In Maharashtra’s Phase 5 during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections in India, numerous Bollywood actors exercised their voting rights early and proudly displayed their marked fingers in photos, demonstrating their commitment to civic duty. From Akshay Kumar to Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone, stars were captured arriving at the polling booth. Among them was also the legendary singer Asha Bhosle.
On Monday, the 90-year old vocalist took to her Instagram handle and shared a video, showcasing her inked finger. Draped in a graceful light green saree, Asha Bhosle addressed her fans and said, “Sabko mattdaan karna hi chahiye. Maine bhi Kiya.”
She also posted another clip, featuring her granddaughter and singer Zanai Bhosle coming out of the polling booth. She can be heard saying, “Namaskar. Aaj Maine apna matt diya hai. Aap bhi mattdaan kijiye. My first election and I have just voted. Namaste.” In the caption, Asha Bhosle wrote, “Namaskaar! Humne vote kar liya! Ab aapki baari hai!.”
Bollywood stars taking part in elections highlights how influential public figures are in promoting democracy and voting. Their involvement can inspire more people to vote, showing that every vote matters. Actors like Shah Rukh Khan and Akshay Kumar have used social media to encourage voting.
Asha Bhosle celebrated her 90th birthday with a live concert in Dubai last year. “At the age of 90, I have to stand for three hours on stage and sing songs, I’m happy I can do this at this age,” Bhosle told PTI in an interview ahead of the show.
She sang her first film song “Chala Chala Nav Bala” for the Marathi film “Majha Bal” in 1943. Eighty years and some 12,000 songs later, Bhosle is readying to hold the stage again – and shows no signs of slowing down.
Music, she said simply, is like breathing. And it wasn’t always easy, said the singer whose voice has emoted every nuance and every mood for actors down generations, right from Meena Kumari to Kajol and hundreds of others in between.
“Humari saans nahin hoti hai toh aadmi mar jata hai. Mere liye music meri saans hai (For me, music is my breath). I have spent my life with this thought. I have given a lot to music. I feel good I’ve come out of difficult times. Many times I felt I would not be able to survive, but I did,” Bhosle said.
From peppy numbers such as “Piya Tu Ab To Aaja” and “O Haseena Zulfon Wali” to soulful ghazals like “Dil Cheez Kya Hai” and the classical “Tora Man Darpan Kehlaye”, Bhosle has been the voice millions of Indians have tuned into day and night.
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