MUMBAI: She may have just entered the eighth decade of her life, but say the name ‘Lata Mangeshkar’ and melodious tunes will grip your thoughts, compelling you to hum a tune or two. Lata Mangeshkar turns 80 on Sunday, but if we look back at her illustrious career, one tends to get overwhelmed. According to the Guinness records, the legendary singer has recorded over 30,000 songs, which include solos, duets, and chorus backed songs in 20 Indian languages, starting 1948.
Though one does not hear her sing often now, at her career peak, she used to perform for more than five recording sessions in a day and has consequently backed in more than 2,000 films. Today, the singer has become very selective, and has cut down on work assignments and the reasons of which could be her health and more importantly, the way the Bollywood music scene is shaping up. Ardent fans of Lataji can hear her new Marathi song ‘Mardaani Raja’ from the film Vasudeo Balwant Phadke, scheduled to release soon.
Born 28 September 1929, to a family of musicians settled in Indore, Lata’s life wasn’t easy. After her father Dinanath Mangeshkar, a classical singer and theatre actor, died of heart ailment in 1942, his five children – Lata, Hridayanath, Asha, Usha, and Meena – and wife Shudhhamati had to struggle for survival. Being the eldest of them, 13-year-old Lata had to see the family through the rough patch. And she did it single-handedly until her siblings grew up, each gifted with musical talent of varying degrees.
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When Lata entered the film industry, voices like Noorjehan, Shamshad Begum and Zohrabai Ambalewali were ruling the industry. 16 December, 1941 marked her first AIR broadcast, her father Deenanathji heard that broadcast in Pune and it moved him to tears. “Lata will take the family name further” is what he said on that day. Later, in 1942, she made her debut as a playback singer in the Marathi film ‘Kiti Hasaal’ (1942) however; the song never saw the light of day and was edited out. In her first Hindi film ‘Aap Ke Sewa Main’ (1947), again her singing went unnoticed. In fact, Lata was rejected by producer S. Mukherjee for ‘Shaheed’ (1948) who felt that her voice was too high-pitched (Lata Mangeshkar’s voice can easily traverse through three octaves, most singers can manage only two octaves). However, Ghulam Haider, unable to take her for ‘Shaheed’, gave Lata a break in ‘Dil mera toda’ from ‘Majboor’ (1948). ‘Aayega Aanewaala’, a song in the popular movie Mahal (1949) proved a turning point for her. (The song was composed by music director Khemchand Prakash and lip-synced on screen by Madhubala).
From her first super hit ‘Aayega aanewaala’ to ‘Jab pyaar kiya to darna kya’ and ‘Noorie’ to her recent bests like ‘Yeh hum aa gaye hain kahaan’ and ‘Luka chuppi’, Lata has managed to thrill music lovers of every generation with her soulful singing over her 66-year-long career. From light classical music to film songs and from ghazals to bhajans and pop, she has sung a variety of numbers.
By the late 1980s, she voluntarily cut down her singing assignments, the only singer who was equally good was Sister Asha Bhosle. Though Asha’s career ran parallel with hers, Asha was more known for delivering peppy western sounding songs.
Besides giving the music industry songs to remember for a lifetime, Lata also pioneered many constructive changes in Bollywood; which, in turn, proved beneficial for singers in the long run. She was the one who introduced the royalty system for singers in the industry. She also insisted that the singer’s name be published with the songs instead of actors. In 1956, when the film Chori Chori won the best song Filmfare Award for ‘Rasik Balma’ Lata refused to sing it ‘live’ in protest as there was ‘no playback’ category.
It has been observed that Lataji never celebrates her birthday in public and sticks to the same routine. Reporters and journalists line up at her house, but she prefers to keep it low. She begins the day by praying at the Mahalaxmi Temple situated right across her home in Prabhu Kunj. This time she may attend a function at the Dinanath Mangeshkar Hospital that she built in Pune in memory of her father.
On the occasion of her birthday, the Radioandmusic.com team wishes Lata Mangeshkar a long peaceful life.
