Asha Bhosle, India's great vocalist who died at the age of 92, continues to receive tributes.
The two-time Grammy nominee, whose career spanned over eight decades and thousands of records, died in Mumbai on Sunday after being admitted to the hospital for a heart attack.
Her last rites will be held on Monday evening at Shivaji Park in Mumbai city, with full state honours.
Her passing has sparked an outpouring of mourning from across India and beyond, with political leaders, musicians, actresses, and fans hailing her as one of Indian cinema's defining voices.
Crowds have been gathering outside Bhosle's Mumbai house since Sunday evening to pay their final respects to the artist.Khan commented that Bhosle was "a talent that will outlive many" and that her "voice has been one of the pillars of Indian cinema and will continue to resonate world over for centuries to come".
Cricketer Sachin Tendulkar, who knew her personally, stated that "Asha Tai [Marathi for elder sister] was family" and that "through her eternal songs, she will remain timeless."
Bhosle, an avid cricket fan, was also recognised on the pitch. During an Indian Premier League match on Sunday, Mumbai Indians players wore black armbands and conducted a minute of remembrance.
AR Rahman, the composer, stated, "She lives forever through her voice and aura - what an artist."Singer Shreya Ghosal described growing up "listening to her, learning from her, and being in awe of her effortless versatility," adding that she made "every note feel alive, every emotion feel personal."
Farhan Akhtar, a singer and actor, stated it was "impossible to talk about playback singing without mentioning Asha Bhosle," describing her voice, excitement, and vitality as "irreplaceable."
The tributes demonstrate the extent of her effect. With a voice that could easily transition from romantic ballads to high-energy numbers, she became the preferred vocalist for composers of many genres and generations.
Her enormous impact in Bollywood influenced the 1997 Cornershop single Brimful of Asha.Tjinder Singh of Cornershop band remarked on Sunday that "few have reached the ability to be loved in so many languages and dialects, and even fewer have reached so many with the astonishment of heart that her songs gave us".
Born in 1933 into a musical family, she began singing as a child with her elder sister, Lata Mangeshkar, following the death of their father.
Her personal life was characterised by early difficulties. She married at 16 in a relationship that subsequently ended.
Bhosle was often compared to her elder sister, who was hailed as Bollywood's "nightingale" and died in 2022, but she developed her own character over time.Her ascension began in the 1950s, when she collaborated with composer OP Nayyar, which represented a watershed moment in her career.
She then worked closely with RD Burman, whom she eventually married. The two remained together for 14 years, until Burman died in 1994, and their collaboration helped broaden her vocal range and experimentation.
Even in her old years, she kept singing and experimenting. Bhosle performed with the British virtual band Gorillaz on their 2026 album The Mountain, which explores themes of loss and death.
The song, The Shadowy Light, featured her vocals alongside foreign musicians and pondered on death and the afterlife.