MUMBAI: At the gala opening ceremony of the prestigious Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF) held at the famous Madinat Theatre in Madinat Jumeirah Hotel Dubai, Asha Bhosle received the lifetime achievement award for her outstanding contribution to music through hands of HH Sheikh Mansour Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Makhtoom.

Bhosle has been earlier honoured as the ‘most recorded artist in music history’ by the Guinness Book of World Records, and also awarded the Dadasaheb Phalke Award (2000) and the Padma Vibhushan (2008) from the Indian government.

Adding another award to her list of accolades, Bhosle said, “I am delighted to receive this Lifetime Achievement Award from Dubai International Film Festival in Dubai - a place with long historic ties to my country.”

In her acceptance speech, Bhosle, who also made her acting debut at the age of 80 in the 2013 film ‘Mai’, further added, "People while accepting awards thank their family, friends, pets, etc but I wish to here only thank my audience and my stars without which I would have never come so far in life."

On the popular demand by the audience, she crooned impromptu few lines of her popular "dil chiz kya hai aap meri jaan lijiye” and the evergreen classic "O mere sona re sona re sona" bringing the 3000 strong crowd at the Madinat Theatre in Jumeirah to standing ovation. 

DIFF Chairman Abdulhamid Juma said, “Asha Bhosle is a stalwart of the Indian music industry and we are proud to honour her with this DIFF Lifetime Achievement Award. Her work has touched almost every corner of the world such a legend we heartily applause in DIFF.”