A solemn atmosphere gripped Mumbai on Monday as family members, dignitaries and film industry figures gathered to pay their final respects to legendary singer Asha Bhosle, who was honoured with a full honours state funeral.
Her body was kept at her residence, where it lay in state before the last rites. It was draped in the national flag as security was tightened across the city, with traffic diversions and police deployment in place to manage crowds and ensure smooth proceedings.
Members of the public were allowed to pay their respects until noon, with Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis among those who visited the residence to offer tributes.
A large number of film and cultural personalities arrived to honour the singer, including actors Riteish Deshmukh and Tabu, along with veteran cricketer Sachin Tendulkar and his family.
Others from the industry, including Shabana Azmi, Javed Akhtar, Jackie Shroff and Neil Nitin Mukesh, were also present. Musician Anuradha Paudwal was visibly emotional during the farewell.
Family members, including her sister Meena Mangeshkar, who arrived in a wheelchair, were present to bid their final goodbye.
Several prominent names from the Indian film industry, including Shah Rukh Khan, Alia Bhatt, Akshay Kumar and Sidharth Malhotra, expressed their condolences on social media.
The last rites took place at Shivaji Park at 4:00 pm.
Asha Bhosle was admitted to Breach Candy Hospital on Saturday after falling ill. She died following complications related to multiple organ failure, according to medical sources.
One of India’s most influential playback singers, she leaves behind a vast musical legacy spanning multiple languages and decades and was the recipient of major honours including the Dadasaheb Phalke Award and Padma Bhushan.
