Prateek Tanmay
3 min readHyderabadJun 21, 2026 04:43 PM IST
A glimpse of a new song bringing together AR Rahman and Asha Bhosle was unveiled on the occasion of World Music Day today. The track was recorded before Bhosle’s death in April 2026, making it one of the final recordings of a career that spanned more than eight decades.
The song features vocals from both Rahman and Bhosle, with additional musicians drawn from Trinity Laban, the London based conservatoire where the composer has served as Honorary President since 2024.
Rather than being framed as a farewell, the song has been positioned as a celebration of Asha Bhosle’s contribution to Indian cinema and to music more broadly, a way of marking a body of work rather than closing it. That framing fits with how AR Rahman has spoken about the project, describing it as something conceived while Bhosle was still alive, born out of a wish to honour her rather than mourn her.
Also Read: Remembering Asha Bhosle: The timeless voice of versatility
Posting a glimpse on his social media handles, Rahman wrote, “On this World Music Day, we celebrate a voice that has transcended generations, languages, and borders. This tribute began as a dream while Asha Bhosle ji was still with us. We had hoped she would witness the love and gratitude this project carries. Around the world, we celebrate musical legends. We are blessed to have one of our own, an artist whose voice became the soundtrack of countless lives. The most meaningful tribute felt like bringing together different musicians, traditions, and sounds to celebrate her extraordinary legacy. This is our humble offering to Asha ji. May her music continue to inspire hearts for generations to come. Today, we share a glimpse of this journey with the teaser. The full tribute will be unveiled soon. We hope you all receive it with the same love with which it was created.”
On this World Music Day, we celebrate a voice that has transcended generations, languages, and borders.
This tribute began as a dream while Asha Bhosle ji was still with us. We had hoped she would witness the love and gratitude this project carries.
Around the world, we… pic.twitter.com/hxr3sOFdtI
— A.R.Rahman (@arrahman) June 21, 2026
AR Rahman on his last song with Asha Bhosle
AR Rahman talked to Variety India about his last song with Asha Bhosle. He said, “Asha ji’s voice has been one of the greatest gifts to Indian and global music. She has been a major influence and guiding force to me, so when we were collaborating on the song, we wanted to make it about her remarkable legacy and a celebration of her voice. She was certain that the song had to be fun and energetic, and we would keep trying different things.”
“I feel fortunate that we were able to create this together. Even when we were recording this, the energy and warmth she brought to it was amazing. That’s the spirit that makes her truly timeless. Some voices never leave us, and Asha ji’s will continue to live in our hearts forever,” Rahman added.
