lata mangeshkar biography book

Lata Mangeshkar: A Brief Biography

After Dinanath’s untimely death in 1942, a 13 year-old Lata entered the film industry as her family’s sole bread-winner. In the early part of her career, she did bit roles in some Marathi and Hindi films. She recorded her first song ‘Naachu Yaa Gade Kheloo Saaree’ for a Marathi film Kiti Hasaal (1942). In Aap Ki Seva Mein (1947), she made her playback singing debut for Hindi films with the song ‘Paa Laagoo Kar Joree Re’. Even though she has sung approximately 6,500 songs in many different languages, her maximum output and best work is in Hindi, Marathi and Bengali.

As a singer, her main body of work comprises of film songs. The simplicity and easy accessibility of this musical form coupled with Lata’s matchless virtuosity and versatility have made her a national cultural icon who has stood the test of time. It is the class, creativity, critical acclaim and cultural impact, not to mention the consistent commercial success of her musical output that has set her apart from her contemporaries and has given her the status of ‘Melody Queen of India’.

Most of the stalwarts of Indian classical music have praised her role in popularizing their genre among the masses through her semi-classical film songs. The legendary classical singer Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan had once affectionately called Lata  ‘Ustaadon ki Ustaad’  (Master of Masters). Commercially speaking, various film soundtracks and non-film albums dominated by her songs have topped the charts for more than six decades and they have sold in the millions. From the time she first made her mark with the haunting rendition of ‘Aayegaa Aanewaalaa’ in the 1949 film  Mahal,  her songs have occupied pride of place in the music of almost all the top composers of Hindi film music. These songs have been associated with many important milestones in Indian cinema:  Barsaat, Anarkali, Nagin, Mother India, Madhumati  and  Mughal-E-Azam being prime examples of the early ‘Golden era’ of the 1950s and 60s;  Pakeezah, Bobby, Ek Duuje Ke Liye, Ram Teri Ganga Maili, Maine Pyar Kiya, Hum Aapke Hain Kaun, Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jaayenge, Dil To Paagal Hai  of the 70s, 80s and 90s, right up to post-millennium era blockbusters such as  Lagaan  and  Veer Zaara.

Her emotional rendition of the patriotic song- ‘Aye Mere Watan Ke Logon’ after the culmination of the Indo-China war had moved the late Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru to tears. Many of her non-film albums like ‘Meera Bhajan’, ‘Chaala Vaahi Des’, ‘Lata sings Ghalib’, ‘Dnyaneshwar Mauli’, ‘Koli Geete’, ‘Ganpati Aarati’, ‘Abhang Tukayache’, ‘Shiv Kalyan Raja’, ‘Ram Shyam Gungaan’, ‘Sajda’ and ‘Shraddhanjali’ have carved a musical niche of their own.

She composed songs for a few Marathi movies in the 1950s and 60s, mostly under the pseudonym  Anandghan . As a composer, her flair for melody and the ability to smoothly blend classical and folk music were apparent. She won the ‘Maharashtra State Award’ as the ‘Best Composer’ for the film  ‘Saadhi Maanse’  (1965).

Every possible major musical and lifetime achievement award at the regional and national level has been bestowed on her at some time or the other. In 1989, she received the Dadasaheb Phalke award for her path-breaking contribution to Indian cinema. After earlier giving her the prestigious ‘Padma Bhushan’ (1969) and ‘Padma Vibhushan’ (1999) awards, the Indian government ultimately conferred upon her the highest civilian honour – the ‘Bharat Ratna’ in 2001. Later, she also went on to receive the prestigious ‘Legion of Honour’ award from the Government of France. Such is the cultural impact of her monumental musical contribution that three state governments – Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Goa – have each separately instituted an annual ‘Lata Mangeshkar award’ for honouring senior artistes in popular music for lifetime achievement.

While choosing her as one of the four ‘Indians of the Twentieth Century’ along with Mahatma Gandhi, Swami Vivekanand and Dhirubhai Ambani, ‘The Times of India’ said: “All of them are self-made individuals; they did not have the advantage of wealth, aristocracy or caste; they fought adversity and believed in action -  karmayogis  in a true sense. They made India proud and gave the world new ideas, dreams and hopes.”

Nothing can describe Lata Mangeshkar, the legend, any better!

(*Source: Lata-Voice of the golden era by Dr. Mandar V. Bichu, Popular Prakashan )

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Lata Mangeshkar

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• IndiaNetzone - Biography of Lata Mangeshkar
• Cultural India - Indian Music - Biography of Lata Mangeshkar
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Lata Mangeshkar (born September 28, 1929, Indore , British India—died February 6, 2022, Mumbai , India) was a legendary Indian playback singer noted for her distinctive voice and a vocal range that extended over more than three octaves. Her career spanned eight decades, and she recorded songs for the soundtracks of more than 2,000 Indian films.

Mangeshkar’s father, Dinanath Mangeshkar, was a noted Marathi stage personality popularly known as Master Dinanath. Lata, who was the eldest of five siblings, was introduced to music at an early age. She recorded her first song at age 13 for Vasant Joglekar’s Marathi film Kiti Hasaal , though her song did not make the final edit. Mangeshkar was trained from age five by her father, a disciple of the Gwalior gharana (a community of performers who share a distinctive musical style), and she was also tutored by maestros such as Aman Ali Khan Sahib and Amanat Khan. As a teenager, she struggled to help support her family and to establish herself as a playback singer in the Hindi film industry of the 1940s, at a time when the profession was dominated by such divas as Shamshad Begum and Noor Jehan.

After Mangeshkar recorded the hit “Uthaye ja unke sitam” in Andaz (1949), her destiny was sealed. From that point on she voiced the musical parts for every major leading lady, representing every generation of Hindi cinema from Nargis and Waheeda Rehman to Madhuri Dixit and Preity Zinta. Music directors such as Naushad Ali, Madan Mohan, and S.D. Burman composed tunes specifically to exploit the potential of her wide-ranging soprano. Mangeshkar’s singing contributed a great deal to the commercial success of such films as Mahal (1949), Barsaat (1949), Satyam shivam sundaram (1978), and Maine pyar kiya (1989). Notable among her concert performances was her wartime rendition of the poet Pradeep’s patriotic song “ Ae mere watan ke logo,” which moved Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru to tears.

In 1991 Mangeshkar was credited with having made 30,000 solo, duet, and chorus-backed song recordings in 14 Indian languages between 1948 and 1987. She won four Filmfare awards ( Filmfare is a noted Indian film magazine) for her song “Aaja re pardesi” from the film Madhumati (1958), for “Kahin deep jale kahin dil” from Bees saal baad (1962), for “Tumhi mere mandir” from the film Khandaan (1965), and for “Aap mujhe acchhe lagne lage” from the film Jeene ki raah (1969). She was awarded the Padma Vibhushan, one of India’s highest civilian honours, in 1999, and two years later she became the second film celebrity (the first was Satyajit Ray in 1992) to receive the Bharat Ratna (2001), India’s highest civilian award for performance of the highest order in any field. Mangeshkar’s sister Asha Bhosle was also a noted playback singer.

Lata Mangeshkar

• Born September 28 , 1929 · Indore, Indore State, Central India Agency, British India
• Died February 6 , 2022 · Mumbai, Maharashtra, India (complications from COVID-19)
• Birth name Hema Mangeshkar
• The Nightingale of Bollywood
• Nightingale of India
• Queen Of Melody
• Lata Mangeshkar was born in Indore on September 28, 1929, and became, quite simply, the most popular playback singer in Bollywood's history. She sung for over 50 years for actresses from Nargis to Preity G Zinta , as well as recorded albums of all kinds (ghazals, pop, etc). Until the 1991 edition, when her entry disappeared, the Guinness Book of World Records listed her as the most-recorded artist in the world with not less than 30,000 solo, duet,and chorus-backed songs recorded in 20 Indian languages between 948 and 1987. Today that number may have reached 40,000! She was born the daughter of Dinanath Mangeshkar , the owner of a theater company and a reputed classical singer in his own right. He started giving Lata singing lessons from the age of five, and she also studied with renowned singers Aman Ali Khan Sahib and Amanat Khan. Even at a young age she displayed a God-given musical gift and could master vocal exercises the first time. Ironically, for someone of her stature, she made her entry into Bollywood at the wrong time - around the 1940s, when bass singers with heavily nasal voices, such as Noor Jehan and Shamshad Begum were in style. She was rejected from many projects because it was believed that her voice was too high-pitched and thin. The circumstances of her entry into the industry were no less inauspicious - her father died in 1942, the responsibility of earning income to support her family fell upon her, and between 1942 and 1948 she acted in as many as eight films in Hindi and Marathi to take care of economic hardships. She made her debut as a playback singer in the Marathi film Kiti Hasaal (1942) but, ironically, the song was edited out! However, in 1948, she got her big break with Ghulam Haider in the film Majboor (1948) , and 1949 saw the release of four of her films: Mahal (1949) , Dulari (1949) , Barsaat (1949) , and Andaz (1949) ; all four of them became runaway hits, with their songs reaching to heights of what was until then unseen popularity. Her unusually high-pitched singing rendered the trend of heavily nasal voices of the day totally obsolete and, within a year, she had changed the face of playback singing forever. The only two lower-pitched singers to survive her treble onslaught to a certain extent were Geeta Dutt and Shamshad Begum . Her singing style was initially reminiscent of Noor Jehan , but she soon overcame that and evolved her own distinctive style. Her sister, Asha Bhosle , too, came up in the late 1950s and the two of them were the queens of Indian playback singing right through to the 1990s. Her voice had a special versatile quality, which meant that finally music composers could stretch their creative experiments to the fullest. Although all her songs were immediate hits under any composer, it was the composers C. Ramchandra and Madan Mohan who made her sound her sweetest and challenged her voice like no other music director. The 1960s and 1970s saw her go from strength to strength, even as there were accusations that she was monopolizing the playback-singing industry. However, in the 1980s, she cut down her workload to concentrate on her shows abroad. Today, Lata sings infrequently despite a sudden resurgence in her popularity, but even today some of Hindi Cinema's biggest hits, including Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995) , Dil To Pagal Hai (1997) , and Veer-Zaara (2004) feature her legendary voice. No matter which female playback singer breaks through in any generation, she cannot replace the timeless voice of Lata Mangeshkar. She was an icon beyond icons.... - IMDb Mini Biography By: Q. Leo Rahman
• Parents Dinanath Mangeshkar Shevanti Mangeshkar
• Relatives Asha Bhosle (Sibling) Usha Mangeshkar (Sibling) Meena Khadikar (Sibling) Hridaynath Mangeshkar (Sibling) nm13294690 (Niece or Nephew)
• A legendary playback singer in Indian movies, she recorded over 30,000 songs in 14 Indian languages, making her the most recorded voice in history.
• Mentioned in the song "Brimful of Asha" by Cornershop. (The title refers to her sister, Asha Bhosle , who is also mentioned in the song.).
• In an interview,Lata Mangeshkar herself disclosed on her 84th birthday in September,2013," Ghulam Haider is truly my Godfather.It was his confidence in me that he fought for me to tuck me into the Hindi Film Industry which otherwise had initially rejected me.Remembering her early rejection,Lata once said," Ghulam Haider was the first music director who showed complete faith in my talent.He introduced me to many film producers including S. Mukherji,a big name in film production,but when he said my voice was "too thin" to use in his film,Ghulam Haider was furious.Hence,finally he convinced Bombay Talkies,a banner bigger than S. Mukherji and introduced me through their movie Majboor (1948) .Lata's first big breakthrough film song,was "Dil mera tora,mujhe kaheen ka na chhora teray pyaar ne" lyrics by Nazim Panipati ,composed by Ghulam Haider.
• Was awarded the Bharatha Rathna, the highest civilian honor by the Government of India.
• Her contribution to Indian music industry in a career spanning seven decades gained her honorific titles such as the Nightingale of India, Voice of the Millennium and Queen of Melody.
• About singing for Veer-Zaara (2004) : "Madan Mohan was like my brother. Yashji's like my brother. I felt I had gone back in time."
• About her love of diamonds: "I've been fond of diamonds from childhood. As a child, my father used to design jewelry. But we couldn't afford them. He had a keen eye for jewelry and was fond of wearing precious stones. We kids were equally fascinated by jewels. But until I became a professional playback singer, I refused to wear jewelry. I had decided I'd wear only diamonds."
• About the number of her songs being remixed in music videos: "I don't like it. I don't like remix albums as a concept. On top of that, these girls dancing in itsy-bitsy clothes suggestively! From childhood we've been told that a woman's dignity is in the way she conducts herself in public. The less you reveal, the more attractive you appear. I must say that the songs that I considered vulgar in those days seem like bhajans [devotional music] compared with what's being sung these days! Yes, I've sung naughty songs, but "Kaanta Lagaa," for instance, had another context when I sang it. I feel sorry for the girl who was seen in the music video of "Kaanta Lagaa." I've heard she's from a decent family. Why wasn't she stopped by her family? Ambition? If she did it with their consent, then God help them. I struggled hard to get where I am - that's why I am still here."
• About music composition: "It doesn't suit me. Although I've done it in the past, now I don't feel like it. I don't think I've the patience."
• About the December 2004 tsunami: "This sort of calamity shakes our faith in every law of nature. Little children, women, and entire families have perished. We must help...yes we must."

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Lata Mangeshkar... in her own voice

By Writer name

By writer name --> by kabir nasreen.

Since 1949, when Lata Mangeshkar was first noticed for her extraordinary singing talent in the Mahal song ‘Aayega aanewala,’ her magical voice has taken a firm hold of the Indian imagination. The tuneful purity and timeless quality of her voice have had a profound impact. For over six decades, as the much loved singer, she has reigned supreme in Indian film music and has been conferred in 2001, the Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian honour. Lata Mangeshkar has recorded more songs than anyone else in the world and yet, despite her extraordinary fame, she is a deeply private person who has mostly shied away from glitz and glamour. Lata Mangeshkar…in her own voice— this revised edition is a series of fascinating conversations between Lata Mangeshkar and Nasreen Munni Kabir that takes us into the world of India’s most gifted singer and reveals the person behind the voice that has provided the soundtrack for the lives of billions.

Since 1949, when Lata Mangeshkar was first noticed for her extraordinary singing talent in the Mahal song ‘Aayega aanewala,’ her magical voice has taken a firm hold of the Indian imagination. The tuneful purity and timeless quality of her voice have had a profound impact. For over six decades, as the much loved singer, she has reigned supreme in Indian film music and has been conferred in 2001, the Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian honour.

Lata Mangeshkar has recorded more songs than anyone else in the world and yet, despite her extraordinary fame, she is a deeply private person who has mostly shied away from glitz and glamour.

Lata Mangeshkar…in her own voice— this revised edition is a series of fascinating conversations between Lata Mangeshkar and Nasreen Munni Kabir that takes us into the world of India’s most gifted singer and reveals the person behind the voice that has provided the soundtrack for the lives of billions.

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Who is lata mangeshkar.

Lata Mangeshkar was a legendary Indian playback singer. The ‘Queen of Melody,’ who began her career in the 1940s, rose to prominence when she lent her voice to the cult song ‘Ayega Aane Waala’ from the 1949 classic Mahal. Through her melodious voice, she redefined the fabric of Indian music, remaining an inseparable part of it for nearly six decades. By the early 2000s, she had decided to focus on her personal commitments and give younger singers a chance. On 6 February 2022, she passed away, marking the end of an era.

It was not really the external influence that made me a singer. Music was within me. I was full of it.” – Lata Mangeshkar

Named After a Character from Her Father’s Play

When Lata was born, she was named Hema, which her parents later renamed Lata, which was a female character ‘Latika’ in one of her father’s plays, ‘BhaawBandhan.’ Her father, Deenanath, changed the surname of the family from Hardikar to Mangeshkar as he wanted to identify his family with their native town, Mangeshi in Goa.

A rare childhood photo of Lata Mangeshkar

A Huge Fan of K. L. Saigal

As far as I can remember, I always wanted to meet K. L. Saigal. As a child, I used to say that ‘I will get married to him after I grow up’ and that’s when my father explained to me that when I’ll be big enough to get married, Saigal saab will be too old enough to get married.”

Nomadic Childhood

The early life of Lata Mangeshkar is a tale of poverty, hard work, and hard luck. The Maratha heartland of Maharashtra is far away from Indore, where she was born. Her father, Deenanath Mangeshkar, who belonged to Mangeshi in Goa, was a classical singer trained in the colorful Punjabi school of Baba Mushelkar. A theatrical troupe Deenanath owned made him pitch his tent in nearly every town in the state, including Pune, Kolhapur, Satara, Sangli, and Miraj. Lata Mangeshkar, along with her siblings, was roped into a nomadic life by their father’s profession. In the absence of a proper schooling system for his children, Deenanath tried to compensate by injecting them with music lessons at a young age. Lata once said,

The foundation of my musical propensities was laid as early as that.” Lata Mangeshkar (sitting left) with her sisters

Sole Breadwinner

I hated putting on make-up; I hated standing in the glare of lights. But I was the breadwinner of the family, and there was hardly any choice left. The day I went to work in Master Vinayak’s film, there was nothing to eat in the house.” A rare old photograph showing teenage Lata Mangeshkar with young Hridaynath

She also talked about how she missed her childhood as she rose to stardom at an early age. She said,

I missed out on my childhood. I had to work hard, but I was immediately given a place in playback.” Young Lata Mangeshkar

Attended School For Only One Day!

She went to school for only one day. It is said that on the very first day of her school, she brought her younger sister, Asha, and started teaching music to other students and when teachers intervened, she was so furious that she stopped going to the school. In an interview, she talked about her anger issues and said,

I have a fierce temper. I’ve mastered it over the years, but when I’m angry, no one can force me to do anything I don’t want to.” Lata Mangeshkar’s childhood photo

First Public Performance

Initial Career

Arrived in Bombay

Didi was burning the candle at both ends to keep the family going.”

She Would Have Become a Classical Singer

Lata’s first big achievement in Bombay was her meeting with Aman Ali Khan Bhindi Bazarwala, a classical singer, who accepted her as a student; reportedly, A cord was tied around her arm as part of the ceremonial acceptance. After India’s partition, Aman Ali went to Pakistan, and Lata had to find a guru in Amanat Ali, an accomplished singer who went to the same school as Amir Khan. When Amanat Ali died in 1951, Lata’s apprenticeship in classical music ended abruptly. Lata once wistfully said,

Maybe I’d have become a classical singer if Amanat Ali were alive.” Lata Mangeshkar playing the Veena

Rejected For Her ‘Thin’ Voice

After Vinayak’s death, Lata had no fixed income following which she approached a supplier of film extras who later introduced her to Master Ghulam Haidar, a close friend of Amanat Ali and a leading music director of the times. Haidar, who was awed by her range and sweet voice, took her to Filmistan, the Mecca of Bombay’s show business, owned by Subodh Mukherjee. When Ghulam Haidar (music director) introduced Lata to Mukherjee who was making the film ‘Shaheed’ (1948), Mukherjee dismissed Lata’s voice as “too thin” and said that her voice would not match that of the heroine, Kamini Kaushal, the screen siren of the ’40s, to this Haidar responded,

In the coming years, producers and directors would “fall at Lata’s feet” and “beg her” to sing in their movies.”

In an interview, Lata Mangeshkar declared that Ghulam Haidar was her true Godfather who trusted her talent.

Lata Mangeshkar’s mentor Ghulam Haidar

First Breakthrough

On The same day, when Mukherjee rejected her voice, she accompanied Haidar to the studios of Bombay Talkies at Malad, where she was selected to sing for Majboor (1948), and the song ‘Dil Mera Toda, Mujhe Kahin Ka Na Chhora’ from the film became her first breakthrough hit song. She reportedly recorded the song at the 32nd take. While recalling the success of Majboor’s song, Lata said,

I never looked back since then.”

Early Fame and Hectic Schedule

I recorded two songs in the morning, two in the afternoon, two in the evening and two at night.” Lata Mangeshkar in a recording studio

Dilip Kumar Questioned Her Accent

When Naushad introduced her to Dilip Kumar , he teased her for her Marathified Hindi following which she took lessons in Urdu from an Urdu teacher, Shafi. Dilip Kumar recalled the incident over three decades later and said he got embarrassed hearing Lata to pronounce each Hindi and Urdu word with such eloquence that he could not comprehend. He said,

my ears tingled in shame.” Lata Mangeshkar tying Rakhi to Dilip Kumar

She Monopolized the Filmfare Awards

Filmfare Awards were first introduced in 1954, and at that time, the Best Music award was given to a particular song, not to the whole album; however, from 1956, the award was given to the music director for the whole album. When Shankar-Jaikishan won the award in 1957, Lata was not happy as she wanted the awards to include the category of Best Singer. In an interview, she narrated this story and said,

Jaikishan came to see me and said: ‘We’re getting the award so you must sing Rasik Balma at the awards ceremony.’ I said: ‘I won’t sing.’ Then Jaiskishan said, ‘Why won’t you? We’re getting an award.’ And I said, ”You are getting the award, not me. The award is for Best Music. They aren’t giving the award to the singer or lyricist. So why don’t you let your orchestra play the tune without words and singer?’ We had a big fight and he said: ‘How can you talk to me like this? I’m going.’ I said: ‘Very well. Go!’ Then Shankarji came and said: ‘Lataji, he’s naïve and young. Don’t be upset by what he says.’ I explained to Shankarji why I had refused. ‘I won’t sing unless Filmfare introduces awards for playback singers and songwriters. Then I’ll come. Otherwise I won’t.’ These were the kinds of quarrels we had.” Lata Mangeshkar with Shankar Jaikishan

Lata Mangeshkar posing with her Filmfare Award

Oldest Winner of the National Film Award

She Imitated a Singer

Slow poison.

In 1962, I fell very ill for about three months. One day, I woke up feeling very uneasy in my stomach. And then I started throwing up – it was terrible, the vomit was a greenish colour. The doctor came and even brought an x-ray machine home because I could not move. He x-rayed my stomach and said I was being slowly poisoned.”

Her Song Brought Nehru to Tears

Lata, Tumne Aaj Mujhe Rula Diya” Lata Mangeshkar singing Aye Mere Watan Ke Logon at New Delhi’s National Stadium on 26 January 1963

Composer and Producer

Abroad Tours

Lata Mangeshkar performing at London’s prestigious Royal Albert Hall in 1974

Details of a concert of Lata Mangeshkar on the display board of Madison Square Garden in New York

Member of Rajya Sabha

Whether it is a fact that the incidents of derailment of trains on various sections have been on the increase; if so, the number of train derailment incidents since the beginning of the year 2000; the estimated loss suffered by the Railways as a consequence thereof; what measures have been taken by government to prevent such incident?” Lata Mangeshkar outside the Parliament of India

The Madhya Pradesh Government and the Maharashtra Government instituted the ‘Lata Mangeshkar Award’ in 1984 and 1992, respectively.

Lata Mangeshkar Award announced by the Maharashtra government in 1992

Prime Minister Narendra Modi receives the first Lata Deenanath Mangeshkar Award in Mumbai on 24 April 2022

Relevant in Every Generation

Her voice suited to almost every female star, from Madhubala in the 1940s to Kajol in the 1990s, and she sang alongside top male singers, including Mohammed Rafi and Kishore Kumar . She also worked with every leading filmmaker in Bollywood, from Raj Kapoor and Guru Dutt to Mani Ratnam and Karan Johar . Moreover, from roadside vendors to long-distance truckers, and from Army jawans in Ladakh to the glittering elite of Mumbai, Lata Mangeshkar’s voice is considered the one that no Indian can miss.

An auto-rickshaw in Mumbai displaying the versatility of Lata Mangeshkar

In 2012, she again rose her voice to get royalties from recording companies after her songs, owned by recording companies, began appearing on various music albums. She lamented,

What do I get from this? I don’t get any royalty. Now there is internet and the MP3 format.”

Unfulfilled Desires

Daughter of the nation, a different lata.

This may sound strange but when I used to visit America on holiday, I loved spending time in Las Vegas. It’s an exciting city. I really enjoyed playing the slot machines. I never played roulette or cards – but I used to spend the whole night at a slot machine. I was very lucky and won many times.”

Loved Cooking

It was my maternal grandmother and mother who taught me how to cook. I started cooking when I was very young and often made lunch and dinner at home. In later years, Mrs. Bhalji Pendharkar, whom we called Bakula Mausi, taught me how to cook some dishes. She was a dear and close family friend. I called her ‘Ma.’ I was very close to her and often stayed with her. She used to wash my hair and taught me how to make pulao and mutton. And many vegetarian dishes too. Mrs. Majrooh Sultanpuri showed me how to make pasanda and chicken curry.” Lata Mangeshkar (sitting) learning cooking skills from composer Anil Biswas

I cook quickly, and the kitchen is always left neat and tidy after I have finished. The pleasure of cooking isn’t in cooking, but seeing people enjoy the meal and say they have liked what I made for them – that makes me happy. earlier, when I used to spend time in London, I always used to cook there.”

An Outstanding Photographer

My love for photography started in 1946. I was on an outdoor shoot and took a picture of someone who was standing by a river. I became intrigued by photography. I told Madhavrao Shinde, the film editor, about my interest, and he taught me the basics: how to load film and the kind of camera I should buy.” Lata Mangeshkar posing with a camera

I don’t know what I’d have done if I wasn’t a singer. But photography was definitely a feasible option. It’s a pity that the art of clicking pictures has been  replaced by digital photography. People now take all their pictures on their phone. The sheer joy of capturing cameras through the lens of an old fashioned camera is lost.”

A Passionate Cricket Fan

Lata Mangeshkar with the 1983 Cricket World Cup-winning Indian team

Lata Mangeshkar with Sachin Tendulkar

Voice insurance

Last birthday.

On 28 September 2021, her 92nd birthday, which also proved to be her last birthday, she recalled her childhood days and said,

That long journey is with me, and that little girl is still with me. She has not gone anywhere. Some people call me ‘Saraswati’ or say that I have her blessings. They say I am this and that. All this is nothing I believe but the blessings of my parents, our deity Mangesh, Sai Baba, and God.”

It is their blessing that people like whatever I sing. Otherwise who am I? I am nothing. There have been better singers than me, and some of them are not even with us. I am grateful to God and to my parents for whatever I have today.”

The End of an Era

On the morning of 6 February 2022, the world of music came to standstill when the news of Lata Mangeshkar’s demise broke on television sets. On the same day, her last rites were performed at Shivaji Park Crematorium, Mumbai with the full state honour, and it was attended by many dignitaries and celebrities including Shah Rukh Khan , Sachin Tendulkar , and PM Narendra Modi who paid their last tributes to the legendary singer at the crematorium. Later, two-day national mourning was observed for the departed soul. On 10 February 2022, her ashes were immersed in the holy Ramkund on the banks of the Godavari river in Maharashtra.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi (left) and Shah Rukh Khan (right) pay their last tributes to Lata Mangeshkar on 6 February 2022 at Shivaji Park in Mumbai

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LATA MANGESHKAR BIOGRAPHY Kindle Edition

• Print length 8 pages
• Language English
• Sticky notes On Kindle Scribe
• Publication date January 11, 2023
• File size 885 KB
• Page Flip Enabled
• Word Wise Enabled
• Enhanced typesetting Enabled
• See all details

Product details

• ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0BS5YBRL3
• Publisher ‏ : ‎ PRIYANSHU (January 11, 2023)
• Publication date ‏ : ‎ January 11, 2023
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• File size ‏ : ‎ 885 KB
• Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
• Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
• Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
• X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
• Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
• Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
• Print length ‏ : ‎ 8 pages
• #4,569 in 15-Minute Literature & Fiction Short Reads
• #254,121 in Literary Fiction (Books)
• #3,562,603 in Kindle eBooks

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Biography of Lata Mangeshkar Paperback – 10 April 2024

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The General Return Policy is applicable for all Amazon Global Store Products (“Product”). If the Product is eligible for a refund on return, you can choose to return the Product either through courier Pickup or Self-Return**

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2 Days, Refund

Refunds are applicable only if determined that the item was not damaged while in your possession, or is not different from what was shipped to you.

• ISBN-10 9354777104
• ISBN-13 978-9354777103
• Edition 2024th
• Publisher Ramesh Publishing House
• Publication date 10 April 2024
• Language Hindi
• Dimensions 13 x 22 x 2 cm
• Print length 56 pages
• See all details

Product details

• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Ramesh Publishing House; 2024th edition (10 April 2024); Ramesh Publishing House, Daryaganj, New Delhi
• Language ‏ : ‎ Hindi
• Paperback ‏ : ‎ 56 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 9354777104
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-9354777103
• Reading age ‏ : ‎ 15 years and up
• Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 50 g
• Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 13 x 22 x 2 cm
• Net Quantity ‏ : ‎ 1 Count
• Packer ‏ : ‎ Ramesh Publishing House
• Generic Name ‏ : ‎ Book

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