The passing of Asha Bhosle on April 12 has left the music industry in mourning. The legendary singer, who passed away at the age of 92 after battling multi-organ failure, was admitted to a Mumbai hospital a day prior due to severe exhaustion and a chest infection, as shared by her granddaughter Zanai Bhosle on social media.Several prominent personalities from the film fraternity, including Aamir Khan, Tabu, Riteish Deshmukh, Jackie Shroff and Vicky Kaushal, attended her funeral to pay their last respects. Singers Anup Jalota, Sonu Nigam, Sudesh Bhosle and Shaan were also seen bidding an emotional farewell through music.In an exclusive conversation with ETimes, Kavita Paudwal, daughter of veteran singer Anuradha Paudwal, opened up about what made Asha Bhosle’s journey so inspiring—and also recalled her brief interaction with the icon.
‘I’ve met her… even if it was briefly’
Kavita revealed that she did get the opportunity to meet Asha Bhosle, thanks to her musical background.“I have met her, but from a distance. I’ve said namaste to her,” she shared. “My father Arun Paudwal was a sound arranger and had worked closely with people like Kishore Kumar, Lata ji and Asha ji. Back then, the industry was smaller—there were very good musicians, but not too many—so everybody knew everybody.”While she didn’t have an in-depth interaction, the memory of that brief meeting has stayed with her.
‘She never limited herself despite being classically trained’
Kavita emphasised how Asha Bhosle’s versatility set her apart.“She had every reason to limit herself. She could have easily said, ‘I am classically trained, I will not sing certain kinds of songs.’ But she never did that,” Kavita said.“Everything she sang—whether it was classical-based or something completely different—she did it beautifully. That kind of openness is very rare.”
‘Personal struggles never affected her art’
Reflecting on the singer’s resilience, Kavita pointed out that Asha Bhosle never let her personal challenges interfere with her craft.“One of the biggest things to learn from her life is that whatever is happening in your personal life should not affect your performance,” she said.“In fact, sometimes challenges make your performance even stronger. If someone says, ‘My situation is not good, how can I perform?’—then you just look at her journey. It is so inspiring.”
‘She was still singing at 92’
Kavita was in awe of Asha Bhosle’s dedication even in her later years.“She was still singing even at 92. That kind of passion and commitment is unbelievable. It is so, so inspiring,” she said.
‘Her simplicity defined her greatness’
Beyond her music, Kavita highlighted the legend’s grounded nature.“In interviews, she would say that she enjoys cooking for her family. Imagine—a legend of her stature finding joy in something so simple,” she said.“That is the real greatness. That is how they were as people.”
‘That generation never capitalised on their struggles’
Drawing a contrast with today’s times, Kavita spoke about how artistes like Asha Bhosle focused only on their work.“Artists like Asha ji, Lata Mangeshkar or Mohammed Rafi never spoke about their struggles publicly or used them for sympathy,” she said.“They never capitalised on difficult circumstances. Whatever challenges they had, they focused on their art and reached incredible heights through that.”Summing up her thoughts, Kavita added, “Today, many people highlight their struggles, but that generation didn’t do that. For me, the biggest learning is—just focus on your art and let your work speak.”