Asha Bhosle (born September 8, 1933) is best known as a Bollywood playback singer. She started her career in 1943 and has spanned over six decades. Bhosle’s range of songs includes traditional Indian Classical music, folk songs, qawwalis, film music, pop, ghazals, bhajans, Rabindra Sangeets and Nazrul Geetis. She has sung in over 14 languages. Bhosle has done playback singing for over 12,000 songs(950 bollywood movies).
Born in the small hamlet of Goar in Sangli, Maharashtra she sang her first film song Chala Chala Nav Bala (Marathi movie Majha Bal in 1943) and Saawan aaya (Hindi movie Chunariya in 1948). She sang more songs than any other playback singer in Bollywood in 1950’s. It is said that Helen, Bollywood’s most famous dancer would attend her recording sessions so that she could understand the song better and plan dance steps accordingly. Asha Bhosle’s (she was 72) pop song Lucky Lips for Salman Khan-starrer Lucky were chartbusters.
Asha Bhosle’s singing career can be considered having 4 milestones — Naya Daur (1957), Teesri Manzil (1966), Umrao Jaan (1981) and Rangeela (1995). Shammi Kapoor, the actor of the movie Teesri manzil in reference to the song Aaja Aaja, once said – “If I did not have Mohammad Rafi to sing for me, I would have got Asha Bhosle to do the job”.
Ashstai’s Kambakht Ishq , a duet with Sonu Nigam (Film:Pyaar Tune Kya Kiya, 2001) was a superhit. Asha’s Bhaav Geet and renditions of her brother Hridayanath Mangeshkar’s compositions and Marathi natya sangeet composed by her father Deenanath Mangeshkar have been very popular with Marathi music lovers.
In the year 1995, Asha underwent the gatha bandan ceremony with Hindustani classical music legend Ali Akbar Khan to learn a classical repertoire held within the Maihar gharana. She was criticized by many people for tampering with old melodies(remixed R.D Burman songs) in 1990’s. She turned music composer with the album Aap Ki Asha in 2002. In 2005, Asha released a self-title album (Asha), a tribute to the four ghazal maestros – Mehdi Hasan, Ghulam Ali, Farida Khanum and Jagjit Singh which were recreated with modern sounds. In 2006, she recorded an album Asha and Friends, singing duets, with film actors Sanjay Dutt and Urmila Matondkar and famous cricket player Brett Lee.
In 1989, during a world tour, she performed in 13 US cities in 20 days. In the mid-1980s, Asha worked with Boy George (Bow down mister) and Stephen Lauscombe, the boy band Code Red, Michael Stipe and Leslie Lewis.
In 2006, Asha Bhosle recorded one song for Pakistani movie Mein Ek Din Laut Kay Aaaonga. (song: Dil Key Taar Bajey) with famous Pakistani pop singer Jawad Ahmed.
Asha is an excellent cook and cooking is her favorite hobby. Asha is a successful restaurateur and runs restaurants in Dubai and Kuwait, called Asha’s. Asha is a good mimicry artist as well. She is also working on her autobiography nowadays.
Awards.
· Filmfare Best Female Playback Award in the years 1968,1969,1972,1973,1974,1975,1979.
· 1996 – Special Award for Rangeela (1995).
· 2001 – Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award .
· Asha has won the National Film Award for Best Female Playback Singer twice(1981,1986).
· Nightingale Of Asia Award (1987),Lata Mangeshkar Award (1989).
· 1997: Screen Videocon Award ,MTV Award,Channel V Award for the album Jaanam Samjha Karo.
· Dayawati Modi Award(1998), Lata Mangeshkar Award (1999),Singer of the Millennium (Dubai) in 2000.
· 2000: Zee Gold Bollywood Award (for Mujhe Rang De from Thakshak).
· BBC Lifetime Achievement Award (2002), Zee Cine Special Award for Hall of Fame(2002).
· Screen Videocon Award, Sansui Movie Award, Zee Cine Award (for Radha Kaise Na Jale from Lagaan) in 2002.
· Swaralaya Yesudas Award(2003),Living Legend Award(2004).
· 2005: MTV Immies, Best Female Pop Act for Aaj Jaane Ki Zid Na Karo.
· Received 17 Maharashtra State Awards: Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 2000 for her outstanding contribution to Indian cinema, honorary doctorates from the University of Amravati and University of Jalgaon in Literature, Freddie Mercury Award for Outstanding Achievement in Arts and Padma Vibhushan by the Government of India. Asha Bhosle has been credited variously as Asha, Asha Bhosle, Asha Bhonsale, Asha Bhonsle, Asha Bhonsley, Asha Bhosale and Asha Bhosley.
