About The Speaker
Asha Bhosle
Asha Bhosle (1933-2026) was a legendary Indian playback singer whose career spanned over eight decades. Recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records as the most recorded artist in music history, she recorded over 12,000 songs, including solos, duets, and chorus-backed tracks, in more than 20 Indian and foreign languages. Her journey began in 1943 with the Marathi film Majha Bal, and she rose to prominence through collaborations with iconic directors like B.R. Chopra, Raj Kapoor, and Bimal Roy, as well as celebrated music composers such as O.P. Nayyar, Khayyam, and her late husband R.D. Burman. She provided the playback voice for generations of stars, from Madhubala and Helen to Urmila Matondkar. Her vast list of accolades includes the Dadasaheb Phalke Award (2000), the Padma Vibhushan (2008), two National Film Awards, and a record seven Filmfare Awards for Best Female Playback Singer (before withdrawing her name from future nominations to encourage new talent). In addition to her musical legacy, she was a successful entrepreneur with a chain of restaurants and was active as a television personality and occasional actress, having made her lead acting debut at age 79 in the film Mai (2013).