by Lata Mangeshkar is an Indian playback singer and occasional actor. She has recorded songs in various Indian languages and has made contributions to Bollywood as well as Marathi, Gujarati, Tamil, Telugu, and Kannada cinema.
Lata Mangeshkar was born at Gomantak Sahakari Mandali along with her elder brother Shri Kishore Kumar who was a child actor in Hindi films of those days. Lata’s father Pandit Deenanath Mangeshkar worked with The Great Gandharva – a traveling theater company that performed folk songs of Maharashtra. Her mother Shevanti.
About Lata Mangeshkar
Lata Mangeshkar was born on September 28, 1929, in Indore (Madhya Pradesh). Lata’s mother died when she was only three years old. Her father wanted her to learn classical music and he sent his daughter to a local music teacher named Babuji Bhai who taught her the first lessons in Marathi and Hindi classical music. At the age of seven, Lata’s talent was discovered by Master Vinayak, who taught her Hindustani classical music. She had a natural gift for music and she would sing songs perfectly after listening to them just once or twice.
Life of Mangeshkar
Her birth
She was born in Indore, India to Deenanath and Shevanti Mangeshkar on September 28, 1929. Her father Deenanath Mangeshkar, who was an actor and singer in plays, married Shevanti. Deenanath is the brother of Bhaurao Baburao Mangeshkar (also known as Baburao Painter), who was a well-known artist of the 19th century Maharashtra. The youngest of five children, Lata was born in Indore, where her father had moved from Gwalior. Her family eventually moved back to Mumbai (then Bombay) in 1941.
Her education
Lata Mangeshkar had her elementary education from a woman teacher in Mumbai and she continued to study at the Elphinstone High School. She was among the first batch of Music faculty of this school. She also learned French, German, and English at home. Lata was the only girl in her family and she was very close to her brother Shrikant, who was somewhat older than her. Lata’s father feared that she would not get married as a single girl, so both of them decided that their brother should settle down first, and then they would find a good enough match for Lata’s brother later on.
Her personal life
Lata Mangeshkar married Rajkumar Mangeshkar, a music director, in 1950. The couple had two daughters, Prabha and Teji. Teji is a famous actress in Hindi movies and Prabha is an art director and a drama teacher.
Career
Lata Mangeshkar began her playback singing career at the age of 13 for a Marathi film, Aapne (1942), and then sang for numerous films. From 1942 to 1964 she was solely a playback singer. In 1965 she sang her first non-film song “Ab Mujhe Raat Din”. In 1966 she sang 4 songs in the unreleased movie, Dil Ne Phir Yaad Kiya, and then she started her professional career as a playback singer. She was not comfortable becoming an actress, so she started acting in 1971 with that year’s classic Seeta Aur Geeta, which was one of the biggest hits of that year. Her first acted film is Prem Pujari, which was released in 1972.
A career in the 1940s
The movie Aapne (1942) was her first film. She sang “Bhavai Bhoge Yad Karu” in this movie. In 1942, she sang Aaja Nagare neeche tera in the Marathi Movie Shanivar Bhag (1941). Her first Hindi song was Hum tere bin aaye (1942) “Lata Mangeshkar” and “Tere Jaisa Koi Yeh Mausam”.
She first got success in 1942 with her song “Aapne” from the film Aapne. Her first big Hindi song was “Zindagi Jhoomke Na Jaye” which was sung in 1942 in the movie Aapne (1942). Her first duet song was “Tumse Milkar Na Jaane Kyon” which was sung with K.L. Saigal.
Her first duet with her brother Kishore Kumar was “Dil Mein Chhupa Loonga” from the movie Humsaya (1963). She did playback singing for a few Telugu movies such as Maduveneta (1950), Samudram (1993), and Aa Naluguru.
A career in the 1950s
In the film Shabnam (1949), she sang “Suraj Hua Maddham”. In 1950, she sang “Chalte Chalte” in the film Sapne. She sang Tera Khilona Pyar in the film Jhuk Gaya Aasman in 1963. Her duets with Suman Kalyanpur include Teri Meri Kahani and Main Meri Patni Aur Woh.
In 1959 she sang Tum bin jaan ke hum tum in the movie Boots To Boot. Her duets with Mukesh include Ab Mujhe Raat Din – a non-film song from 1966. Her performances in Bombay Talkies with Kishore Kumar and Anoopam with Hemant Kumar in 1954 brought her great acclaim.
In 1964 she sang “Yeh Mera Diwanapan” for the movie Anupama. Her first song in Telugu was “Ramayanamu Loni Sanchani” from the film Samudram (1993).
A career in the 1960s
She sang 3 songs in 2 languages (Marathi and Hindi) in 1962 – Chanda Chori Chori, Suno Suno Aaya Re and Hawa Mein Ganga Behti Hai. In 1964, she sang “Chand Jaan” from the movie Prem Pujari. Her first song in her other language was “Naino Naal Ek Gali”, sung for the movie Chali Chali.
A career in the 1970s
In 1970 she sang a duet with Kalyanji Anandji Ab Dard Chalte Hain. In the same year she sang “Sone Ki Jaye Sharaab” for the movie Jwar Bhata. She sang “Beqasoor” for the movie Seeta Aur Geeta in 1971.
In 1971 she sang “Roop Tera Mastana” and “Jeena Yahan Chalna Hai” for the movie Seeta Aur Geeta. She also sang “Chitchor Meri Jaan Mein Na Rahi”, with Kishore Kumar, for Seeta Aur Geeta in 1971. Her first song in Bhojpuri was in 1972, when she recorded the super-hit song Nachdi Phira Dham Dham Dhalu Chalne Lage, picturised on Mumtaz and Rajendra Kumar.
In the movie Pink (1972), she sang “Chalo Chalo” and “Hum Tum Saath Ho To”. The same year, in the movie Khandaan, she sang “Kabhi Kabhi Ye Zindagi Mein”.
In 1974 in the movie Izzat Ki Nazron Se, she sang 12 songs. One of them was “Aaj Naino Firdouse” which became a big hit. She also sang a duet in Bhojpuri with Kishore Kumar for the film Izzat Ki Nazron Se as well. She also recorded 12 songs for Lahore (1974). One of them was “Shadi Teri Meri Baat Sunana Ma” by Lata Mangeshkar and Mohd. Rafi.
A career in the 1980s
In 1982 she sang “Kya Hua Tera Wada” from the movie Meri Jung. Her first Bhojpuri film was Aaj Ka Mughal-e-Azam, which was released in 1983, and she sang one duet with Kishore Kumar named “Naa Nee Ko Taala”, which became a super hit. Thereafter, she recorded songs in Bhojpuri films regularly. She also sang for films such as Sharaabi (1984) and Zarqa (1985).
A career in the 1990s
In 1992, she sang “Maan Ke Mughal-e-Azam”, picturized on Madhuri Dixit and Amitabh Bachchan. She said that the melody of “Kya Hua Tera Wada” was sent to her over the telephone by Kamal Hasan.
In 1994 she sang music for songs like “Kabhi Kabhi Mein Zindagi Mein” from the movie Phool Aur Kaante, and “Kitni Aankhon Mein Kadi” from the movie Ek Thi Daayan, both for Mithun Chakraborty. Her last film was Jag Arjun (1996). She later enjoyed a career in Malayalam films, recording several chart-toppers such as “Kumbaramela” and “Idhu Neeyattha Thurannu”.A series of audio albums named “Mitra” (meaning friend in Hindi) was released by HMV India Ltd.
A career after 2000s
In 2012, she sang two songs for the movie Barfi! and one song for the Bhojpuri film Hamar Bhauji. She was also nominated for Filmfare Award for Best Female Playback Singer for her song “Beera Jaise Man Ka Mela” from the film Aiyyaa. In 2012, she sang one song for the film De Dana Dan which was release in 2012.
She sang “Darshan Chale Chale” from the Rajshri Production film Jungle carve Heart which was release in 2013.
In 2013, she sang “Teri Meri Rooftop” from the movie Laal Ishq and one song for the Bhojpuri film Dholavira (2013). She also sang for the Bhojpuri films Toilet Ek Prem Katha (2013) and De Jaya Great Maa (2014).
Awards and Honor
She won the Filmfare Best Female Playback Singer Award for Sharaabi (1984) and Teri Meri Rooftop (2013). Lata Mangeshkar also won the All India Radio Best Female Playback Singer Award for “Kachche Ke Lene” from De Dana Dan. She also won the Zee Gold Awards South-East Filmfare Award for Best Music Director for Jungle Carved Heart. Lata Mangeshkar also became a judge in Dance Plus’ show Dance O Rang. She also get Bharat Ratna in 2001.
