Sonu Nigam Recalls Caring Gesture for Asha Bhosle During 1996 U.S. Tour

MUMBAI — Singer Sonu Nigam has shared a personal memory of legendary vocalist Asha Bhosle, recalling how he helped relieve her pain during a U.S. tour in 1996 by massaging her feet when she was suffering from a heel spur.

In a video posted on social media, Nigam said Bhosle had difficulty standing due to the condition, which he recognized because his mother had experienced something similar.

“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,” he said.

Nigam added that Bhosle remembered the gesture for years afterward.

“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,” he said.

Reflecting on his early interactions with the iconic singer, Nigam said he first performed with her in Mumbai in early 1996 at a private event. Despite dealing with a sore throat, Bhosle asked him to join her in singing one of her well-known songs.

“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,” he said.

Later that year, Nigam toured the United States with Bhosle and singer Amit Kumar, describing the experience as unforgettable.

He also shared a lighter memory from the trip, recalling how Bhosle once cooked rice for him in Vancouver.

“It was my sheer good luck,” he said.

Bhosle, one of India’s most celebrated playback singers, died on April 12 at the age of 92 after being hospitalized a day earlier due to severe exhaustion and a chest infection, according to family members. Her death marked the end of a career that spanned more than eight decades. (Source: IANS)