Lata
Mangeshkar, the nightingale of India, was born on 28th September 1929, in
Indore, Madhya Pradesh, India. The living legend of India started her career
way back in 1942 spanning till today. She is one of the best and most reputed
playback singers of India. Her voice has got such a fine texture and versatile
quality that nobody could match. From 1974 to 1991, she held the Guinness Book
of World records for approximately 25,000 solo, duet, and chorus-backed songs
recorded in her voice in 20 Indian languages between 1948 to 1974.
Childhood
Lata
Mangeshkar was born to Pandit Deenanath Mangeshkar, a classical singer and
theater actor, and Shevanti Mangeshkar. Her love and exposure for music started
in her childhood days. At the age of five, she started helping her father in
his musical plays by being an actress in the plays. It is funny but she stopped
going to school because school authorities did not allow her to teach music
lessons to other students. She studied musical art under Aman Ali Khan and
Amanat Khan.
Career
Lata
Mangeshkar started her career as an actress and worked in many Hindi and
Marathi films. But in 1942, she made her debut as a playback singer in the
Maraathi film Kiti Hasaal. But unfortunately, her song was edited out. Even
then she did not lose faith and took her singing career to heights. In 1949,
she got her first major breakthrough for her song ‘Ayega Aane Wala’ for movie
Mahal. After that she got big break in films like Majboor, Dulari, Barsaat and
Andaaz. She sung raga based song for the hit film Mughal-E-Azam (1960). Since
then she has recorded over a thousand songs for Bollywood and sung in over
thirty six regional Indian languages and foreign languages.
Awards
and Recognition
The
second vocalist to have ever been awarded the Bharat Ratna is none other than
legend Lata Mangeshkar. Not only this, but she has won almost all Highest
Civilian Awards of the country. She got Padma Bhushan and Padma Vibhushan in
1969 and 1999 respectively. There is a list of awards ahead. Dada Saheb Phalke
Award (1989), Maharashtra Bhushan Award (1997), NTR National Award (1999),
Bharat Ratna (2001), ANR National Award (2009), three National Film Awards, and
12 Bengal Film Journalists' Association Awards are all won by her. Last, but
definitely not the least, she has her name printed in the Guinness Book of
Records.
