Asha Bhosle's 90th Birthday to be celebrated in style at a concert in Dubai

Legendary singer Asha Bhosle discusses celebrating her 90th birthday, confronting challenges head-on throughout her eight decades-long career, and why her connection to music is stronger today

More than 12,000 songs in multiple languages were sung by Asha Bhosle. The well-known singer still captivates music fans with songs like In Aankhon Ki Masti, Kajra Mohabbat Wala, and Piya Tu Ab To Aaja, among others. Today, September 8, Bhosle will celebrate her 90th birthday with a live concert in Dubai.

Bhosle will be celebrating at a Broadway-style live show in Dubai where she will shake a leg and perform some of her most popular songs.

Asha Bhosle Birthday: Flashback 

Bhosle made her playback debut when she was only 10 years old with the Marathi film Majha Bal (1943). After five years, she sang her first solo Hindi film song in the 1949 film Raat Ki Raani. With the astonishing success of ‘Aayega aane wala’ in Mahal, her older sister Lata Mangeshkar rose to fame in 1949. 

Shamshad Begum and Geeta Dutt, two playback singers, were also at their peak at the time. Her life had also been a roller coaster, and it wasn't easy for her to establish herself in the highly competitive field of film music.

She has worked with talented music directors from various generations, including OP Nayyar, Khayyam, Bappi Lahiri, Shankar-Jaikishen, RD Burman, and AR Rahman, over the course of decades. 

Because she consistently brought her versatility, vivacity, and brilliance to the recording studios, she is one of India's most sought-after playback singers. Additionally, this helped Bhosle develop her "own individual style."

Bhosle on her Struggle in Film Industry

In conversation about her struggles, she mentions, "Humari saans nahin hoti hai toh aadmi mar jata hai. Mere liye music meri saans hai (For me, music is my breath). I have spent my life with this thought. I have given a lot to music. I feel good I've come out of difficult times. Many times I felt I would not be able to survive, but I did."

She said, “I’ve sung songs for the main artist and for the dancers as well. I believe I could fit in well with anyone. But I wish I had sung more songs in different languages. I wish I could have done more classical singing,” Bhosle added.

Asha Bhosle added about her struggles in the music industry, "In every field, there's politics. In films too there's politics, so it is not easy. I believe a lot in destiny and I believe whatever is meant for me will come to me and what is not meant for me, I’ll never get that. I faced difficulties but today when I look back, it all looks mazedar (fun) as I came out of it."

Asha Bhosle on her Concert in Dubai

On September 8, the birthday concert of Asha Bhosle, titled Asha@90, will take place at the Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai. She will charm the crowd by playing her immortal classics while likewise playing a genuine tribute to India's legendary singers and performers. An enticing glimpse into her show's rehearsals can be found in her posts on social media.

“I like doing extraordinary things. I decided to do a spectacular concert on my 90th birthday. I doubt if anyone in the world has achieved this feat.” Typically, she celebrates her birthdays in the company of close family and refrains from throwing parties. However, this milestone birthday called for something special. “This birthday, however, is different. I shall be 90. I thought, what better way to turn 90 than to do a concert,” Asha Bhosle shared.