Lata Mangeshkar was an Indian playback singer and occasional music composer. She is widely considered to have been one of the greatest and most influential singers in India and one of the world's greatest singers, according to BBC. Her contribution to the Indian music industry in a career spanning eight decades gained her honorific titles such as the "Queen of Melody", "Nightingale of India", and "Voice of the Millennium".

Lata recorded songs in over thirty-six Indian languages and a few foreign languages, though primarily in Marathi, Hindi, and Bengali. Her foreign languages included English, Indonesian, Russian, Dutch, Nepali, and Swahili. She received several accolades and honors throughout her career. In 1989, the Dadasaheb Phalke Award was bestowed on her by the Government of India. In 2001, in recognition of her contributions to the nation, she was awarded the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian honour; she is only the second female singer, after M. S. Subbulakshmi, to receive this honour. France conferred on her its highest civilian award, Officer of the National Order of the Legion of Honour, in 2007.

She was the recipient of three National Film Awards, 15 Bengal Film Journalists' Association Awards, four Filmfare Best Female Playback Awards, two Filmfare Special Awards, the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award and many more. In 1974, she was the first Indian playback singer to perform at the Royal Albert Hall in London, England. Her last recorded song was "Saugandh Mujhe Is Mitti ki" released on 30 March 2019 as a tribute to the Indian Army and the Nation.

Early life

Mangeshkar was born on 28 September 1929  in Indore, then the capital of the princely state of Indore which was part of the Central India Agency in British India.

Her father, Deenanath Mangeshkar was a Marathi and Konkani classical singer and theatre actor. Deenanath's father was Ganesh Bhatt Bhikoba (Bhikambhatt) Navathe Hardikar (Abhisheki), a Karhade Brahmin who served as a priest at the famous Mangeshi Temple in Goa. Deenanath's mother Yesubai Rane was his father's mistress belonging to the Devadasi community of Goa, a matrilineal community of temple artists now known as Gomantak Maratha Samaj. As a Devadasi, Yesubai was a reputed musician. Deenanath's father's surname was Hardikar. Deenanath had taken the surname Mangeshkar, based on the name of his ancestral village, Mangeshi in Goa.

Her mother, Shevanti (later renamed Shudhamati), was a Gujarati woman from Thalner, Bombay Presidency (now in northwest Maharashtra). Shevanti was Deenanath's second wife; his first wife Narmada, who had died before his marriage to Shevanti, was Shevanti's older sister. Her maternal grandfather, Seth Haridas Ramdas Lad, was from Gujarat, a prosperous businessman and landlord of Thalner. She learned Gujarati folk songs such as garbas of Pavagadh from her maternal grandmother.

Lata was named "Hema" at her birth. Her parents later renamed her Lata after a female character, Latika, in one of her father's plays.

She was the eldest child in the family. Meena, Asha, Usha and Hridaynath, in birth order, are her siblings; all are accomplished singers and musicians.

She received her first music lesson from her father. At the age of five, she started to work as an actress in her father's musical plays (Sangeet Natak in Marathi). On her first day of school, Mangeshkar left because she was not allowed to bring her sister Asha along with her.

Singing Career

Early career in the 1940s

In 1942, when Mangeshkar was 13, her father died of heart disease. Master Vinayak (Vinayak Damodar Karnataki), the owner of Navyug Chitrapat movie company and a close friend of the Mangeshkar family, took care of them. He helped her get started in a career as a singer and actress.

She sang the song "Naachu Yaa Gade, Khelu Saari Mani Haus Bhaari", which was composed by Sadashivrao Nevrekar for Vasant Joglekar's Marathi movie Kiti Hasaal (1942), but the song was dropped from the final cut. Vinayak gave her a small role in Navyug Chitrapat's Marathi movie Pahili Mangalaa-gaur (1942), in which she sang "Natali Chaitraachi Navalaai" which was composed by Dada Chandekar. Her first Hindi song was "Mata Ek Sapoot Ki Duniya Badal De Tu" for the Marathi film Gajaabhaau (1943). The Bollywood industry was yet to find its feet, so Mangeshkar had to first concentrate on acting, which she did not like, as the lights and people ordering her around made her feel uncomfortable.

She moved to Mumbai in 1945 when Master Vinayak's company moved its headquarters there. She started taking lessons in Hindustani classical music from Ustad Aman Ali Khan of Bhindibazaar Gharana. She sang "Paa Lagoon Kar Jori" for Vasant Joglekar's Hindi-language movie Aap Ki Seva Mein (1946), which was composed by Datta Davjekar. The dance in the film was performed by Rohini Bhate, who later became a famous classical dancer. Lata and her sister Asha played minor roles in Vinayak's first Hindi-language movie, Badi Maa (1945). In that movie, Lata also sang a bhajan, "Maata Tere Charnon Mein." She was introduced to music director Vasant Desai during the recording of Vinayak's second Hindi-language movie, Subhadra (1946).

1950s

In the 1950s, Mangeshkar sang songs composed by various music directors of the period, including Anil Biswas (in films such as Tarana (1951) and Heer (1956)), Shankar Jaikishan, Naushad Ali, S. D. Burman, Sardul Singh Kwatra, Amarnath, Husanlal, and Bhagatram (in films like Bari Behen (1949), Meena Bazaar (1950), Aadhi Raat (1950), Chhoti Bhabi (1950), Afsana (1951), Aansoo (1953), and Adl-e-Jehangir (1955)), C. Ramchandra, Hemant Kumar, Salil Chowdhury, Datta Naik, Khayyam, Ravi, Sajjad Hussain, Roshan, Kalyanji-Anandji, Vasant Desai, Sudhir Phadke, Hansraj Behl, Madan Mohan, and Usha Khanna. She sang "Sri Lanka, Ma Priyadara Jaya Bhumi", a song in Sinhala, for the 1955 Sri Lankan film Seda Sulang. Lata Didi recorded her first Telugu song Nidhurapora Thammudaa in 1955 Telugu film Santhanam for music director Susarla Dakshinamurthi. She made her debut in Tamil playback singing with Vanaradham in 1956 (Uran Khotala dubbed in Tamil) with the Tamil song Enthan Kannalan for Nimmi in the dubbed version composed by Naushad.

She sang many raga-based songs for Naushad in movies such as Deedar (1951), Baiju Bawra (1952), Amar (1954), Uran Khatola (1955) and Mother India (1957). Ae Chorre Ki Jaat Badi Bewafa, a duet with G. M. Durrani, was her first song for the composer Naushad. The duo, Shankar–Jaikishan, chose Lata for Barsaat (1949), Aah (1953), Shree 420 (1955) and Chori Chori (1956). Before 1957, composer S. D. Burman chose her as the leading female singer for his musical scores in Sazaa (1951), House No. 44 (1955), and Devdas (1955). However a rift developed between her and Burman in 1957, and she did not sing his compositions again until 1962.

She won a Filmfare Award for Best Female Playback Singer for Salil Chowdhury's composition "Aaja Re Pardesi" from Madhumati (1958). Her association with C. Ramchandra produced songs in movies such as Albela (1951), Shin Shinkai Bublaa Boo (1952), Anarkali (1953), Pehli Jhhalak (1954), Azad (1955), Aasha (1957), and Amardeep (1958). For Madan Mohan, she performed for films like Baagi (1953), Railway Platform (1955), Pocketmaar (1956), Mr. Lambu (1956), Dekh Kabira Roya (1957), Adalat (1958), Jailor (1958), Mohar (1959), and Chacha Zindabad (1959).

1970s

In 1972, Meena Kumari's last film, Pakeezah, was released. It featured popular songs including "Chalte Chalte" and "Inhi Logon Ne", sung by Mangeshkar, and composed by Ghulam Mohammed. She recorded many popular songs for S. D. Burman's last films, including "Rangeela Re" from Prem Pujari (1970), "Khilte Hain Gul Yahaan" from Sharmeelee (1971) and "Piya Bina" from Abhimaan (1973) and for Madan Mohan's last films, including Dastak (1970), Heer Raanjha (1970), Dil Ki Rahen (1973), Hindustan Ki Kasam (1973), Hanste Zakhm (1973), Mausam (1975) and Laila Majnu (1976).

Many of her notable songs in the 1970s were composed by Laxmikant–Pyarelal and Rahul Dev Burman. Many of her songs composed by Laxmikant-Pyarelal in the 1970s were written by the lyricist Anand Bakshi. She also recorded many hit songs with Rahul Dev Burman in the films Amar Prem (1972), Caravan (1971), Kati Patang (1971), and Aandhi (1975). The two are noted for their songs with the lyricists Majrooh Sultanpuri, Anand Bakshi, and Gulzar.

In 1973, she won the National Film Award for Best Female Playback Singer for the song "Beeti Na Bitai" from the film Parichay, composed by R. D. Burman, and written by Gulzar. In 1974, she sang her only Malayalam song "Kadali Chenkadali" for the film Nellu, composed by Salil Chowdhury, and written by Vayalar Ramavarma. In 1975, she again won the National Award, this time for the song "Roothe Roothe Piya" from the film Kora Kagaz, composed by Kalyanji Anandji.

From the 1970s onward, she also staged many concerts in India and abroad, including several charity concerts. She transformed the way Indian music concerts were perceived in the West. Her first concert overseas was at the Royal Albert Hall, London, in 1974. (Despite some sources claiming that she was the first Indian to do so, according to the Hall's own records, the first Indian to perform there was the late Ravi Shankar, on 21 October 1969. Until that time, film music concerts were song-and-dance affairs held in community halls and colleges, rarely taken seriously. Mangeshkar demanded to sing in mainstream halls only, which was an honour that until then was bestowed only upon classical musicians.

1980s

From the 1980s onward, Mangeshkar worked with music directors such as Shiv-Hari in Silsila (1981), Faasle (1985), Vijay (1988), and Chandni (1989) and Ram Laxman in Ustadi Ustad Se (1981), Bezubaan (1982), Woh Jo Hasina (1983), Ye Kesa Farz (1985), and Maine Pyar Kiya (1989). She sang in other movies, such as Karz (1980), Ek Duuje Ke Liye (1981), Silsila (1981), Prem Rog (1982), Hero (1983), Pyar Jhukta Nahin (1985), Ram Teri Ganga Maili (1985), Nagina (1986), and Ram Lakhan (1989). Her song "Zu Zu Zu Yashoda" from Sanjog (1985) was a chartbuster. In the late 1980s, she made a comeback to Tamil films with two back-to-back renditions of composer Ilaiyaraaja's songs "Aaraaro Aaraaro" and "Valai Osai", for the films Anand (1987) and Sathya (1988), respectively. Lata Didi Recorded her second Telugu Song "Thella Cheeraku" for Director K. Raghavendra Rao 1988 film Aakhari Poratam .

In the 1980s, the composer duo Laxmikant–Pyarelal had Lata sing their biggest hits—"Sheesha Ho Ya Dil Ho" in Asha (1980), "Tu Kitne Baras Ka" in Karz (1980), "Kitna Aasan Hai" in Dostana (1980), "Hum Ko Bhi Gham" in Aas Paas (1980), "Mere Naseeb Mein" in Naseeb (1980), "Zindagi Ki Na Toote" in Kranti (1981), "Solah Baras Ki" in Ek Duuje Ke Liye (1981), "Ye Galiyan Ye Chaubara" in Prem Rog (1982), "Likhnewale Ne Likh Dale" in Arpan (1983), "Din Maheene Saal" in Avtaar (1983), "Pyar Karnewale" and "Nindiya Se Jagi" in Hero (1983), "Zu Zu Zu Yashoda" in Sanjog (1985), "Zindagi Har Qadam" in Meri Jung (1985), "Baith Mere Paas" in Yaadon Ki Kasam (1985), "Ungli Mein Anghoti" in Ram Avtar (1988) and "O Ramji Tere Lakhan Ne" in Ram Lakhan (1989).

1990s

During the 1990s, Mangeshkar recorded with music directors including Anand–Milind, Nadeem-Shravan, Jatin–Lalit, Dilip Sen-Sameer Sen, Uttam Singh, Anu Malik, Aadesh Shrivastava and A. R. Rahman. She recorded some non-film songs, including ghazals with Jagjit Singh. She has also sung with Kumar Sanu, Amit Kumar, S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, Udit Narayan, Hariharan, Suresh Wadkar, Mohammed Aziz, Abhijeet Bhattacharya, Roop Kumar Rathod, Vinod Rathod, Gurdas Maan and Sonu Nigam. She also collaborated to Bahasa song with Rhoma Irama, the genre is called Dangdut.

In 1990 she launched her own production house for Hindi movies which produced the Gulzar-directed movie Lekin.... She won her third National Film Award for Best Female Playback Singer for her rendition of the song "Yaara Sili Sili" from the film, which was composed by her brother Hridaynath.

In 1991, Indonesian dangdut singer, Rhoma Irama invited Mangeshkar to collaborate on several of his songs, album title "Album Khusus Soneta Volume 1 - Ratu Dangdut Dunia Lata Mangeshkar" the songs are entitled Mawar Merah, Orang Asing, Datang Untuk Pergi, Di Tepi Pantai, Musim Cinta and Wahai Pesona. Irama also called Mangeshkar as Ratu Dangdut Dunia (World Dangdut Queen).

She has sung for almost all the Yash Chopra films and films from his production house Yash Raj Films at that time, including Chandni (1989), Lamhe (1991), Darr (1993), Yeh Dillagi (1994), Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995), Dil To Pagal Hai (1997) and later in Mohabbatein (2000), Mujhse Dosti Karoge! (2002) and Veer-Zaara (2004).

During 1990 she recorded with Raamlaxman in Patthar Ke Phool (1991), 100 Days (1991), Mehboob Mere Mehboob (1992), Saatwan Aasman (1992), I Love You (1992), Dil Ki Baazi (1993), Antim Nyay (1993), The Melody of Love (1993), The Law (1994), Hum Aapke Hain Koun..! (1994), Megha (1996), Lav Kush (1997), Manchala (1999), and Dulhan Banoo Main Teri (1999).

2000s

In 2001, Mangeshkar was awarded the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian honour.

In the same year, she established the Master Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital in Pune, managed by the Lata Mangeshkar Medical Foundation (founded by the Mangeshkar family in October 1989). In 2005, she designed a jewellery collection called Swaranjali, which was crafted by Adora, an Indian diamond export company. Five pieces from the collection raised £105,000 at a Christie's auction, and a part of the money was donated for the 2005 Kashmir earthquake relief. Also in 2001, she recorded her first Hindi song with the composer Ilaiyaraaja, for the film Lajja; she had earlier recorded Tamil and Telugu songs composed by Ilaiyaraaja.

Her song "Wada Na Tod" was included in the film Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) and in its soundtrack.

Her other notable songs of this decade were from Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham (2001) and Veer-Zaara (2004).

After 14 years, she recorded a song for composer Nadeem-Shravan; "Kaise Piya Se" for Bewafaa (2005). She recorded with Shamir Tandon "Kitne Ajeeb Rishte Hain Yahan Pe" for Page 3 (2005) and "Daata Sun Le" for Jail (2009).

On 21 June 2007, she released the album Saadgi, featuring eight ghazal-like songs written by Javed Akhtar and composed by Mayuresh Pai.

2010s

On 12 April 2011, Mangeshkar released the album Sarhadein: Music Beyond Boundaries, which contains the duet "Tera Milna Bahut Acha Lage" by her and Mehdi Hassan (written by Pakistan's Farhad Shahzad). The album features Usha Mangeshkar, Suresh Wadkar, Hariharan, Sonu Nigam, Rekha Bhardwaj and another Pakistani singer, Ghulam Ali, with compositions by Mayuresh Pai and others.

Shamir Tandon recorded a song with her ("Tere Hasne Sai Mujheko") for the film Satrangee Parachute (2011). After a hiatus she came back to playback singing and recorded at her own studio the song "Jeena kya hai, jaana maine" for Dunno Y2... Life Is a Moment (2015), the sequel to Kapil Sharma's queer love story Dunno Y... Na Jaane Kyun (2010) for which also she had lent her voice to one song.

On 28 November 2012, she launched her own music label, LM Music, with an album of bhajans, Swami Samarth Maha Mantra, composed by Mayuresh Pai. She sang with her younger sister Usha on the album.

In 2014, she recorded a Bengali album, Shurodhwani, including poetry by Salil Chowdhury, also composed by Pai. Lata Mangeshkar also recorded "Laadli" song with A.R. Rahman for his music album Raunaq (Album) (2014).

On 30 March 2019, Mangeshkar released the song "Saugandh Mujhe Is Mitti Ki", composed by Mayuresh Pai, as a tribute to the Indian army and nation.

Bengali career

Mangeshkar has sung 185 songs in Bengali, making her debut in 1956 with the hit song "Aakash Prodeep Jwole", composed by Satinath Mukhopadhyay. The same year, she recorded "Rongila Banshite", composed by Bhupen Hazarika, which was also a hit. In the late 1950s, she recorded a string of hits such as "Jaare Ude Jare Pakhi", "Na Jeona", and "Ogo Aar Kichu To Noy", all composed by Salil Chowdhury, and which were respectively adapted into Hindi as "Ja Re Ud Ja Re Panchi" and "Tasveer Tere Dil Mein" in Maya, and "O Sajna" in Parakh. In 1960, she recorded "Akash Pradip Jole". Later in the 1960s, she sang hits like "Ekbar Biday De Ma Ghure Ashi," "Saat Bhai Champa," "Ke Pratham Kache Esechi," "Nijhum Sandhyay," "Chanchal Mon Anmona," "Asharh Srabon," "Bolchi Tomar Kaney," and "Aaj Mon Cheyeche" by composers like Sudhin Dasgupta, Hemant Kumar and Salil Chowdhury.

Illness and death

On 8 January 2022, Mangeshkar tested positive for COVID-19 with mild symptoms and was admitted to Breach Candy Hospital's intensive care unit in Mumbai. She remained in the ICU with signs of "marginal improvement" in her health. The doctors treating her had taken her off the ventilator on 28 January after her health "improved marginally"; however, she was back on the ventilator on 5 February, after her health deteriorated, and was undergoing "aggressive therapy".

Mangeshkar died from multiple organ dysfunction syndrome on 6 February 2022, at the age of 92. She had undergone 28 days of constant treatment for pneumonia and COVID-19.

The Government of India announced a two-day period of national mourning and that the national flag would fly at half-mast from 6 to 7 February throughout India out of respect for her. President Ram Nath Kovind, Vice President Venkaiah Naidu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, several Union Ministers and Chief Ministers, many members of the Indian Music Industry, Indian film industry, celebrities, fans, and netizens expressed their condolences. Indian Cricket Team players wore black arm band to mourn the loss of Mangeshkar in India vs. West Indies first ODI. President Of France Emmanuel Macron, Prime Minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan, Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina, Prime Minister of Nepal, Sher Bahadur Deuba, Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, Mahinda Rajapaksa, former President of Afghanistan, Hamid Karzai, and Pakistani Minister Fawad Chaudhry expressed their grief on her death. Mangeshkar's last rites (performed by her brother, Hridaynath Mangeshkar) and cremation were held, with full state honours, at Mumbai's Shivaji Park on the same day. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray paid their last respects and placed floral tributes. Mangeshkar's sisters Asha Bhosle and Usha Mangeshkar, Devendra Fadnavis, Raj Thackeray, Sharad Pawar, Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan, Ranbir Kapoor, Vidya Balan, Shraddha Kapoor, Sachin Tendulkar, Anuradha Paudwal, and several dignitaries and family members were also in attendance. In February 2022, an electronic billboard in Times Square, Manhattan, sponsored by the Binder Indian Cultural Center, featured a tribute to Mangeshkar. Another tribute to Mangeshkar by popular singers (Arnab Chakrabarty, Niharika Nath and Mandira Karmakar) was published in an Arizona US newspaper. Lata Mangeshkar died the next day after Vasant Panchami (a festival dedicated to Goddess Saraswati who represents music, knowledge, and the rest of the arts). "This is special as many considered her to be an avatar of Saraswati and the personification of music," according to actress Rani Mukerji.

On 10 February 2022, Mangeshkar's ashes were immersed in the Godavari River at Ramkund, Nashik by her sister Usha and nephew Adinath Mangeshkar.

Awards and recognition

Mangeshkar won several awards and honours, including the Bharat Ratna (2001), India's highest civilian award, Padma Bhushan (1969), Padma Vibhushan (1999), Zee Cine Award for Lifetime Achievements (1999), Dadasaheb Phalke Award (1989), Maharashtra Bhushan Award (1997), NTR National Award (1999), Legion of Honour (2007), ANR National Award (2009), three National Film Awards and 15 Bengal Film Journalists' Association Awards. She also won four Filmfare Best Female Playback Awards. In 1969, she made the unusual gesture of giving up the Filmfare Best Female Playback Award in order to promote fresh talent. She was later awarded the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award in 1993 and Filmfare Special Awards in 1994 and 2004.

In 1984, the State Government of Madhya Pradesh instituted the Lata Mangeshkar Award in her honour. The State Government of Maharashtra also instituted a similar award in 1992.

In 2009, she was awarded the title of Officer of the French Legion of Honour, France's highest order.

In 2012, she was ranked number 10 in Outlook India's poll of the Greatest Indian since independence.

Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan said "kambakht, kabhi besuri na hoti" ("[she] is never off-key"). Actor Dilip Kumar once commented, "Lata Mangeshkar ki awaaz kudrat ki takhleek ka ek karishma hain", meaning "Lata Mangeshkar's voice is a miracle from God".

Lata Mangeshkar was included in the 'In Memoriam' segment at the 2022 British Academy Film and Television Awards (BAFTA).

Lata was 84th on Rolling Stone's list of the 200 Greatest Singers of All Time, published on January 1, 2023.

She also received honorary doctorates from the Sangeet Natak Akademi in 1989, Indira Kala Sangeet Vishwavidyalaya, Khairagarh, and Shivaji University in Kolhapur.