When Lata Mangeshkar spoke about accusations of not letting Asha Bhosle grow in the music industry, “Agar usse maine badhne nahi diya hota toh aaj woh…”
The death of legendary singer Asha Bhosle on April 12, 2026, at the age of 92 has triggered an outpouring of tributes across the country. As fans remember her extraordinary musical legacy, old conversations and memories have resurfaced, including what her elder sister Lata Mangeshkar once said about her talent and the long-debated rumours of rivalry between them.
For decades, speculation around a professional rivalry between the two iconic sisters dominated headlines. However, Lata Mangeshkar had firmly rejected this narrative in the book Lata Mangeshkar…In Her Own Voice, based on conversations with author Nasreen Munni Kabir.
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Bollywood Hungama🎥 (@realbollywoodhungama)
“Asha is so versatile. She can sing all kinds of songs very well – sad songs, dance numbers and cabarets. I am not saying this because she is my sister, but it’s my duty to speak about her qualities. Looking at the variety of songs she can sing, no singer can match her,” Lata said in an old interview with journalist Rajiv Shukla.
She also directly addressed the persistent rumours of tension between them. “It’s wrong to talk of rivalry having spoilt our relationship. We are sisters and neighbours. We talk to each other and eat together. If either of us has a problem, we tell each other. And if we have something to celebrate, we celebrate together,” she said.
The two lived in neighbouring flats at Prabhu Kunj on Peddar Road in Mumbai, sharing not just a building but a close personal bond that contradicted public perception.
Also Read: Asha Bhosle’s son Hemant Bhosle died of cancer three years after daughter Varsha’s suicide, served as a pilot, spent last days of his life in Scotland
Responding to allegations that she had restricted her younger sister’s growth, Lata had said in the interview to Rajiv Shukla: “Agar Asha ko maine badhne nahi diya hota toh Asha ka itna naam nahi hota. Behen ke saath ye karna theek nahi.”
Lata Mangeshkar also spoke about the musical influences that shaped Asha’s voice, particularly the role of composer S. D. Burman. “When Asha first came onto the scene, her singing was quite different – then she too came under the influence of Burman da and developed his style further,” she noted.
She further acknowledged how composers like O. P. Nayyar crafted music suited to specific voices. “He believed his music didn’t work with my voice and I agreed with him. My voice wasn’t right for his compositions,” Lata said, highlighting how their careers evolved differently rather than competitively.
Lata also reflected on the difficult phase in Asha’s personal life during her marriage to Ganpatrao Bhosle. “She wasn’t allowed to see us or write to us. Asha suffered a lot during those years,” she recalled.
Despite challenges, the sisters remained deeply connected. In the same book, Asha Bhosle remembered their childhood bond, recalling how Lata would take her everywhere, even to school, until they were separated in class.
Lata Mangeshkar passed away in 2022, while Asha Bhosle breathed her last on April 12, 2026. Both legends were 92 and died at Mumbai’s Breach Candy Hospital, leaving behind an unparalleled musical legacy and a relationship defined not by rivalry, but by respect and family.
