Asha Bhosle was unafraid of death and wished to leave on her own terms, music composer Shamir Tandon said on Sunday after the passing of the legendary singer.

Bhosle, 92, died at Mumbai’s Breach Candy hospital on Sunday.

As tributes continue to pour in from across the industry, Tandon reflected on his association with Bhosle, whom he described as a mother figure in his life.

In an interview with ANI, he shared memories of working with the singer and her outlook on life and death.

The two first collaborated on the National Award-winning film Page 3, where Bhosle sang the popular track Kitne Ajeeb Rishte. Tandon said she also advised him to remain technologically forward—an approach she had imbibed from her late husband, composer R. D. Burman.

Recalling one of their final collaborations, Tandon spoke about a song written by lyricist Prasoon Joshi that deeply resonated with Bhosle.

“One of her last songs in Hindi has been done by me, which is written by my dear friend Prasoon Joshi. Uske bol hain: Jaane do, jaane do, khud se milna hai, jaane do,” he said.

According to Tandon, Bhosle related strongly to the lyrics. “Woh kehti thi ki ab bass bahut ho gaya, ab mujhe bahut ache tarike se chale jana hai. Khud se milna jana hai,” he added.

Born in 1933, Bhosle began her musical journey at a young age and rose to prominence in the 1950s. Over a prolific career spanning more than eight decades, she recorded over 11,000 songs across multiple Indian languages and genres, from classical and ghazals to cabaret, pop and folk. She was recognised by the Guinness World Records as the most recorded artist in the world.

She was honoured with several awards, including the Dadasaheb Phalke Award and the Padma Vibhushan, and also won two National Film Awards for Best Playback Singer.