Asha Bhosle’s death on April 12 has left the music industry in mourning. The legendary singer, who died at the age of 92 after battling multi-organ failure, was admitted to a Mumbai hospital the day before due to extreme exhaustion and a chest infection, her granddaughter Zhanai Bhosle shared on social media.Many notable personalities from the film, 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 giving an emotional farewell through music.In an exclusive chat with ETimes, Kavita Paudwal, daughter of veteran singer Anuradha Paudwal, spoke about why Asha Bhosle’s journey has been so inspiring – and also recalled her brief interaction with the icon.
“I met her…even if it was only briefly.”
Kavita revealed that she had the opportunity to meet Asha Bhosle thanks to her music background.She said: “I met her, but from a distance. I said hello to her.” “My father Arun Paudwal was a vocal arranger and worked closely with people like Kishore Kumar, Lata ji and Asha ji. At that time, the industry was smaller – there were very good musicians, but not many – so everyone knew each other.”Although she did not have an in-depth interaction, the memory of that short meeting stuck in her mind.
“She never restricted herself even though she was classically trained.”
Kavita emphasized how Asha Bhosle’s diversity sets her apart from others.“She had every reason to limit herself. She could have easily said, ‘I am classically trained, I will not sing certain types of songs.’ But she never did,” Kavita said.“Everything she sang – whether it was classical or something completely different – she performed it beautifully. This kind of openness is very rare.”
“Personal conflicts never affected her art.”
Reflecting on the singer’s resilience, Kavita pointed out that Asha Bhosle never let her personal challenges interfere with her career.“One of the most important things you can learn from her life is that everything that happens in your personal life should not affect your performance,” she said.“In fact, sometimes challenges make your performance stronger. If someone says: ‘My situation is not good, how can I perform?’, just look at her journey. It is very inspiring.”
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“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’s very inspiring,” she said.
“Her simplicity defined her greatness.”
Beyond her music, Kavita highlighted the enduring nature of the legend.“In interviews, she would say that she enjoys cooking for her family. Imagine – a legend of her status finding joy in something so simple,” she said.“That’s true greatness. That’s how they were as people.”
“This generation has never benefited from its struggles.”
In contrast to today’s era, Kavita spoke about how artists like Asha Bhosle focus only on their work.“Artists like Asha ji, Lata Mangeshkar and Mohammad Rafi never spoke about their suffering openly or used it for empathy,” she said.“They never took advantage of difficult circumstances. Whatever challenges they faced, they focused on their art and reached incredible heights through it.”Summarizing her thoughts, Kavita added, “Today, a lot of people highlight their struggles, but this generation doesn’t. For me, the biggest learning I’ve learned is to just focus on your art and let your work do the talking.”
