Lata Mangeshkar passed away on Sunday morning. (Photo: Express Archive, Yogesh Naik)Acclaimed singer Lata Mangeshkar breathed her last at Breach Candy Hospital, Mumbai on Sunday. She was 92. The singer, called the Nightingale of India, was laid to rest at Mumbai’s Shivaji Park with full state honours. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Shah Rukh Khan, Ranbir Kapoor, Vidya Balan among others paid their last respects to Mangeshkar.
Daughter of Pandit Deenanath Mangeshkar and Shevanti Mangeshkar, Lata belonged to a musical family. Her father was a well-known Marathi musician and theatre artiste. She was first tutored by her father and later appeared as a child artiste in several of his plays.
Lata Mangeshkar recorded her first Hindi song called “Mata Ek Sapoot Ki Duniya Badal De Tu” for the Marathi feature Gajaabhaau, which had released in 1943. Later, she went on to collaborate with some of the most popular names of the Hindi music industry, including the likes of Anil Biswas, Shankar Jaikishan, Naushad Ali and SD Burman among others.
She has lent her voice to songs in Hindi, Bengali, Marathi, and other regional languages. She has been honoured with the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, Bharat Ratna, Padma Vibhushan and Padma Bhushan as well as several National and Filmfare Awards.
Milind Soman posted on Twitter, "Thank you Lata ji for all the love. The way you sang made us better people. Om Shanti."
Lata Mangeshkar had once recalled that veteran actor Dilip Kumar helped her in improving her Urdu diction. In Kumar's 2014 autobiography The Substance and The Shadow, Lata recalled, "The remark that Yousuf Bhai made when he found out that I am a Maharashtrian is something that I cherish because it made me seek the perfection I then lacked in my Hindi and Urdu diction. He said very truthfully that singers who were not conversant with the Urdu language invariably tripped in the pronunciation of words derived from the language and that jarred and spoiled the listening pleasure for those who enjoyed the lyric as much as the melody."
The comment made the singer work on her diction. "A learned maulana was arranged by Shafi Imam, our family friend who was like an elder brother to me. As I continued my Urdu lessons, I found myself being appreciated and admired more and more,” the singer said. READ MORE
The picture shows Lata Mangeshkar with Raj Kapoor, Nargis, Shashi Kapoor and others.
Rani Mukerji on Sunday paid tribute to Lata Mangeshkar. Calling her demise an end of era, Rani said Lata Mangeshkar will live on as her voice is immortal. "Lataji was truly gifted and blessed, people would often say that goddess Saraswati resides in her voice and what a coincidence that she left us one day after Basant Panchami. She has left a big void in all our lives as India has lost its nightingale. She is and always will be remembered as one of the most integral people in the history of Indian cinema. Every actor, past and present, dreamt of lip syncing to her voice, And in my career I had the good fortune of being able to do that in my film Mujhse Dosti Karoge. I will always cherish the memories I have of meeting her. She was kindhearted and always exuded warmth. There was truly an aura around her. We as an industry can now celebrate her life and thank her for the countless memories and songs she has left us with. Rest in peace Lataji," her statement read.
Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan mourned Lata Mangeshkar's death. "With the death of Lata Mangeshkar the subcontinent has lost one of the truly great singers the world has known. Listening to her songs has given so much pleasure to so many people all over the world," he tweeted.
Taking to Twitter, Pankaj Tripathi said that as a mark of respect for Lata Mangeshkar, he will listen to her songs in solitude. He concluded his tweet by saying, "Thank you for making the world beautiful."
Lata Mangeshkar's brother Hridaynath Mangeshkar at the funeral after lighting the pyre. (Photo: Yogesh Naik)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who attended Lata Mangeshkar's funeral, met the legendary singer's family members, including Asha Bhosle, grand niece Shraddha Kapoor and Usha Mangeshkar among others.
After receiving state honuors, Lata Mangeshkar's funeral pyre was lit by her brother Hridaynath Mangeshkar.
Celebrities such as Shah Rukh Khan, Javed Akhtar, Ranbir Kapoor, Vidya Balan, Siddharth Roy Kapur and others paid their last respects to Lata Mangeshkar. (Photo: Varinder Chawla)
Veteran singer Lata Mangeshkar was laid to rest with full state honours, in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi among others. (Photo: Yogesh Naik)
Lata Mangeshkar's last rites being performed at Shivaji Park in Mumbai. (Express Photo)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has arrived at Shivaji Park to pay his last respects to Lata Mangeshkar.
Shah Rukh Khan, Sachin Tendulkar, Asha Bhosle, Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray and others arrive as Lata Mangeshkar is funeral set to begin. (Photo: Varinder Chawla)
Hrithik Roshan remembered Lata Mangeshkar on Sunday. "You will be greatly missed, Lata didi," he wrote.
Mourning the death of Lata Mangeshkar, Mahesh Babu tweeted, "Deeply saddened by Lata Mangeshkar ji's demise. A voice that defined Indian music for generations... Her legacy is truly unparalleled. Heartfelt condolences to the family, loved ones and all her admirers. Rest in peace Lata ji. There will never be another."
Actor Shraddha Kapoor, grand niece of Asha Bhosle and Lata Mangeshkar, paid her last respects to the Nightingale of India, who passed away on Sunday. (Photo: Varinder Chawla)