Asha Bhosle: How she was made by and remade ‘playback singing’
Indian Express·2h ago·Positivity
What Happened
Asha Bhosle, a versatile playback singer, died leaving behind a rich musical legacy in Hindi cinema. Playback singing, where trained singers record songs for actors to lip-sync, became standard in Indian films after magnetic tape recorders were introduced in the 1940s. Bhosle cultivated a distinct style separate from her sister Lata Mangeshkar, becoming the voice of bold characters. Through collaborations with composer R.D. Burman, she represented postcolonial India's negotiation with Western culture and modernity.
Key Entities
Asha BhosleLata MangeshkarHindi cinemaPlayback singingR.D. BurmanNasreen Munni KabirPavitra Sundar