Asha Bhosle (8 September 1933 - 12 April 2026) was an Indian playback singer, actress and entrepreneur whose career became one of the longest and most versatile in the history of recorded music. Best known for her work in Hindi cinema, she also recorded in Marathi, Bengali, Gujarati, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada, Punjabi, Urdu and other Indian languages. Her repertoire ranged from film melodies and classical songs to ghazals, folk music, bhajans, cabaret numbers, pop and Western-influenced dance tracks.
Born Asha Mangeshkar in Sangli, in present-day Maharashtra, she came from a prominent musical family. Her father, Deenanath Mangeshkar, was a classical singer and theatrical performer, and her elder sister was singer Lata Mangeshkar. After their father's death, the sisters began performing professionally to help support the family. Bhosle made her recording debut as a child with the Marathi film *Majha Bal* in 1943 and began singing in Hindi cinema during the late 1940s.
Her early career was shaped by the limited opportunities available to female playback singers outside the established hierarchy of Hindi film music. A major turning point came through her collaboration with composer O. P. Nayyar, who gave her prominent work during the 1950s. Their recordings combined rhythmic energy, Punjabi folk elements and a modern pop sensibility, helping establish Bhosle as a distinctive voice rather than simply an alternative to her sister. Songs such as "Uden Jab Jab Zulfen Teri" and "Aaiye Meherban" demonstrated her ability to move between romantic, playful and highly stylized performances.
During the 1960s and 1970s, Bhosle became closely associated with composer Rahul Dev Burman. Their partnership produced some of the most recognizable songs in Hindi film music, including "O Haseena Zulfonwali," "Piya Tu Ab To Aaja," "Dum Maro Dum" and "Aaja Aaja Main Hoon Pyar Tera." Burman's arrangements often drew on rock, funk, jazz and electronic pop, while Bhosle supplied a flexible, expressive vocal style that could sound sensuous, mischievous, forceful or vulnerable. Their professional collaboration later extended to the album *Dil Padosi Hai* in 1987.
Bhosle's artistic range was recognized especially in more demanding dramatic and semi-classical material. She won the National Film Award for Best Female Playback Singer for "Dil Cheez Kya Hai" from *Umrao Jaan* in 1981 and again for "Mera Kuchh Samaan" from *Ijaazat* in 1987. The latter song, composed by R. D. Burman with lyrics by Gulzar, became one of her signature recordings.
Beyond film work, Bhosle released ghazal and pop albums, performed internationally and collaborated with musicians from outside India. Her albums *Legacy*, recorded with Ali Akbar Khan, and *You've Stolen My Heart*, created with the Kronos Quartet around Burman's compositions, received Grammy nominations. In 1997, British-Asian group Cornershop paid tribute to her with the hit "Brimful of Asha."
Guinness World Records recognized Bhosle as the most recorded female artist, crediting her with more than 11,000 recordings in over 20 Indian languages. She received the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 2000, the Padma Vibhushan in 2008 and numerous film and music honors. She also founded the Asha's restaurant chain, extending her public work into hospitality. Bhosle died in Mumbai at the age of 92, leaving a catalogue that helped define the sound, emotional range and international reach of Indian popular music.