‘Nothing mattered anymore’: The ‘cursed mantra’ from Asha Bhosle’s brother that saved her after daughter’s tragic death

Marriage and children

Asha Bhosle married twice in her lifetime. She first married Ganpatrao Bhosle at a young age and later tied the knot with legendary composer Rahul Dev Burman in 1980.

Asha Bhosle had three children—Hemant, Varsha, and Anand—from her first marriage.

Her eldest son, Hemant Bhosle, pursued music, while Anand Bhosle went on to manage her career and professional commitments. Her daughter, Varsha Bhosle, carved her own path as a journalist, writing for publications and web portals, while also singing for a few Hindi and Marathi films and occasionally performing with her mother.

In recent years, her granddaughter Zanai Bhosle remained closely by her side.

(Photo: Express Archive)

Daughter’s tragic loss

One of the most painful chapters in her life was the loss of her daughter, Varsha Bhosle, in 2012. Varsha, who had long struggled with depression, died by suicide. She had previously attempted to take her own life in earlier years as well.

Recalling the moment she learnt about the tragedy, Asha had told Mumbai Mirror, “I was in Singapore when it happened. They wanted to keep me in the dark about it. But my son Anand thought it was better if I knew. When I was told, I just fell to the ground. I wanted to return by the first available flight. Didi (Lata) has taken this very badly. She just can’t stop crying. I wish she hadn’t been told about it. Didi is mostly in her room, so she needn’t have known. But when it happened, the place was swarming with activity. So it couldn’t have been avoided.”

How her brother helped her to overcome the grief

Asha had also spoken about the grief in a conversation with Bollywood Hungama before the release of her 2013 film Mai. She said people would cry after watching the film, “I will cry because my daughter will not be there to watch it.”

She said, “My daughter, whatever she had to do, she did. She chose her own path. She chose it, but she didn’t realise what would happen to those she left behind—especially her mother. But there are some things we can never undo.”

She described how that loss completely shattered her and it was her brother who gently guided her back towards music.

“It was my brother who brought me back. I was completely shattered. From that night on, I stopped meeting people, stopped talking, didn’t even pick up calls—nothing mattered anymore.”

“My brother came and placed the tanpura in my hands. He told me to start singing. He is younger than me, but he is like a guru to me.”

He reminded her of her roots, of the discipline she had grown up with.

“He said, ‘Remember Pandit Dinanath Mangeshkar. Begin with ‘Sa’, begin with ‘Om’. I started singing. After about five minutes, slowly, something began to open within me—as if a path was clearing. After that, I could hear nothing except ‘Sa’. My voice, my note—was it in tune or not, how long it was sustaining, which raga I was moving into, what I should sing next. Once I entered that space, nothing else in the world existed before me. Nothing. There was only music.”

(Photo: Express Archive)

Her brother then gave her a perspective that stayed with her for life.

“He told me, ‘We are like Gandharvas in the court of God. Sometimes, God curses them and sends them to earth. They become great artists, they sing beautifully—but they are never truly happy. They are cursed. Your duty is to carry what has been given to you. From the age of six or eight, you have been learning music, and even today you are singing. You are one of those cursed Gandharvas. So you will have to endure sorrow. That sorrow will never fully go away.’”

“‘But there is one way to move through it—sing. Keep singing. The pain will remain, you will not forget it, but you will find a way to hold yourself together.’”

“Then he said something that stayed with me: ‘Happiness is meant to be shared with the world, but sorrow is meant to be kept within. Hold it inside your heart. Never speak of it openly. Because no one cries with someone who is always crying—people laugh with those who laugh. Who will mourn every day for someone who dies every day inside? So never display your sorrow.’”

She held on to those words like a guiding force.

“His words stayed with me deeply, as if he had given me a mantra. Since then, whenever I get time, I practice singing.”

Another loss, years later

The grief did not end there. In 2015, her eldest son Hemant Bhosle passed away after battling cancer, adding another profound loss to her life as a mother.

Despite these personal tragedies, Asha Bhosle continued to remain active and engaged with her work and family.

Her son Anand continued to manage her career, while her granddaughter Zanai remained a constant presence by her side, gradually stepping into the world of performance and carrying forward the family’s artistic legacy.

DISCLAIMER: The following content discusses personal loss and mental health struggles. If you are experiencing emotional distress or find these topics difficult, please reach out to a professional or a trusted support system. This article is for informational purposes and intended to reflect on a public figure’s life and resilience; it does not constitute professional psychological or medical advice.

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