Lata Mangeshkar biography: All you need to know about the ‘Nightingale of India’

Born on September 29, 1929, Lata Mangeshkar’s death has left everyone in a state of shock as the legendary singer passed away today. She was one of the best and respected playback singers. She recorded songs in over a thousand Hindi films and sang in more than thirty-six Indian languages.

Early Life:

Lata was born on September 28, 1929, to classical singer and theatre artist Pandit Deenanath Mangeshkar and Shevanti in Indore, Madhya Pradesh. Her siblings  - Meena, Asha, Usha, and Hridaynath - are all accomplished singers and musicians. Deenanath ran a theatre company that produced musical plays where Lata started acting by the age of five.

Start of her music career:

She began singing and acting in her father Deenanath Mangeshkar’s musical plays when she was only five. On her first day at school, she started giving music lessons to other children and when the teacher asked her to stop, she felt so offended that she decided not to go to school ever. Other sources cite that she left school as she would always go to school with her younger sister Asha, and the school would object to it.

Father’s death and struggle:

When Lata Mangeshkar was only 13 years old, her father died of heart disease and she became the sole breadwinner of the family. She struggled to establish herself as a singer in the 40s and recorded her first song in a Marathi movie Kiti Hasaal (1942). The song was later omitted from the movie. She moved to Mumbai in 1945 but her first major hit came with the song ‘Aayega aanewala’ from the movie Mahal (1949), after which she became one of the most sought-after voices of Hindi cinema. In the year 1945, Master Vinayak, who was a family friend of Mangeshkars and was taking care of them after the father’s death, offered her a minor role in his first Hindi film, Badi Maa.

Her Music Career:

In 1942, when Lata was 13 years old, her father died due to heart disease. Vinayak Damodar Karnataki, who was the owner of Navyug Chitrapat movie company and a very close friend of Lata, helped her in her career. Lata sang the song ‘Naachu Yaa Gade, Khelu Saari Mani Haus Bhaari’, composed by Sadashivrao Nevrekar for Vasant Joglekar's Marathi movie Kiti Hasaal (1942). However, it was dropped in the final cut. After this, Vinayak gave her a small role in Navyug Chitrapat's Marathi movie ‘Pahili Mangalaa-gaur (1942)’. She sang ‘Natali Chaitraachi Navalaai’, composed by Dada Chandekar.

Lata’s first Hindi song was ‘Mata Ek Sapoot Ki Duniya Badal De Tu’ for the Marathi film Gajaabhaau (1943). In 1945, Lata moved to Mumbai when Vinayak’s company relocated its headquarters. From Ustad Aman Ali Khan of Bhindibazaar Gharana, she started taking music lessons. In 1946, she sang ‘Paa Lagoon Kar Jori’ for Vasant Joglekar's Hindi-language film ‘Aap Ki Seva Mein’. Her sister Asha played minor roles in Vinayak's first Hindi-language movie, ‘Badi Maa’ in 1945. She also sang a bhajan ‘Maata Tere Charnon Mein’ in that movie. In 1946, she met Vasant Desai during the recording of Vinayak's second Hindi-language movie ‘Subhadra’.

In 1948, after Vinayak’s death, music director Gulam Haider mentored Lata. He made her meet producer Sashadhar Mukherjee. However, Mukerjee dismissed Lata's voice as it was “too thin”. To which, Haider replied, in coming years producers and directors would “fall at Lata's feet” and “beg her” to sing in their movies. Later, Haider gave Lata her first major break with the song ‘Dil Mera Toda, Mujhe Kahin Ka Na Chhora’ for the film movie ‘Majboor’ in the year 1948. It became a super hit. In September 2013, on her 84th birthday, Lata herself declared, "Ghulam Haider is truly my Godfather. He was the first music director who showed complete faith in my talent.” ‘Aayega Aanewaala’ was one of her first major hits from the film ‘Mahal’, in 1949.

Lata Mangeshkar’s last song

 Lata recorded her last song in the year 2019, she had landed her voice to a song based on PM Narendra Modi’s slogan ‘Saugandh Mujhe is Mitti Ki.’  In the music video, Lata was heard saying, “I was listening to PM Modi’s speech a few days ago. He said some lines in it which I felt was representing the feelings of every Indian. They touched me too. I recorded them. And today I offer it as my tribute to Indian soldiers and every Indian. Jai Hind..”.

Lata Mangeshkar's Awards:

Lata Mangeshkar, also known as Nightingale of India, had won National Film Awards, BFJA Awards, Filmfare Award for Best Female Playback Singer, Filmfare Special Awards, Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award. Apart from these, she was honoured with Padma Bhushan (1969), Dadasaheb Phalke Award (1989), Maharashtra Bhushan (1997), Padma Vibhushan (1999), Bharat Ratna (2001) Legion of Honour (2007). She was a member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha from November 22, 1999, to November 21, 2005.

Lata Mangeshkar's songs have been a favourite of not just those who grew up in the 1980s and 1990s, but also the youngsters.