Today, September 8, marks the 93rd birth anniversary of legendary playback singer Asha Bhosle. She passed away at the age of 92 on April 12, 2026. Bhosle was admitted to Mumbai’s Breach Candy Hospital for age-related health complications.
She left behind a legacy spanning more than eight decades and over 12,000 songs. As we remember the beloved singer on her birth anniversary, we look back at a special Filmfare moment when Bhosle won the Best Playback Singer (Female) award in 1975 for a song that did not even make it to the concerned movie’s final cut.
The late singer had won the award for the song Chain se hum ko kabhi aap ne jeene na diyaa, which was supposed to be in the movie Pran Jaye Par Vachan Na Jaye. While it is unknown why the song was eventually removed from the film, many reports have stated that the same happened due to creative differences. Nonetheless, Bhosle won the award due to the song’s popularity through Radio Ceylon.
According to music historian Raju Bharatan in Asha Bhosle: A Musical Biography, the song marked the last time Asha Bhosle worked with composer O.P. Nayyar. The recording, which took place in August 1972, was reportedly charged with a sense of sorrow, as both seemed aware that their creative and personal association for 15 years was coming to an end. Bharatan characterises it as a deeply emotional torch song, brought to life in just an hour, brimming with an almost tangible sense of regret.
Asha Bhosle’s career spanned more than eight decades, during which she became known for a remarkable versatility that took her from Hindi film songs and pop to ghazals, bhajans, folk, qawwalis and classical music. She recorded in more than 20 languages and is credited with over 12,000 songs, collaborating with composers including O.P. Nayyar, S.D. Burman and R.D. Burman, with whom she created some of Hindi cinema’s most enduring musical hits. Her work earned her two National Film Awards, multiple Filmfare Awards, the Dadasaheb Phalke Award and the Padma Vibhushan.
Also Read: Anuradha Paudwal Recalls Singing With Legendary Asha Bhosle, Fulfilling Her Father-in-law’s Wish
