Former India cricketer Sachin Tendulkar and his wife Anjali Tendulkar paid their respects to legendary singer Asha Bhosle at her residence in Mumbai on Monday. Bhosle passed away on Sunday morning due to multi-organ failure at the age of 92 at Breach Candy Hospital.
On Monday afternoon, Sachin arrived with his wife at Bhosle’s residence, Casa Grande in Lower Parel, to attend the funeral. The singer’s body was draped in the tricolour, adorned with white lilies, and placed in a glass casket. A ceremonial salute, as part of state honours, was also accorded by the police.
Sachin and Anjali were visibly emotional as they paid their final respects. Incidentally, Bhosle had made one of her last public appearances at the wedding of Tendulkar’s son, Arjun, last month.
Earlier on Sunday, Sachin expressed deep sorrow over her passing, saying she felt like family. “A deeply sad day for India, and for music lovers across the world. For us, Asha Tai was family. Today, words feel too small for the loss we feel. One moment the heart falls silent, and the next, it drifts through the countless melodies she gifted all of us. It feels as though time itself has paused. Yet through her eternal songs, she will remain timeless forever,” he wrote on X.
When Asha Bhosle called Sachin a ‘blend of Gavaskar, Richards’
Bhosle had long been an ardent follower of cricket. In Sachin’s autobiography, Playing It My Way, she recalled falling in love with the sport after first watching it in 1956. She spoke about growing up watching Indian greats like Vijay Manjrekar and Polly Umrigar, and later being captivated by the aggression of Viv Richards and the elegance of Sunil Gavaskar.
She reserved her highest praise for Sachin. “It wouldn’t be wrong to suggest that Sachin Tendulkar is a combination of both Gavaskar and Viv Richards,” she was quoted as saying. “He dominated world cricket for more than two decades and allowed us to speak of an Indian in the same breath as Sir Donald Bradman.”
Bhosle recalled hearing about Sachin when he was just 15, and witnessing his talent during his debut series against Pakistan in 1989.
“How do I best describe him?” she added. “Just as there is a Lata Mangeshkar song for every occasion, Sachin could adapt himself to all situations and produce a masterclass.”
