Dubai, December 8th, 2014 – Legendary Indian playback singer Asha Bhosle is set to receive a prestigious Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF) Lifetime Achievement Award for her decades of dedication to Indian cinema. Bhosle has recorded more than 12,000 songs for more than 850 films in her 81 years.
Bhosle is known for her incredible range and versatility, having recorded every style of music from film to folk songs, Indian classical music to pop songs, as well as ghazals and bhajans. She made her acting debut in the 2013 film ‘Mai’, at the age of 80, to critical acclaim; and has been awarded numerous accolades. These include being noted as the ‘most recorded artist in music history’ by the Guinness Book of World Records, being awarded the Dadasaheb Phalke Award (2000) and the Padma Vibhushan (2008) from the Indian government.
DIFF Chairman Abdulhamid Juma said: “Asha Bhosle is a stalwart of the Indian music scene, and we are proud to be honouring her with this DIFF Lifetime Achievement Award. Her work has touched almost every corner of the world: we look forward to welcoming such a legend to Dubai and DIFF.”
Asha Bhosle added: “I am delighted to have been nominated to receive this Lifetime Achievement Award from DIFF in Dubai – a place with long historic ties to my country. I look forward to visiting this special film festival, which has done so much work to promote the art worldwide.”
The Lifetime Achievement Award is dedicated to honouring the world’s greatest film industry actors, writers, directors and producers. Previous winners include Martin Sheen, Omar Sharif, Faten Hamamah, Adel Imam, Jameel Rateb, Sabah, Morgan Freeman, Sean Penn, Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan, Daoud Abdel Sayed, Youssef Chahine, Rachid Bouchareb, Souleymane Cisse, Nabil El-Maleh, Oliver Stone, Danny Glover, Terry Gilliam, Yash Chopra, Subhash Ghai, Michael Apted and Mahmoud Abdel Aziz.
“We are proud to be associated with such a legend” stated Susan Potter, Group Director, Wafi Hospitality LLC. “I remember fondly the opening of the first Asha’s restaurant at Wafi, in December 2002. 12 years later we operate 10 successful Michelin recognized restaurants world-wide including an exciting new venue that has just opened at Yas Mall, Abu Dhabi”. “Our 2nd UK outlet in Manchester is due to open mid 2015” added Susan. With plans to open up 15 more outlets across the globe by 2020, fans are reassured that Asha’s music and food promises to nourish their souls for years to come.
