India's legendary playback singer Asha Bhosle has landed in Melbourne on the second-last stop of her farewell tour.
Bollywood's most prolific artist has featured in over 12,000 recordings, and is still performing in her 80s.
Asha Bhosle is known as the voice of Bollywood.
She's said to be the world's most-recorded artist, singing the score of over one thousand films in Hindi cinema.
Bollywood stars lip synch to her lyrics, and while the 82-year old may leave the dancing to the actors, she's not slowing down anytime soon.
"I never think about retiring, because you retire you die. So I'm not retired."
Renowned for her range and versatilty, her voice transcends the age of the actresses that claim it.
She started performing at just 10-year old.
Her decades in the industry have made her an integral part of Bollywood's evolution into a global phenomenon.
But she remembers a time when Indian films had a much lower budget.
"That time Bollywood was very different. We have to sing only one mic, I'm singing then I duck and the flute comes in and violin comes in like that."
Her popularity spilled out of India in the 1980s, as she collaborated with Boy George and Michael Stipe on songs and ventured out into different genres of music.
Her prolific recording career inspiring the British hit Brimful of Asha from alternative rock group Cornershop.
She says her career highlights are too many to list, but working with Australian cricketer Brett Lee on his original love song "You're the One For Me" rates among them.
"He's laughing and I'm laughing and he said how can I sing a love song with you, I said you don't sing for me you sing for another girl."
Even with age her popularity hasn't waned.
Music journalist for Australian-Indian magazine IndusAge Rajesh Sharma says Ms Bholse is still in high demand.
"Every music director wants to work with her because her numbers help the success of the movies because Bollywood is songs and dances and people go to watch those songs."
As did thousands of Australian fans to the Sydney Opera House, Sravya Abbineni was among them.
"It was like being back at a 70s disco everyone was up and dancing and having a lot of fun. She is a star she is Bollywood."
Asha's global farewell tour officalliy wraps in Auckland this month, but she says she's not yet ready to roll the credits on a career that's spanned seven decades.
"If they love me I will come again hahahahaha because any artist when people love him he loves his work."
It leaves open an option for her to return Down Under.
