Legendary Singer Lata Mangeshkar Passes Away; India Mourns the Death of the Country’s Nightingale

By Raju Vernekar
Mumbai, Feb 06:
 
Legendary singer India’s nightingale Bharat Ratna Lata Mangeshkar (92) who was admitted to the Breach Candy Hospital in South Mumbai after being diagnosed with COVID-19 and Pneumonia on January 08, passed away, on Sunday, February 06. 
She breathed her last at 8.12 am. Her sad demise was mourned by one and all, who included the President, Prime Minister and a host of leaders, artists and common men. In his condolence message Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray said that it’s “heartbreaking that our dear Lata didi is not with us today.” “There is hardly a corner of the world where her voice was not heard,” Thackeray added.   
Her last rites will be performed at 6.30 pm at Shivaji Park, in Central Mumbai on Sunday. The Maharashtra Government has declared two days state mourning. 
Lata has four siblings-Meena Khadikar, Asha Bhosle, Usha Mangeshkar and Hridaynath Mangeshkar-of whom she was the eldest. 
Lata Mangeshkar, the eldest daughter of musician Pandit Deenanath Mangeshkar, and his wife Shevanti was born as Hema, on September 28, 1929 in Indore in Madhya Pradesh. She was named as Hrudaya and finally as Lata. Pandit Deenanath was a classical singer and theatre actor. 
In 1942, when Lata was 13, her father Deenanath died of heart disease. Master Vinayak (Vinayak Damodar Karnataki), the owner of “Navyug Chitrapat” movie company and a close friend of the Mangeshkar family, helped Lata to start her career as a singer and actress.
Lata sang the song “Naachu Yaa Gade, Khelu Saari Mani Haus Bhaari”, which was composed by Sadashivrao Nevrekar for Vasant Joglekar’s Marathi film “Kiti Hasaal” (1942), but the song was dropped from the final cut. Then Master Vinayak gave her a small role in Navyug Chitrapat’s Marathi movie “Pahili Mangalaa-Gaur” (1942), in which she also 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). 
However, Ghulam Haider gave her first major break with the song “Dil Mera Toda, Mujhe Kahin Ka Na Chhora”, in the movie Majboor (1948), which became her first big breakthrough film hit. 
In a career spanning nearly eight decades, Lata Mangeshkar was the singing voice for a bevy of Bollywood leading ladies. She lent her voice to over 5,000 songs in over a thousand Hindi and 36 regional films. She has had an unprecedented impact on Indian film music 
Music direction
Lata Mangeshkar composed music under the pseudonym “Anand Ghan” for the Marathi films: Ram Ram Pavhana (1960), Maratha Tituka Melvava (1963), Mohityanchi Manjula (1963), Sadhi Manase (1965) and Tambadi Mati (1969). She won Maharashtra Government’s Best Music Director Award for the film “Sadhi Manase”. The song “Airanichya Deva Tula” from the same film received the best song award. 
Production
Lata Mangeshkar produced four films: “Vandal” (Marathi) (1953), “Jhaanjhar” (Hindi), co-produced with C. Ramchandra (1953), “ Kanchan Ganga” (Hindi) (1955), and “Lekin” (Hindi) (1990). 
Awards
The Dadasaheb Phalke Award was bestowed on her in 1989 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 and was only the second vocalist, after M S Subbulakshmi, to receive this honour. France conferred on her its highest civilian award, the Officer 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, Life Time Achievement Awards, and many more. In 1974, she became the first Indian to perform at the Royal Albert Hall, London. 
Politics
Lata Mangeshkar was also a Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha from November 22, 1999 to November 21, 2005.