Name: Asha Bhosle

Original Name: Asha Mangeshkar

Other name: The Queen of Indipop

Star Sign: Virgo

Occupation: Playback Singer, Vocalist, Restaurateur

Date of Birth: 8th September 1933

Birth Place: Sangli, Maharashtra

Education: Honorary Doctrates from the University of Amravati and University of Jalgaon in Literature

Citizenship: Indian

Language: Hindi, Bengali, English

Favorite Attire: White sarees with sparkling embroidery

Father's Name: Dinanath Mangeshkar

Mother's Name: Shevanti Mangeshkar

Sisters Names (3): Lata Mangeshkar (elder siser), Meena Mangeshkar (elder sister), Usha Mangeshkar (younger sister)

Brother's Name: Hridaynath Mangeshkar (younger)

Husband: Ganpatrao Bhosle (1949-1960), Rahul Dev Burman (1980-1994)

Children: Hemant Bhosle, Varsha Bhosle, Anand Bhosle

Start year of her career as a Playback singer: 1943

Net Worth (approx): 40 million

Filmfare award for Best Female Playback singer

1968

Song: Garibon ki Suno

Movie: Dus Lakh

Year: 1966

1969

Song: Parde Mein Rehne Do

Movie: Shikar

Year: 1968

1972

Song: Piya Tu Ab To Aaja

Movie: Caravan

Year: 1971

1973

Song: Dum Maro Dum

Movie: Hare Rama Hare Krishna

Year: 1972

1974

Song: Hone Lagi Hain Raat

Movie: Naina

Year: 1973

1975

Song: Chain Se Humko Kabhi

Movie: Pran Jaye Par Vachan Na Jaye

Year: 1974

1979

Song: Yeh Mera Dil

Movie: Don

Year: 1978

Introduction

This peculiarly versatile can sing any type of song with every bit of effervescence and her voice has the power the grab the attention of her audience. He sings with similar exuberance and excitement as she used to during the beginning of her career. The fulcrum her voice is the level of energy with which she sings every type of songs from a peppy number to a ghazal.

No matter if it was a romantic song like "Oh Mere Sona Re" or a sensuous song like "Aaiye Meherban"; with her magnificent talent she deftly added life to each of them. She have had sung almost a thousand of songs throughout her career. For the versatility of her voice she has tried her hands at all the genres including ghazal, pop, traditional Indian classis, folk songs and more. Also, she is the one who has sung in 20 plus languages including Indian and foreign languages. The Guinness Book of the world record listed her name in the list of the singers who have recorded most number of songs.

In the year 2008, she received from the Government of India, adma Vibhushan award and later in the year 2011, she was also awarded with the India's most prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke Award.

Personal Life

Asha Bhosle was born in a Marathi Brahmin family on 8th of September, 1933 in Sngli city of Maharashtra. Her father was a very well known stage actor and a classical singer and he people knew him with the name Pandit Dinanath Mangeshkar. He had married her mother Shevanti for the second time. Her father used to train his children from the very young age and that probably was the reason that ignited that fire to make singing as her profession. They were all five siblings among which Asha was the third one.

When her father passed away in the year 1942, the family had to go through both financial as well as emotional turmoil. In order to look after the financial needs of the family Asha along with her elder sister Lata Mangeshkar but later on the family had to move to Mumbai from Pune because of the continuous insistence of Vinayak their family friend. Merely at the age of 10 Asha Bhosle got the chance to sing in a Marathi movie (song - 'Chala Chala Nav Bala' for the film 'Majha BAL') in the year 1943. Later on in 1948 she got her first opportunity to sing her first Hindi song called with composer Hansraj Behl in the film 'Chunariya' (Song - 'Saawan Aaya').

At the age of 16, she eloped from home with Ganpatrao Bhosle who was her sister's personal secretary (Lata). Both married against the wishes of the family but unfortunately the marriage did not work and she had to come back to her family. When she came back she was already mother of two kids (Hemant and Varsha) and was pregnant with her third child Anand. After that Rahul Dev Burman came into her life and both then married in the year 1980. This marriage worked for Asha and they were a happy couple till Rahul died in the year 1994.

Career

She started her career as a playback singer in Hindi film industry in the year 1948 with the film Chunariya (Song - Saawan Aaya). Asha got most of the songs which have been rejected by iconic singers of the time like Lata Mangeshkar and Geeta Dutt, during 1950s. Most songs she sang during these times were for those who played the sidelined roles like cabaret. She had to struggle a lot in the beginning of her career to let people notice her real talent. The sublime perseverance, hard work and efforts came into light when she was noticed for her performance in the film C.I.D in the year 1956. With the support of O.P Nayyar she started getting many offers giving many hits.

It was the movie Naya Daur in 1957 when she tasted a huge success and after that she continued giving many hits like Deewana Hua Badal', Aaiye Meherban', 'Aao Huzur Tumko', 'Isharon Isharon Mein', 'Ude Jab Jab Zulfein Teri', etc. After giving these hits she got noticed by S.D Burman, the great music director of the time. After that, she along with the music director gave many hits for movies like Kaala Bazaar, Kaala Pani, Insaan Jaag Utha and many more.

Later on she also went on to become the voice of the great dancer Helen. During those days, Helen would visit Asha in order to analyze the theme and feel of the song and so as to choreograph it accordingly. Some of the hits that she gave for Helen were 'O Haseena Zulfon Wali' from Teesri Manzil (1966), Yeh Mera Dil' from Don (1978), 'Piya Tu Ab To Aaja' from the film Caravan (1971) etc. Not only these peppy numbers but when she started singing Ghazals in 1981 in the movie Unarao Jan, critics were astounded. With that she was now known to be a versatile singer with the understanding of classical music as much as that of the peppy numbers.

During 1990s she tried her hands with some really younger generation of music directors like Anu Malik, A R Rehman and song various songs including 'Tanha Tanha', 'Kambakth Ishq', 'Yaire', 'Chori Pe Chori' etc. Age has not become a barrier for her and she still sounds as naughty as she used to sound long years back. While during the early years of her career, or being the sister of a very well known singer she was often laden with so much of expectations and was often compared with her sister. But she gradually and gracefully came over that comparison and etched out her name in the singing industry with an entirely niche. She made a name for herself and established her own identity by singing beautifully in the genres including western-influence, ghazals, classical, cabaret, pop and many more. She did not liked the idea of being known just by her sister's name and so create her own style of singing.

Concerts and Albums

Other than being a playback singer, Asha also did a number of collaboration with music icons and made her appearance in albums and concerts. During the year 1987 under collaboration with Gulzar and R. D Burman she made her appearance in an album called Dil Padosi Hai. Later on in theyear 1997 she collaborated with the music maestro Leslie Lewis to release an Indipop album called Janam Samjha Karo. This album was a great hit and got several awards and accolades for its immense popularity. She also released an album in the year 2000 with the name "Rahul and I" that consisted of the collection of the RD Burman songs. Later in 2002 she came up with her private album called Aapki Asha whose lyrics were written by Majrooh Sultanpoori.

In 2000, Ashaji released the album Rahul and I, a collection of remixed R.D. Burman compositions. In 2002, she composed tunes for a private album Aapki Asha, the lyrics for which were written by the famous Majrooh Sultanpoori. And, that way she has collaborated with a number of musicians including the famous singer in his private album "Kabhi to Nazar Milao".