The death of Asha Bhosle marks the end of an era in Indian music. As the last of the original great singers of Bollywood, she dominated the Hindi music scene for over half a century.
Asha began her singing career at 9 in 1943, but was often overshadowed by her sister Lata Mangeshkar. However, she repaid the faith of younger composers and became the queen of dance numbers in Bollywood.
Asha owned the dance number genre for over two decades, singing hits like Piya Tu Ab To Aa Ja and O Haseena Zulfowali. She diversified into other genres and proved her mettle with masterful performances in Umrao Jaan and Ijazat, winning National Awards.
In her personal life, Asha chose to walk the beaten path, eloping with her secretary at 16 and marrying RD Burman at 47, despite family opposition.
