The singer who is and will always be an overwhelming emotion for all Indians, the name Lata Mangeshkar is an era that has enriched the musical forms of Indian culture and history.
The year was 1949 when a song called ‘Aayega Aanewala’ from the movie was Mahal got released. As back at that time no playback singer got the credit for the songs that they have sung, The All India Radio station was flooded with letters and phone calls to know the name of the singer of the song. And the singer was a 20 years old Lata Mangeshkar, the future legend of India, the nightingale voice started her melodious journey. The journey that lasted over seven decades and the legacy that will go on forever. The voice goddess is known for her artistic excellence, her musical crafts were forms of blessings to the listeners.
- A voice of secularism, the voice of unity
After ‘Aayega Aanewala’ she was unstoppable, for a brief part of her life she did a few roles in the Marathi film industry. But she took up playback singing to support her family after her father’s death, as she was the eldest sister. But she soon gained nationwide fame with her mellifluous voice. After World War II and Indian independence, the Indian film industry was trying to find stability and she came into the industry to elevate Indian Music and popularize the classical musical forms vastly. Her heavenly voice became the sign of Indian secularism whenever she has sung only charm came out of it.
In 1961 when she sang ‘Allah Tero Naam’ from ‘Hum Dono’ she prominently became the figure whose voice vanishes all the racial barriers of society. On 26th January 1963, she performed the iconic song ‘Ae Mere Watan Ke Logo’, in the memory of the soldiers who fought and died in the India-China war in 1962, with lines that still induce Goosebumps. ‘Lata is Meera. Meera is Lata’ became a slogan after she sang the Mirabai’s bhajan in the 70s. And the white saree and the innocent heartwarming smile that hung on her lips were quite a soothing picturesque that is absolutely inseparable from her. And her hair tied in a bun or a braid, the non-glamorous look ornamented with little gold jewelry made her more heavenly to look at.
- The extraordinaire persona
Being the genius that she was, she never took her talents for granted. She always indulged in her musical crafts. She learned Urdu to make her pronunciations more accurate and proper. Since the initial days of her career, she choose songs that sounded appropriate and refused to sing if something is inappropriate. The humble presence her aura her unfailingly down-to-earth public appearances have elevated her persona to be more goddess-like. She always referred to her exceptional talents by saying ‘God’s gift’ or referred to her success as the ‘Blessings’ of her parents. She was entitled to various names during her career but nothing dimmed the light of her modesty.
- Awards and the admires
She received Padma Bhusan in the year 1969 and Padma Vibhushan in 1999. In 1989 she received Dadasaheb Phalke Award. And in 2001 she received the most prestigious award Bharat Ratna. She is one of the fine Indian women who has received this award by far. In 1995 Raju Bharatan published a book on her life called ‘Lata Mangeskar: A Biography’. The various names that she was awarded by the Indian population, which are ‘Nightingale of Indian, Melody Queen’, ‘Maharani’, ‘High Command’ along with these she was also called ‘Latabai’, ‘Didi’ affectionately. She wore these names with her humble and innocent smile she gave back all the love and affection that she received from her audience by making them feel the hierarchy. A girl who started her career at an age of thirteen became the heavenly goddess with her innocence, her charm and her blessed dulcet musical voice.