Mumbai: Singer Asha Bhosle was admitted to Breach Candy Hospital on Saturday evening, and is reported to be critical. Her treating doctor, internal medicine specialist Dr Pratit Samdhani, was unavailable for comment. Bhosle was reportedly administered cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on arrival at the hospital and is being treated for cardiac and respiratory complications. Her granddaughter Zanai Bhosle posted on social media, “My grandmother Asha Bhosle due to extreme exhaustion and suffering a chest infection has been admitted to hospital and we request you to value her privacy. Treatment is ongoing and hopefully everything will be well and we shall update you positively.” Bhosle, who is 92 years old, has held generations of music lovers in thrall since seven decades. Her ability to perform romantic and joyful numbers like ‘Jaaiye aap kahan jayenge’ and ‘Chura liya hai tumne’ to her philosophical, contemplative classics like ‘Chain se humko kabhi’ and ‘Yeh kya jagah hai dosto’ have time and again proved her mettle as a consummate artiste who did her Mangeshkar clan proud. Born Sept 8, 1933 in Sangli, Asha Bhosle is the third daughter of veteran Natyasangeet exponent Pt Deenanath Mangeshkar and sister of India’s best-known singer Lata Mangeshkar. Asha first tested the waters as an artiste in 1943 with the song ‘Chala chala nav bala’ at age 10 for the movie ‘Majha Bal’. A few chorus assignments were followed by solo numbers after 1949-50. Bhosle’s most noteworthy musical collaborations resulted with composer OP Nayyar followed by R D Burman. Her ever adaptive skills led her to collaborate with Boy George and in 1997, she became the first Indian singer to be nominated for a Grammy Award. Asha Bhosle’s culinary expertise is well known in the film industry. She pursued this hobby which later spawned the successful Asha’s brand of restaurants in five countries, including the Middle East and the UK.
