Biographical

LATA MANGESHKAR THE FLOROCENT NIGHTINGALE OF INDIA

By : Sumona Das	Previous \| Next
Posted on : 22 Mar, 2006	Total Views : 428

Lata Mangeshkar is not just a name, it is a tune undefined. Any account of Indian playback music must start and end with her. She is the supreme voice of popular Indian music, and Indian Institution. She was born at Indore on 28th September 1929, hailing from an orthodox Maharashtrian family. Her father was the noted theatrical personality. Dinanath Mangeshkar, also a musician of great renown of the Gwalior school. He introduced her to the intricacies of classical Indian music from the age of only four. When she was seven, Dinanath encouraged her to give her first concert on the stage. Her god given musical gifts meant that she could master the vocal exercises effortlessly on first pass and from early on she was recognized as being highly gifted musically.
When Dinanath Mangeshkar died in 1942, Lata Mangeshkar was thirteen years old. The responsibility of tending to the family onus fell upon her young shoulders and it was just a week after her father�s death that she acted in as many as 8 films in Hindi and in �Master Vinayak�s Pahli Mangeshkar� a successful Marathi film to take care of the families� economic problems. However acting was not her ambition and she took the wise decision of concentrating on her singing. An opportunity arose for her in 1947, when she rendered a playback song for the Marathi film �Kiti Hasal�. In the same year, she entered Hindi films with her song for �Aap Ki Seva Mein�, but her singing went unnoticed. Then, she was a slender teenager, leaving her first tentative foot prints on a Bollywood music�s scene dominated by the legendary Shamshad Begum and Zohrabai Ambalewali ruled the Industry. Music director Ghulam Haider introduced her to Bombay Talkies, which was to be her stepping-stone to the big time. However, he gave Lata her break through song with �Dil Mera Toda� from Majboor in 1948. In 1949 saw the release of four films � Barsaat, Andaaz, Dulari and Mahal. The songs of all four films were run away hits particularly �Aaega Aanewaala� from the last mentioned. Her high-pitched singing rendered obsolete the heavy busy nasal voices of the day.
Lata Mangeshkar has been active in all walks of Indian popular and light classical music having sung film � songs, ghazals, bhajans and pop. Over the years, she has won the hearts of million of music lovers and according to the Guinness Book of Record, she has rendered more songs than any artiste anywhere in the world. Over 30,000 in the books estimate. Today the numbers might have reached 40,000!! More than half a century later, that voice building in seductively, still reigns supreme despite the best efforts of two generation of wannabes to supplant India�s reigning nightingale from her throne. Her phenomenal success made Lata the most powerful woman in the Film Industry. She waged battle with him over the issue of royalty to playback artistes. She refused to sign for S. D. Burman from 1957-62 and such was her clout that she had her way and they came back to her. Though Lata sang under the baton of all the top composers barring O. P. Nayyar and with all the top play back artistes of the day. Ram Chandra was the one who made her sound the sweetest and Madan Mohan who challenged her voice like no other music director. The 1960s and 70s saw Lata go from strength to strength even as there were accusations of her monopolizing the field. From the 80s Lata cut down on her workload to concentrate on her shows abroad. She sings in frequently now but even today the songs of some of the biggest hits of today Hum Apke Hai Kaun (1994), maachis (1997), Dil To Pagal Hai (1997), Dil Se (1998) and Mohabbatein (2000), are sung by her. From Nargis to Aishwarya she�s sung for them all. She has never hesitated to help budding music directors by offering to render playbacks for them and in the past five decades, there must be very few, indeed, who have not benefited from Lata�s great talent. She has sung in virtually all-Indian languages with equal success. She has also composed music for some films with the adopted name of Anand Ghar. They were Ram Ram Pahuna, Mohityanchi, Manjula, Maeatha Tituka Melwawa, Sadhi Manse and Tambadi Ati. She acted in Pahili Mangala Gaur, Majhe Baal, Gaja Bhau, Badi Maa, Jeevan Yara, and Samudra Mandir. She produced Marathi and Hindi films like Wadal (Marathi), Kanchan (Hindi) and Lekin (hindi).
Her most famous non-film song is �Aye Mere Watan Ke Logo� tuned by C. Ramchandra and written by poet pradeep, it was this song that had brought tears in the eyes of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. She has recorded devotional songs by Sant Takura and her recording of the Bhagwat in Sanskrit is recognized as her crowning achievement. It has fanned the gentle Zephyrs of a first love, fanned the fires of passionate romance, throbbed with the pain of heartbreak, celebrated the seasons and, in time, come to epitomize the very emotions it has celebrated. Now, the dulcet voiced diva turns 70. Lata Mangeshkar is in fact that rare artist who has realized her search for excellence. Dada Saheb Phalke award winner for her contribution to Indian Cinema, the latest jewel in Lata�s crown is having India�s highest Civilian award, the Bharat Ratna conferred on her. And in applauding a voice that has spanned the generations.

Written By : Sumona Das

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