Veteran singer Asha Bhosle passed away on Sunday at the age of 92 in Mumbai. As India mourns the death of a legendary artiste, some users on social media pointed out an uncanny coincidence between her demise and that of her sister, another iconic singer, Lata Mangeshkar.
Born in 1929, Lata Mangeshkar was four years older than her younger sister Asha Bhosle, who was born in 1933. In a striking coincidence, Lata passed away in 2022 — exactly four years before Asha, who died in 2026.
The coincidence doesn’t end here. Both sisters died at the age of 92 at Breach Candy Hospital in Mumbai, and that too on a Sunday.
Asha Bhosle was born as Asha Mangeshkar in the village of Goar in Sangli, Maharashtra, into a renowned musical family headed by Deenanath Mangeshkar.
Known for her remarkable range, she excelled across genres—film songs, ghazals, pop, classical, bhajans, and cabaret numbers. Bhosle’s voice became synonymous with iconic performances on screen, especially for the dancer Helen.
Over her career, she has recorded thousands of songs in more than 20 languages, earning numerous honours including the Dadasaheb Phalke Award and the Padma Vibhushan.
Lata Mangeshkar passed away on 6 February 2022 due to multi-organ failure after battling complications from Covid and pneumonia for 28 days.
Known as the ‘Queen of Melody,’ Lata recorded over 30,000 songs in 36 languages across an eight-decade career. She was a recipient of Padma Bhushan, Dada Saheb Phalke Award, Padma Vibhushan and India’s highest civilian honour, the Bharat Ratna.
While both the sisters ruled the Bollywood music scene for decades, conjectures about their rivalry was part of the film industry lore. However, both Lata and Asha had dismissed such narratives in various interviews.