Legendary singer Asha Bhosle passed away at the age of 92, leaving behind a voice that shaped generations of Indian cinema and music. Back in 2001, she won the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Filmfare Awards after completing more than five decades in the film industry. In her speech, Bhosle reflected on her journey, not as something complete, but as something still unfolding.
Opening her speech with gratitude, she acknowledged the forces that shaped her and said, “By God’s grace, and with the blessings of my late father, my gurus, my mother, and the people, this year I have completed 52 years in the film industry. I feel very fortunate that I have been working for 50 years in such a wonderful film industry, where everyone, from the youngest to the oldest, has respected me, given me love, affection, and blessings.”
Bhosle then went on to dedicate the honour to the industry that nurtured her. She stated, “This award today is not mine, but belongs to the film industry. I am only receiving it on behalf of the film industry, nothing more than that. I have worked with many great people in the industry, and I have also received the blessings of people like Yusuf bhai. I consider myself blessed. My good wishes are with all of you. Thank you.”
She continued, “When I was told that I would receive the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award, I was very happy, but I also became very scared. I was scared because I began to wonder, has my life’s work been completed? Have I gone deep into the ocean of music, found it, and crossed it? Music is so vast that no one has understood it completely even today. I certainly have not understood it at all. I am still learning to sing. Properly, I am learning classical singing. And there is still time for me to sing classical, theatrical music, fusion, pop, this is the time to sing everything. I feel that after a few years, Times Music will have to give me this award again.”
She added that she was grateful to receive the honour while she could fully experience and enjoy it. She said, “I am very grateful to the Times of India Group. I am especially thankful to Mr. Guha, and to the director and writer, Mr. Khalid Mohammed. I am very thankful to you. And I would like to say one thing. So many artists come here from outside, and they work so hard in front of you, putting in all their effort. You are also artists, please encourage them a lot. Because I know that if there is no applause, a song feels very dull. If you encourage them, it will feel very good. And I will say again, the time for singing is not over yet. I will sing more. I have been watching this award for 53 years. I have always watched the Filmfare Awards, and even today our Filmfare Lady stands shoulder to shoulder with the Oscars just as it always has. I believe, and I am telling you, that people in Hollywood are watching our show right now, because our show is of that standard.”
She concluded, “I am very happy to be with Filmfare today. If you all, the people, want an artist to continue, then only you can keep them going. For 55 years, you have given me this love and these blessings. If you continue to give this love for a few more years, then I think… 50 years is too much, isn’t it? Should I say 40? I can still sing for 40 more years. (laughs) Khalid Mohammed sahab, I thank you all very much. Namaskar.”
The veteran artist breathed her last in Mumbai after being admitted to Breach Candy Hospital, where she had been undergoing treatment for age-related health complications. Her passing marks the end of an era in Indian music, leaving behind a legacy that shaped generations of listeners and artists alike.
