Words fall short when one starts to think of the great singer Lata Mangeshkar, a melodious soulful queen, christened as the nightingale of India, a Padma Shri awardee and winner of countless musical titles. The entire nation went numb with her sad demise as people from all walks of life paid their respects to the legend. She was put to rest with full state honour at Mumbai’s Shivaji Park.
Born on September 28, 1929, to Pandit Deenanath Mangeshkar and Shevanti, Lata Mangeshkar was initially named Hema Mangeshkar. She was renamed ‘Lata’ derived from ‘Latika’ a famous character in her father’s play Bhaav Bandhan. At a very tender age, she began learning music from her father and later at the age of five, she acted in plays written by her father. Lata Mangeshkar was the eldest among the five siblings Meena Khadikar, Asha Bhosle, Usha Mangeshkar and Hridaynath, all of who are renowned names in the music world.
In 1942, Lata Didi recorded her first song named Naachu Yaa Gade, Khelu Saari Mani Haus Bhaari for a Marathi movie, Kiti Hasaal. But, later when the film was edited, it was removed from the final version. It was the same year when she lost her father and took responsibility for her family. Her singing career was at a low so she began acting and had worked in over eight films spanning from the year (1942 to 1948).
The big Bollywood breakthrough came with the song, ‘Dil Mera Toda, Mujhe Kahin ka na chhora which was from the movie Majboor released in 1948. Everyone from the music industry-respected Lata Mangeshkar and many young female singers like Alka Yagnik, Alisha Chinai, Shilpa Rao and Shreya Ghoshal looked up to her as role models. Lata Mangeshkar worked with many top male playback singers like Mohammad Rafi, Hemant Kumar, Kishore Kumar, Pankaj Udhas, Udit Narayan, Kumar Sanu, among others.
As we all jog our memories, we remember her melodious voice from countless hit Bollywood movies, albums and tracks. Lata Didi’s death put an end to an era of legendary singing and millions of hearts filled with sadness in dismay.
Let’s look at some of the inspiring achievements of our very own Lata Didi:
Lataji’s contribution to Indian music spans seven decades. The list of accolades is endless. She achieved a lot during her years and was the winner of four national awards like Padma Bhusan (1969), Dada Saheb Phalke (1989), Padma Vibhusan (1999), and Bharat Ratna (2001). She even received one Lifetime Achievement award and was popular in not just India, but a renowned face on the International stage.
She holds five major International awards including the Platinum Disc of EMI London. The latter is a coveted award received by an artist or a group whose sales exceed a specific benchmark. Lata Mangeshkar was the first Asian to win the coveted title. Furthermore, Lata Mangeshkar holds a Guinness Book of World Records for singing more than 30,000 songs in multiple languages such as Bengali, Hindi, Malayalam and Marathi.
Lata Mangeshkar holds another International honour to her name. She had received the highest civilian award of France in 2007, conferring her with the title – ‘The Legion of Honour.’ The award holds merit for both military & civil.
For her first International debut in 1974, Lata Mangeshkar chose the UK as the venue for her concert organised in commemoration of the first Prime Minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru. The fund raised by the concert was to aid in Nehru Memorial Fund. Moreover, the concert was a hit and the recording of the live show sold more than 133,000 copies.
She was not just a great legendary singer, but also a great music director. Remarkable, as a vocalist, she also worked as a music director. She had composed music for various Marathi movies like Tituka Melvava, Mohityanchi Manjula, Ram Ram Pavhana, Sadhi Manase and Tambadi Mati.
Even at the age of 90, Lata Mangeshkar released a song in 2019 that paid tribute to the country’s Bravehearts. The song was titled, ’Saugandh Mujhe Iss Mitti Ki’.
Let’s remember some of the blockbuster songs of Lata Mangeshkar that will echo in the ears of music lovers for generations to come:
1. The song Hothon Mein Aisi Baat from the movie Jewel Thief (1967) music composed by S.D Burman stirs millions of hearts.
2. Among the unforgettable ones, ‘Tujhe Dekha Toh ye Jana Sanam from the super-duper hit movie – Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge is among the iconic songs we remember today. Along with Kumar Sanu, Lata Mangeshkar voice still echoes in our hearts.
3. Another chartbuster song sung by Lata Mangeshkar is – Humein aur jeene ki chahat na hoti from the super hit movie, ‘Agar tum na hote.’ This song had several versions sung by Kishore Kumar, Lata Mangeshkar and a duet.
4. The title song of ‘Kabhi Khushi, Kabhi Gam’ has stirred countless hearts. The song features Amitabh Bachchan, Jaya Bachchan, Kajol, Hrithik Roshan, Kareena Kapoor.
5. Jiya Jale, Jaan Jale from the movie ‘Dil Se’
6. Ajeeb Daastan hai ye from the movie ‘Dil apna aur preet parai.’
To Ghulam Haider giving her the first break till her last melodious voice, we feel proud to have been blessed with this legendary singer amidst us. We pay a warm-hearted tribute to the soulful queen, India’s nightingale, a pure-hearted soul, and a talented singer on a blessed heavenly journey.
