iWorld
Reliance to launch Jio On Demand with over 450 TV channels
MUMBAI: The employee launch of Reliance Jio has raised the bar of expectation and filled the atmosphere with promise. And there are no better companies in India than Reliance when it comes to meeting expectations. The disruptive march that started since the announcement of Reliance Jio is now getting more and more exciting. India’s richest man Mukesh Ambani and his company is now set to disrupt the content consumption ecosystem with the launch of an on-demand content consumption service, which will also have live TV.
Christened Jio On Demand, the service will be unveiled by April 2016.
“The service will be launched with over 450 channels on board. We are in constant talks with broadcasters in order to make sure that Jio On Demand has a versatile catalog,” a company official told Indiantelevision.com on condition of anonymity.
Jio On Demand is already available for Reliance employees. A user of the service said, “I connect it with my TV, I see content on my smart-phone and being a Reliance 4G subscriber, I have yet to face a bandwidth issue. The app is very user friendly and the interface is least complicated. I can see the millennials going crazy about this.”
The app is available for both iOS and Android platforms, but only for Reliance employees and privileged consumers as of now. The pricing of the service is yet to be determined.
A associate working closely on the Jio On Demand service added, “I think the app will only be available for Reliance Infocom 4G subscribers and will be bundled with a data pack. So the consumer will have access to both data and the app. I am very sure that the pricing will be reasonable and may set a new benchmark for data pricing in India.”
Reliance Jio Infocomm’s social networking service Jio Chat was last year and is accessible to all for free. Reliance has already teamed up with the State Bank of India (SBI) to launch the digital wallet service called Jio Money. The service is expected to launch in the next few months, and will help consumers to make cashless payments. Amongst other services are also Switch-and-Walk, Jio Drive and music streaming service Jio Beats.
“All the apps will have special and unique offerings, they are already rolled out for Reliance employees and are tested thoroughly so that once they come out commercially, they are a thrill for the users,” concludes the senior official.
iWorld
Asha Bhosle, the unforgettable voice that sang a thousand emotions
The melody that defined generations has fallen silent, but her songs will echo forever.
MUMBAI: The voice that once lit up countless silver screens and brought rhythm to millions of hearts has stilled. Legendary singer Asha Bhosle, one of the most versatile and prolific vocalists in Indian film music, passed away at the age of 92 in Mumbai on Sunday. She was admitted to Breach Candy Hospital on Saturday night after suffering cardiac and respiratory issues and had reportedly been unwell for several months.
Her son, Anand Bhosle, confirmed the news on Sunday afternoon. The last rites will be performed on Monday.
Born in 1933 into the illustrious Mangeshkar musical family, Asha began her journey in the golden era of Hindi cinema. She recorded her first film song at the age of nine in 1943 and, by the 1950s, had already carved a distinct space for herself in Bollywood. While her elder sister Lata Mangeshkar often took the more melodic, heroine-centric numbers, Asha quickly became the go-to voice for energetic cabaret tracks, dance numbers, and later, the full spectrum of emotional expression.
The 1950s–60s: Rise of the Cabaret Queen In the early decades, Asha was frequently typecast for “item songs” and Western-style numbers. Yet even within those constraints, she delivered unforgettable hits such as “Aaja Aaja” from Teesri Manzil and “O Haseena Zulfon Wali” from the same film. Her playful, sassy delivery gave these tracks a magnetic energy that still feels fresh today.
The 1970s: Peak Versatility This was the decade that cemented her legendary status. Songs like “Dum Maro Dum” (Hare Rama Hare Krishna), “Piya Tu Ab To Aaja” (Caravan), “Chura Liya Hai Tumne” (Yaadon Ki Baaraat), and “Yeh Mera Dil” (Don) became cultural touchstones. Asha proved she could swing from seductive to soulful with equal ease, working with almost every major composer of the era.
The 1980s: Emotional Depth and Ghazals After marrying composer R.D. Burman in 1980, Asha explored more nuanced, introspective territory. Her National Award-winning performances in Umrao Jaan (“Dil Cheez Kya Hai”) and Ijaazat (“Mera Kuch Saamaan”) showcased a matured, velvety voice capable of profound emotion. These tracks remain among the most cherished ghazals in Indian cinema.
The 1990s–2000s: Global Collaborations and Reinvention Even as newer voices emerged, Asha refused to fade. She collaborated internationally with the Kronos Quartet and released experimental albums. Later in her career, she lent her voice to younger composers and continued performing live, often sharing the stage with her granddaughter Zanai Bhosle.
A Life Beyond the Microphone Asha’s personal journey was as dramatic as her filmography. At 16, she eloped with Ganpatrao Bhosle, her personal secretary. The marriage ended in separation in 1960 after they had three children. In 1980, she married R.D. Burman in a union that faced family opposition but brought creative synergy. RD passed away in 1994.
Throughout her life, Asha remained grounded, often crediting classical music and ghazals for keeping her voice sharp. In a 2023 interview, she admitted she rarely listened to contemporary film songs, preferring the timeless works of Bhimsen Joshi and classic ghazals to stay inspired.
Her seven Filmfare Awards and two National Film Awards are merely numbers; the true measure of her legacy lies in the thousands of songs that still play in homes, cars, and hearts across generations. From the foot-tapping energy of “Dum Maro Dum” to the haunting beauty of “Mera Kuch Saamaan”, Asha Bhosle gave Indian cinema a voice that was simultaneously bold, tender, playful, and profound.
The golden era has lost one of its brightest stars, but the music she created will continue to refresh souls for decades to come. As the final notes of her extraordinary journey fade, India bids farewell to a voice that truly defined an era.
