‘If I Were Going To Sing In The Same Style As Didi…’ Asha Bhosle Once Admitted Sister Lata Mangeshkar Was Indeed A Competition, Here’s How She Made A Mark Despite ‘Healthy’ Sibling Rivalry

Asha Bhosle Dies At 92: Asha Bhosle, the legendary singer who captivated music lovers for decades with her timeless voice, has died at 92. Her son, Anand Bhosle, broke the news, saying, “She is no more.” He added that her last rites are set for 4 P.M. tomorrow at Shivaji Park in Mumbai. Asha Bhosle was admitted to Breach Candy Hospital in Mumbai on Saturday, April 11. Her granddaughter, Zanai Bhosle, posted on X that the iconic singer had been hospitalised due to extreme exhaustion and a chest infection. 

Asha Bhosle’s singing career 

Asha started her singing career when she was only 9 years old in 1943. By then, Lata, who was older than Asha, was well known for her contribution in the music industry.

At the end of the decade, Lata became the favourite among all film composers. Through the 50s, it was difficult for Asha to get out of Lata’s shadow.

She produced hit songs but was confined owing not to a lack of talent, but to certain types of songs, which were mostly dance tunes and cabarets. However, young composers took a chance on Asha too.’

Asha Bhosle’s relation with Lata Mangeshkar

During an interview with India Today, Asha Bhosle remembered one incident that occurred during the early stage of her singing career. The incident made her wonder whether she should continue her music career or not. Asha talked about how her voice sounded like her sister Lata’s voice that people started identifying her songs with Lata Mangeshkar’s songs.

Talking about the incident, Asha said, “I hail from a family of musicians. From my father to my sister, all were singers. My voice sounded like didi’s very much. Whenever I sang, my voice was same as didi’s voice.” Talking about this incident, she said, “Production man took Didi’s voice as mine once. He told me, ‘Yeh Asha ka gaana hai.’”

Asha Bhosle: ‘If I were going to sing in the same style as didi….’

This particular event gave Asha many sleepless nights, according to Asha Bhosle herself. Some of the popular songs in which Asha Bhosle has lent her voice include ‘Aaja Aaja’ from the film ‘Teesri Manzil’, ‘O Mere Sona Re’ from the same film, ‘Piya Tu Ab To Aaja’ from the film ‘Caravan’, and ‘Do Lafzon Ki Kahani’ from the film ‘Don’.

In an interview, when asked about her feelings when she first saw Lata as her rival, she had said: “From within myself, I told myself that if I were going to sing in the same style as didi, I would not be able to get any work done until didi remained alive. I would never have a reputation and status of my own. After this particular incident, I started experimenting with my singing style. I started watching English films and learning Western songs by observing how they sang in English. In addition, I also learned how to sing Qawalli and Ghazal with modulation in my voice.”

Competition becomes a source of healthy growth for Asha Bhosle

The competitive spirit that many perceived between the sisters proved to be fruitful for Asha Bhosle as she found it a healthy source of exploring her own potential and voice. As Asha Bhosle puts it, “I have to be extremely cautious whenever I am recording with my sister. I had to be sure of what new things didi would bring to the song.”

She admitted that there had been a kind of competition between the two sisters which proved to be a healthy competition. As Asha Bhosle stated, “Yes, there was definitely a healthy competition between us. And it improved our songs.”

The Infamous Rivalry Between Asha Bhosle and Lata Mangeshkar 

The sister of India’s melody queen Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhosle, was a pioneer in her own right, always thankful that she had her ‘Didi’ by her side, but she never stopped wanting to establish herself as a solo entity. While the stories of the rivalry between these two are age-old, there never was any confirmation from either side.

“Indeed, people did bring up the rivalry issue and tried to spread rumours, but there is no love lost between siblings. I recall many occasions when we attended events together, and certain members of the film fraternity used to ignore me and talk exclusively to her, which seemed to be their way of demonstrating their loyalty. At such times, my Didi and I would burst into laughter,” said Asha Bhosle in an interview.

Lata Mangeshkar and her youngest sister, who is also a singer, are Asha Bhosle. Born into the renowned Mangeshkar family, consisting of Pandit Deenanath Mangeshkar and Shevanti Mangeshkar, there are five children: Lata, Meena, Asha, Usha, and Hridaynath.

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