Nagpur: Away from stage lights and public performances, one of legendary singer Asha Bhosle‘s last visits to Nagpur remained largely out of the public eye. The chronology of that visit goes back to a June 2024 event in Mumbai, when Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat unveiled a book on Bhosle. Bhagwat invited her to Nagpur, which eventually brought her to the RSS headquarters in Mahal in October 2024.Bhosle arrived in Nagpur a day after Vijayadashami and remained at the RSS headquarters for nearly three hours. The visit was low-key, without any formal public programme. Those aware of the interaction between Bhagwat and Bhosle during the visit said it was unhurried, with Bhosle even singing a few of her songs spontaneously. During her time at the RSS headquarters, she visited the Sangrahalaya where archival records and exhibits related to the organisation’s history are displayed. She took keen interest in sections linked to the early years of the RSS, including references to the first shakha, and spent time going through the displays, said sources associated with the meeting.The exchange extended beyond Nagpur. In January 2025, Bhagwat visited Bhosle at her Mumbai residence, where she hosted him for a meal she personally prepared. The meeting lasted a couple of hours and reflected a continuation of their interaction in Nagpur. Amar Kulkarni, a senior RSS and Sanskar Bharati functionary who was closely associated with the interactions, said that as part of the organisation’s centenary year celebrations, Bhosle was expected to lend her voice to a special song titled ‘Dhyey Sadhana Amar Rahe’. “The musical track was ready, and the recording was planned after her return from the United States in May 2025. However, due to her ill health, the recording could not take place,” said Kulkarni. Bhosle was later invited to attend the Sangh Shiksha Varg at Reshimbagh in June 2025. Again, she could not make it. In a letter addressed to Bhagwat, later published in Organiser, the RSS mouthpiece, she expressed her inability to attend despite having made preparations. She conveyed her good wishes for the organisation’s work and expressed hope that she would be able to visit in person once her health improved. The last time her soulful voice resonated live in the city was during a public performance in 2015 at Yashwant Stadium, organised by Maitree Parivar. Recalling the event, senior functionary of Maitree Pariwar, Sanjay Bhende, said her simplicity stood out. He noted that Bhosle interacted with everyone with ease, both during and after the programme, without any sense of ego, leaving a lasting impression on those present. The concert drew an audience of over 12,000, with a large ensemble of over 70 accompanying artists.
