ASHA BHONSLE-Playback Singer

The famous playback singer, Asha Bhonsle has sung over 20,000 songs in practically every Indian language and also in English. She has a unique style of singing.

Asha was born on 8th September, 1933 in Goar, Maharastra to a family of musicians, the Mangeshkar's. Asha started her career in her elder sister Lata Mangeshkar's shadow. Her first song was from the movie 'Chunaria' (1948) and her first solo was for the movie 'Raat Ki Raani' (1949).

In the beginning her talents were not known much and it was music directors like O.P. Nayyar and R.D. Burman who gave her a chance and helped Asha to get out of the image of her sister. 'Teesri Manzil', 'Ijazat', 'Khushboo' with R.D.Burman; 'Mere Sanam', 'Kashmir Ki Kali', 'Ek Musafir Ek Haseena', 'Pran Jaye Par Vachan Na Jaye' and many others with O.P.Nayyar, Asha has given a lot of unforgettable songs to the Hindi film industry for the last four decades. She has a unique voice- a sexy, cheerful style of singing of her own. Famous hits like 'Piya tu', 'Dum Maro Dum' are a proof of her unique style.

Asha has also sung for private albums; Hindi pop and ghazals. She is at ease with both ghazals as well as fast numbers. She has sung Qawali numbers like 'Nighan Mila Ne Ko Jee Chahta Hai', 'Raaj Ki Baat Kahdu To' and 'Hum Kisise Kum Nahin'; Bhajan, 'Sun Le Pukar'; Gazal, 'Is Akhon Ki Masti Ke'.

Asha has received accolades of awards for her talent. - National Award twice in 1981 for ' Dil Cheez Kya Hain' (Umrao Jaan) and in 1986 - for 'Mera Kuch Samaan' (Ijazat), the Filmfare award eight times, from 1967 to 1977 besides many other awards. She was the first Indian Singer to be nominated for the Grammy Award in 1997 and in 2001 she won the Dada Phalke Award and Dayawati Modi Award.