Lata Mangeshkar dies at 92: Here are the songs she felt were turning points in her career

Legendary singer Lata Mangeshkar has passed away at the age of 92. She was admitted to Breach Candy Hospital after suffering from COVID-19 and pneumonia. Let's take a look at the songs that mattered the most to the 'Goddess Of All Melodious' things? Here are her picks:

Aayega aanewala: Mahal (1949):

The song  that  actually  announced the  arrival  of  the  singing  phenomenon. Lataji  remembers  every   detail  of the song: “I’ve forgotten most of my recordings. Even the songs that I’ve sung  are mostly  forgotten. But Aayega aanewala is still fresh in my mind. The  haunting tune was composed  by Khemchand Prakash.I had a  string of hit songs in 1949. But this song from Kamal Amrohi Saab’s  Mahal was something else. Everyone was  humming it .Everywhere I went  I  herad the song. Main aapko ek mazedaar baat bataaon? The film’s record did not have  my name on it. The singer’s name  was given as  ‘Kamini’  the character who lip-synced  the song on screen.Since the heroine(Madhubala) played a ghost, I  was literally the ghost-voice in this song.” It was  the  first  of many  songs that I sang for a  ghost. The  song became  a rage.I had  to sing it in every live concert .Ironically I did not get credited  for  the song  . The  78 rpm record mentioned the name on the label  as ‘Kamini’ the character  who  lip-synced my song on screen in  Mahal.”

Hawa  mein udta jaye/Jiya beqaraar hai: Barsaat ( 1949):

“1949 was  really the year when I arrived as a playback singer. It was  the busiest  year  of  my life. I was running from  recording studio  to another with barely  room for pause.During this  year I sang  150-160 songs. Most  of  them became  hits. But  the  songs  of Shankar-Jaikishan  for Barsaat  were  popular on  another level altogether.Every song in this film was  a rage. But Hawa mein udta jaye  and  Jiya beqaraar  hai were  the  biggest  hits in Barsaat. Both were  playful  mischievous  songs. Most  of my biggest  hits have been on a more serious note.

Vande mataram:Anand Math (1952):

“I think it was in 1952 that  Hemantda(Mukherjee) called me to  the recording of this song.Did we  know at that time  that  we were creating a monumental song which  every Indian would sing  for his motherland? I  would be   lying if I said no. Singing BamkimChandra Chatterjee’s  immortal words gave  me  sense  of pride. I am grateful to Hemantda for  choosing me for this song.I was still  fairly new  at that time. But he  felt only I could do justice to it. Yeh mere liye bahot badi baat tthi.”

Allah tero naam: Hum Dono  ( 1961):

“Of all the genres  of songs, the devotional Bhajan is  my favourite. And  among all the  Bhajans  my favourite,and why just my favourite  everyone’s favourite  , is Allah tero naam. It is a deeply felt lyric written  by the great  Sahir Ludhianvi Saab.And Jaidev Saab  composed such a  beautiful tune! I did not sing that many songs  for  Jaidev Saab. But whatever I sang for him was  very special.To be  honest, I knew  I was singing something special when we  recorded the number. The composer Jaidevji always composed  something special for  me.I loved singing his compositions.Allah tero naam was a deeply emotional  Bhajan. Today when there is  such a growing communal  divide the message  of the one-ness  of Ishwar and Allah is  more relevant than ever.””

Dil deewana bin sajna ke mane na: Maine Pyar Kiya(1989):

“This  song was  a  turning-point for no other reason  except that  it came to me at a time when I  was seriously considering  retirement.  Nothing inspiring was  coming way. The film-music  industry was in a  slump.I felt  there was  no reason to continue doing playback singing. I  decided to pursue my  lifelong  interest in  classical  singing instead. Just then composer Raam Laxman came to me with the songs  of Maine Pyar Kiya.Dil dewaana  and  the songs of  Yash Chopra’s Chandni revived my interest in playback singing.

Subhash K Jha is a Patna-based film critic who has been writing about Bollywood for long enough to know the industry inside out. He tweets at @SubhashK_Jha.