Asha Bhosle

Born Asha Mangeshkar in Maharashtra, India on September 8, 1933, Asha Bhosle is an influential playback singer best known for her work in Hindi cinema (aka Bollywood). Her work as a playback singer began in 1943 and over the course of seven decades, she has recorded over 12,000 songs. She has been honored with many awards during her career including many Best Female Playback Singer Awards from Filmfare, the National Film Awards, and the IIFA Awards. She was acknowledged as the most recorded artist in music history by the Guinness Book of World Records in 2011. Asha Bhosle has worked with many of the most famous music directors/composers in Bollywood including R. D. Burman, O. P. Nayyar, Khayyam, Ravi, Sachin Dev Burman, A. R. Rahman, Shankar-Jaikishan, and many others. Some of her best-known recordings include “Garibon ki Suno” (1966), “Piya Tu Ab To Aaja” (1971), “Dum Maro Dum” (1972), “Chura Liya Hai Tum Ne” (1973), and “Yeh Mera Dil” (1978). Not limited to a career as a playback singer, Asha Bhosle has also released music outside of the Bollywood industry as well as performing live, and collaborating with other artists, proving to be one of the most versatile artists in India. In 1997, British indie rock band Cornershop paid tribute to her on the song “Brimful of Asha”, which became an international hit. Asha Bhosle died on April 12, 2026, at the age of 92.