Sonu Nigam recently shared touching memories of late legendary singer Asha Bhosle. He recalled fixing her painful heel spur during their 1996 USA tour. His post came after Asha Bhosle passed away on April 12 at Mumbai’s Breach Candy Hospital. She was 92.
The heel spur incident
As reported by NDTV, during the tour, Asha Bhosle faced discomfort from a heel spur. Sonu Nigam knew the issue well since his mother had experienced it too. He offered to help with a simple hand treatment. “At that time, there was a spur in her heel. My mother had it too, so I knew how to treat it with my hands. She couldn’t stand properly. I told her I know how to fix it. After a few shows, I went to her room and massaged her feet and she got better.“The massage brought her relief quickly. She could perform more comfortably afterward.
Asha Bhosle’s lasting memory
Asha Bhosle often recalled the kind act even years later. She would bring it up in conversations with Sonu Nigam.“She would keep asking me, ‘Do you remember, you massaged my feet there?’ And I would say yes, because I had seen my mother go through the same thing. It’s like a bone thorn in the heel, caused by calcium overgrowth or something like that.”This repeated mention showed how much the gesture meant to her.
Early association and joint performances of Sonu Nigam and Asha Bhosle
Sonu Nigam first performed with Asha Bhosle in early 1996 at a wedding in Mumbai. She had a sore throat yet invited him to sing her iconic song ‘Jhoothe Naina Bole’ with her.“In the beginning of 1996, I performed with her for the first time in Mumbai at Rishi Shah’s son’s wedding. She had a sore throat and asked me to sing her iconic song Jhoothe Naina Bole with her. She didn’t need me; she was a great singer, but she still asked me to be a part of her singing. That meant a lot.”In June 1996, they toured America together with Amit Kumar. In Vancouver, she even cooked rice for him. Those days left lasting impressions on the young singer.Sonu Nigam posted a heartfelt message on Instagram after her demise. He shared photos of washing her feet on stage and touching her feet on another occasion.“Curtain down on one of the greatest ever crooners of all time. The last standing warrior of the pioneering era of Indian film music has called it quits today and bid her final goodbye to us all. She lived a full life, destined for extreme vicissitudes and challenges leading to exceptional greatness. She touched the lives of billions over multiple decades through her music and effervescence. An artiste who inspired us all through her zeal for riyaz till the end of her life.“He added, “Asha Ji, I will always remember the journey [I have had with you from 1994, when I first met and sang with you, through our last concert with each other in Dec 2024, till our last two duets together last year, with absolute joy and pride. All I can say is Chale to gaye ho par, dil abhi bhara nahin. See you on the other side.”Their collaborations included songs like ‘Kambakth Ishq’ from ‘Pyaar Tune Kya Kiya’ and ‘Tere Dil Ke Paas’ from ‘Hindustan Ki Kasam’ and many more.
