Veteran singer Usha Mangeshkar has said that the silence in her home after the death of her sisters — legendary singers Lata Mangeshkar and Asha Bhosle — often leaves her feeling lonely and overwhelmed.
In an interview with ANI, Usha Mangeshkar described the passing of Asha Bhosle as “a big shock” for both the family and her admirers across the country.
“My elder sister has passed away. I have lost my two elder sisters in the past eight years. It is a very big shock for me and also for the entire country as they lost a big singer,” Usha said.
Recalling her bond with Asha Bhosle, she said, “I have a lot of memories. We have been together since childhood. Now I feel very lonely and sad at home.”
Usha Mangeshkar was speaking on the sidelines of an awards ceremony. Despite her grief, she said she chose to attend the event to avoid remaining confined at home and to seek a brief change of environment.
Asha Bhosle died at the age of 92 on April 12. One of the most successful singers in Hindi cinema, Bhosle had a career spanning over eight decades, recording songs for films and albums in several Indian languages. She was honoured with the Dadasaheb Phalke Award and the Padma Vibhushan, the country’s second-highest civilian honour, in 2008.
Lata Mangeshkar died on February 6, 2022, at the age of 92, weeks after being admitted to hospital with COVID-19 and pneumonia. She began her career at 13 in 1942 and went on to record songs for over a thousand Hindi films across a career spanning more than seven decades. She also sang in over 36 regional Indian and foreign languages.
She was awarded the Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian honour, in 2001, and received three National Film Awards, among several other honours.