Asha Bhosle

Asha Bhosle (pronounced [ˈaːʃaː ˈbʱos(ə)le]; née Mangeshkar; born 8 September 1933) is an Indian playback singer, entrepreneur, actress and television personality who predominantly works in Indian cinema. Known for her versatility, she has been described in the media as one of the greatest and most influential singers in Hindi cinema. In her career spanning over eight decades she has recorded songs for films and albums in various Indian languages and received several accolades including two National Film Awards, four BFJA Awards, eighteen Maharashtra State Film Awards, nine Filmfare Awards including a Lifetime Achievement Award and a record seven Filmfare Awards for Best Female Playback Singer, in addition to two Grammy nominations. In 2000, she was honoured with the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, India's highest award in the field of cinema. In 2008, she was honoured by the Government of India with the Padma Vibhushan, the second-highest civilian honour of the country. The Guinness Book of World Records acknowledged her in 2011 as the most recorded artist in music history.

Bhosle is the sister of playback singer Lata Mangeshkar and belongs to the prominent Mangeshkar family. Renowned for her soprano voice range and often credited for her versatility, Her work includes film music, pop, ghazals, bhajans, traditional Indian classical music, folk songs, qawwalis, and Rabindra Sangeet. Apart from Hindi, she has sung in over 20 Indian and foreign languages. In 2013, she made her debut as an actress in the film Mai, and received critical acclaim for her performance. In 2006, she stated that she has recorded over 12,000 songs in her career, a figure repeated by several other sources.

Early life and career

Asha Mangeshkar was born in the small hamlet of Goar in Sangli, then in the salute princely state of Sangli (now in Maharashtra), into the musical family of Pandit Deenanath Mangeshkar, who was Marathi and Konkani, and his Gujarati wife, Shevanti. Deenanath was an actor and classical singer on the Marathi musical stage. When Bhosle was nine years old, her father died. The family moved from Pune to Kolhapur and then to Mumbai. She and her elder sister Lata Mangeshkar began singing and acting in films to support their family. She sang her first film song '"Chala Chala Nav Bala" for the Marathi film Majha Bal (1943). The music for the film was composed by Datta Davjekar. She made her Hindi film debut when she sang the song "Saawan Aaya" for Hansraj Behl's Chunariya (1948), though another film Andhon Ki Duniya was released before Chunariya in the same year, in both films she has sung one trio each. Her first solo Hindi film song was for the movie Raat Ki Rani (1949).

At the age of 16, she eloped with 31-year-old Ganpatrao Bhosle, marrying him against her family's wishes.

Career

In the late 1940s to early 1950s, prominent playback singers like Geeta Dutt, Shamshad Begum and Lata Mangeshkar dominated the singing for the female lead and the big films. In the 1950s, Bhosle sang more songs than most playback singers in Hindi films. Most of these were in low budget films. Her earliest songs were composed by A. R. Qureshi, Sajjad Hussain, S. Mohinder, Sardar Malik, Ghulam Mohammed and some others. Singing in Sangdil (1952), composed by Sajjad Hussain, she got reasonable recognition. In the same year, she has the lead in the film Chham Chhama Chham, under O. P. Nayyar, she has sung 10 out of 11 songs in that film. Consequently, film director Bimal Roy gave her a chance to sing in Parineeta (1953). Raj Kapoor signed her to sing all songs in Boot Polish (1954), which gained her popularity.

O. P. Nayyar gave Bhosle a number of songs during 1952-1956, although she first achieved success in B. R. Chopra's Naya Daur (1957), composed by him. Her duets with Rafi like "Maang Ke Saath Tumhara", "Saathi Haath Badhana" and "Uden Jab Jab Zulfein Teri", penned by Sahir Ludhianvi, earned her recognition. It was the first time she sang all the songs for a film's leading actress. B. R. Chopra then approached her for several of his later productions, including Dhool Ka Phool, Gumrah (1963), Waqt (1965), Hamraaz (1967), Aadmi Aur Insaan (1969), Dhund (1973) and many more. O. P. Nayyar's future collaboration with Bhosle also resulted in success. Gradually, she established her status and received the patronage of such composers as Sachin Dev Burman and Ravi. Bhosle and O. P. Nayyar had a professional and personal parting of ways in the 1970s. In 1966, Bhosle's performances in the duets from one of music director R.D. Burman's soundtracks, for the movie Teesri Manzil, won popular acclaim. Reportedly, when she first heard the dance number "Aaja Aaja", she felt she would not be able to sing this westernised tune. While Burman offered to change the music, she refused, taking it as a challenge. She completed the song after ten days of rehearsals, and "Aaja Aaja", along with such other songs as "O Haseena Zulfonwali" and "O Mere Sona Re" (all three duets with Rafi), became successful. Shammi Kapoor, the film's leading actor, was once quoted as saying– "If I did not have Mohammad Rafi to sing for me, I would have got Asha Bhosle to do the job". Bhosle's collaboration with Burman resulted in numerous hits and a marriage. During the 1960-70s, she was the voice of Hindi film actress and dancer, Helen, on whom "O Haseena Zulfon Wali" was picturised. It is said that Helen would attend her recording sessions so that she could understand the song better and plan dance steps accordingly. Some of their other popular numbers include "Piya Tu Ab To Aaja" (Caravan) and "Yeh Mera Dil" (Don), among others.

In 1981, Bhosle attempted a different genre by singing several ghazals for the Rekha-starrer Umrao Jaan, including "Dil Cheez Kya Hai", "In Aankhon Ki Masti Ke", "Yeh Kya Jagah Hai Doston" and "Justju Jiski Thi". The film's music director Khayyam, had lowered her pitch by half a note. Bhosle herself expressed surprise that she could sing so differently. The ghazals won her the first National Film Award of her career. A few years later, she won another National Award for the song "Mera Kuchh Saamaan" from Ijaazat (1987).

In 1995, 62-year-old Bhosle sang for actress Urmila Matondkar in the movie Rangeela. The soundtrack featured songs like "Tanha Tanha" and "Rangeela Re" sung by her, and composed by music director A. R. Rahman, who would go on to record several songs with her. During the 2000s, several of Bhosle's numbers became chartbusters, including "Radha Kaise Na Jale" from Lagaan (2001), "Kambakht Ishq" from Pyaar Tune Kya Kiya (2001), "Yeh Lamha" from Filhaal (2002) and "Lucky Lips" from Lucky (2005). In October 2004, The Very Best of Asha Bhosle, The Queen of Bollywood, a compilation album of songs recorded by Bhosle for albums and Hindi language films that were released between 1966 and 2003, was released.

In 2012 she judged Sur Kshetra.

In 2013, Bhosle debuted in the film Mai in the title role, at the age of 79. Bhosle played the role of a 65-year-old mother who suffers from Alzheimer's disease and is abandoned by her children. She received positive reviews for her acting as well from critics.

In May 2020, Bhosle launched her YouTube channel named "Asha Bhosle Official".

Partnership with music directors

O. P. Nayyar

Music director O. P. Nayyar's association with Bhosle is part of Hindi film lore. He was the composer who first gave Bhosle her own identity. Many people have speculated about a romantic relationship between the two.

Nayyar first met Bhosle in 1952, at the music recording of Chham Chhama Chham. He then called her for a film called Mangu (1954), and gave her a big break in superhit films like Baap Re Baap (1955), Ham Sab Chor Hain (1956), C.I.D. (1956), Duniya Rang Rangeeli (1957), Mr. Qartoon M. A. (1958) and many more. However, it was the success of Naya Daur (1957) that made the duo popular. After 1959, she was emotionally and professionally involved with O. P. Nayyar.

The team of O. P. Nayyar and Bhosle is best remembered for their breezy and sometimes sirenish songs. Some good examples of their sensuous numbers are "Aaiye Meharbaan" picturised on Madhubala (Howrah Bridge, 1958) and "Yeh Hai Reshmi Zulfon Ka Andhera", (Mere Sanam, 1965). "Aao Huzoor Tumko" (Kismat, 1968) and "Jaiye Aap Kahan Jayenge" (Mere Sanam, 1965) were also popular. They also recorded songs for many hit movies like Tumsa Nahin Dekha (1957), Ek Musafir Ek Hasina (1962) and Kashmir Ki Kali (1964). O. P. Nayyar used the Bhosle-Rafi duo for his most popular duets such as "Mangke Saath Tumhara", "Uden Jab Jab Zulfein Teri" (both from Naya Daur), "Aap Yun Hi Agar Humse Milte Rahe", "Main Pyaar Ka Rahi Hoon" (both from Ek Musafir Ek Hasina), "Deewana Hua Baadal", "Ishaaron Ishaaron Mein" (both from Kashmir Ki Kali).

Bhosle recorded her last song for O. P. Nayyar in the movie Pran Jaye Par Vachan Na Jaye (1974). The solo number "Chain Se Humko Kabhi" garnered many awards, but it was not included in the movie.