Veteran actor Helen and Asha Bhosle shared one of Hindi cinema’s most iconic singer-performer pairings, with over 270 songs together. From O Haseena Zulfonwali (Teesri Manzil, 1966), Aa Jaane Jaan (Intaqam, 1969), Piya Tu Ab To Aaja (Caravan, 1971) to Mehbooba Mehbooba (Sholay, 1975), Yeh Mera Dil (Don, 1978), and and more, their collaboration defined the glamour and rhythm of an era.
Speaking to us shortly after the news broke, Helen said, “This is shocking. She was so healthy and we had been in touch. I’m feeling terrible and short of words. We had a long friendship. I remember how she would modulate her voice and add that oomph to my songs, which made it more enjoyable to perform. We have lost a gem.” Their bond went beyond music. In an earlier interview, calling Helen her favourite leading lady, Bhosle had said, “She was so pretty that the moment she would enter the room, I would stop singing and just look at her… I once told her that if I were a man, I would have eloped with her.”
Asha Bhosle was admitted to the Breach Candy Hospital, Mumbai, for a chest infection and extreme exhaustion on the evening of April 11. A day later, the singer passed away due to multiple organ failure.
