe that we will no longer have her presence among us," he wrote.

News.Az 

By Leyla Şirinova