The singer par excellence.. India bids adieu to the legend who scintillated her audience through eight decades. Lataji leaves her audiences across the world in a bottomless void of silence as she departs into the eternity. The soul of the nightingale have departed, but her mellifluous voice will continue to mesmerise the world for eternity. From never released ‘Naachu Yaa Gade’ to evergreen ‘Saugandh Mujhe Is Mitti Ki’.. here are some lesser known facts in the journey of Lataji’s musical track.
From ‘Hema Mangeshkar’ to ‘Lata Mangeshkar’:
Born on 28th September 1929, as the eldest child of Pandit Deenanath Mangeshkar, (a theatre actor and classical singer) and Shevanti (Shudhamati), Lata was not her original name. She was born as Hema but rechristened later as Lata after a famous character Latika from her father’s play Bhaaw Bandhan. She has four siblings namely Meena, Asha Bhosle, Usha, and Hridaynath. Yooung Lata started singing at the age of five and studied the fine art of music with Aman Ali Khan Sahib and Amanat Khan, established and famous singers of that time.
Sang her debut at the age of 13, but it never got released
Though Lataji was born to a famiy of acclaimed artists, she had a rough time finding a breakthrough in the industry. She was initially rejected because her voice was considered ‘too thin’. Lata recorded the first song of her career Naachu Yaa Gade, Khelu Saari Mani Haus Bhaari’ in 1942 for a Marathi movie called Kiti Hasaal, when she was just 13 years old. But unfortunately, the song was removed from the film’s final cut. Lata even tried her luck in acting during this while, acted in over eight films from the year 1942-1948.
To the ‘trending list’
Lata Mangeshkar’s first breakthrough came from the song ‘Dil Mera Toda, Mujhe Kahin Ka Na Chhora’ from the movie Majboor (1948). It became her first super hit song which changed her life. ‘Aayega Aanewala’ from the movie ‘Mahal’ (1949), gave her sky-high popularity and she never looked back.
Music Composer Lataji!
Lata Mangeshkar composed music for the first time in 1955 for a Marathi movie called Ram Ram Pavhane. However, in 1960s she composed music for many Marathi films under the pseudonym of Anand Ghan.
Filling up Panditji’s eyes and heart
It is said that Lata Mangeshkar left India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru in tears as she sang ‘Aye Mere Watan Ke Logon, Zara Aankh Me Bhar Lo Pani’ on January 27, 1963, at Ramlila Maidan, New Delhi. The song was dedicated to the soldiers who lost their lives in the 1962 war.
Less known awards and recognitions
Lata Mangeshkar had once said, ‘For me, awards are a token of respect that people are giving me. So no matter how many awards I am receiving, I always feel emotional’. Not many people know that the category of best playback singer at the Filmfare Awards was introduced in 1959 after Lata Mangeshkar’s protest. In 1974, she became the first Indian to have performed in the Royal Albert Hall, London. The perfume Lata Eau de Parfum was named after Lata Mangeshkar in 1999. The government of France conferred her with the Officer of the Legion of Honour in 2007, which is the country’s highest civilian award.
A movie on Lataji!
Raj Kapoor’s masterpiece Satyam Shivam Sundaram (1978) is said to be inspired by Lata Mangeshkar’s life. He even wanted to cast her in the movie.
Her ‘not so strong-suit’- Politics
Lata Mangeshkar was nominated as a member of Rajya Sabha in 1999. Her term ended in 2006, though she was criticised for not attending the sessions. She had then cited her ill-health for her absence from the Parliament. Lata didi did not take a single penny or a salary or a house in Delhi for her services an MP. She had even once described her tenure as an ‘unhappy one’ and claimed that she was reluctant to be inducted.
Best suited for Saira Banu, fav- Madan Mohan
It is said that Lata didi believes that her voice suits actress Saira Banu’s the best! In Lata’s words, the best music director she worked with and with whom she had a special bond was Madan Mohan, a brotherly bond!
Lataji never listened to her own songs
Lata Mangeshkar once said while speaking to Bollywood Hungama that she does not listen to her own songs as if she did, she would find a hundred faults in her singing. ‘I can never listen to my songs. If at all I listen to them, I feel I could have done so much better, applied my creative mind, given it a higher rendition’, she said back then.
Her only Malayalam song!
Lata Mangeshkar has lent her voice to over 5,000 songs in over a thousand Hindi and 36 regional films. Though Lata Mangeshkar had sung many songs in Tamil and two songs each for Kannada and Telugu, she sang only a single track in Malayalam, which remains as one of the most cherished and refreshing songs of the language. The song ‘Kadali Chenkadali’ in the 1971 movie ‘Nellu’ proved her versatility in handling the languages. Lata Mangeshkar lent her voice to the music of Salil Chowdhary for the lyrics of Vayalar Ramavarma. Actor Jayabharathi enacted the song on the silver screen.
Listed once in the Guinness book of world records
The 1974 edition of The Guinness Book of Records had listed Lata Mangeshkar as the most recorded artist. But the claim was contested by Mohammed Rafi. The book continued to list Lata’s name but also mentioned Rafi’s claim. The entry was removed in 1991 until 2011, in which Guinness put Lata’s sister as the most recorded artist. Currently, Pulapaka Susheela holds the honour.
Her voice last recorded
Lata Mangeshkar recorded her last song ‘Saugandh Mujhe Is Mitti Ki’, which was composed by Mayuresh Pai, as a tribute to the Indian Army and nation. It was released on March 30, 2019. After this, she refrained from proffessional singing due to health issues.
Also read: Nightingale sings no more; Legendary singer Lata Mangeshkar passes away
Javed Akhtar once said- ‘When you are talking about Michael Angelo, Beethoven or Shakespeare, the name says it all. Lata Mangeshkar’s greatness is her name itself. There is no other word that can encapsulate her’. As the the nightingale who reigned over seven decades of Indian music bids the final farewell, the nation mourns, remembering her talent and greatness, which will remain till eternity. She is, she was and she has been the last word in music, as far as an Indian is concerned.
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