One of my earliest memories of Asha Bhosle is deeply personal. I’ve always called her aatya [paternal aunt], as she shared a close bond with my Guruji, Pandit Jitendra Abhisheki, even tying him rakhi. That warmth and familial connection is how I first came to know her — not just as a legend, but as someone who felt like family. I recently experienced the person behind the icon on the sets of a reality show I was judging, where she came as the special guest. She was incredibly warm, full of life, and instantly made me feel at ease. She kept asking if I had eaten and whether I enjoyed food. When I said I did, she smiled and said, “Come, I’ll cook for you. Come to Dubai, I have a restaurant there.”

There’s also something many people often overlook — is how foundational her work in Marathi music has been. Long before the scale of Hindi film music took over conversations, she, along with stalwarts like Lata Mangeshkar, built a rich and enduring legacy in Marathi. Working with composers such as Sudhir Phadke and Dasharath Pujari, she brought to life compositions that were intricate, emotive, and technically demanding.