Govt to turn Asha Bhosle’s vision into reality, will set up music institute

Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said Asha Bhosle had proposed establishment of an institute dedicated to music. The government will take this proposal forward.

The Maharashtra government on Monday announced the establishment of a premier music institute to honour the legacy of the legendary singer Asha Bhosle, who passed away on Sunday.

A portrait of Indian singer Asha Bhosle, who died at 92, at her residence in Mumbai, India, on April 13 (REUTERS)

Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, who made the announcement, said the decision was taken at a meeting of the state cabinet on Monday.

“Late Asha Tai had proposed the establishment of an institute dedicated to music. The government will take this proposal forward. Steps will be taken to bring the institute envisioned by her into reality,” Fadnavis said in a statement on Monday.

“Bhosle wanted to establish the music institute as her contribution to music and had discussed the idea with the state cultural affairs minister Ashish Shelar following the process for identification of the land parcel was going on but she passed away before the process was completed,” revealed a senior official.

The institute is likely to come up at Bandra Reclamation and close to Rang Sharda Hotel.

“It will be of international standards and will be designed to impart world-class music education to the upcoming talents,” the official said.

This would be the second major music institute in Mumbai.

In January 2022, the state government led by Uddhav Thackeray at the time, had announced its decision to establish an international music college as a tribute to Lata Mangeshkar. It was named as ‘Bharat Ratna Lata Dinanath Mangeshkar International College of Music and Museum’.

The state Directorate of Arts (DoA) has approved a 7,000 square metre plot at Kalina campus of University of Mumbai for the proposed institution. The state government had also approved a sum of ₹210.50 crore for its development.

The design and plan was also approved by the Mangeshkar family and an advisory board was set up to help the government set up the international college. The international music college will have diploma and degree courses.

Lata Mangeshkar was alive when the international music college was announced but soon she was hospitalised due to pneumonia induced by a Covid-19 infection at the Breach Candy Hospital on January 8, 2022. She passed away on February 6, 2022.