Lata Mangeshkar, the Princess of Sounds, is among India’s unique assets. Lata Ji was well-known throughout the nation and the world due to her voice. Her name is included in the Book of World Records since she holds the record for recording the most tracks. According to American researchers, Lata Ji’s tone will never again be replicated by another artist. They also mentioned that they plan to examine Lata Ji’s throat after her death to find out the reason of her melodious voice. Her death is a huge loss for the nation, and every follower has ended up in tears. Here in this article, we will discuss the biography of Lata Mangeshkar in detail and will discover more about her life.
Early Life
Lata Mangeshkar was born in the Indore, Madhya Pradesh, India, on September 28, 1929. Among the five kids of her parents, Lata was the oldest. Her parents’ names are Pandit Deenanath Mangeshkar and Shevanti Mangeshkar, respectively. Her father, Master Dinanath, was well-liked and admired Marathi’s theatrical character. Lata Mangeshkar was introduced to music at a very young age.
Lata Mangeshkar was named “Hema” after she was born. In honour of a female character called Latika, under one of her father’s plays, Bhaaw Bandhan, her parents changed her name to Lata. Asha, Meena, Usha, and Hridaynath are her siblings’ names. They’re all talented vocalists and guitarists.
Her academic background isn’t well-known, but she demonstrated that a certificate isn’t the only way to earn a respectful living. Her father was the one who gave her initial music training. She began working as an actor in her father’s musical productions when she was five.
- Real/Full Name: Lata Mangeshkar
- Birth Name: Hema Mangeshkar
- Earned Name: Nightingale of India, Queen Of Melody, Voice Of The Millenium
- Father Name: Pandit Deenanath Mangeshkar
- Mother Name: Shevanti
- Siblings: Asha, Meena, Usha, and Hridaynath
- Age: 92 Years
- Date Of Birth/Birthday: September 28, 1929
- Mother Tongue: Marathi
- Religion: Hindu
- Nationality: Indian
- Zodiac Sign: Libra
- Birth Place: Indore, Madhya Pradesh
- Residence: South Mumbai
- Marital Status: Unmarried
- Hair Color: Salt And Pepper
- Eye Color: Black
- Height: 155 CM
- Food Habit: Non-Vegeterian
Career
Initial Career
Lata Mangeshkar’s first acting role was in her father’s show when she was five. At 13, she started her further training and made a song for a Marathi film in 1942. The movie got released successfully. However, the song got cut from it for an unknown cause, causing Lata Ji much distress. Lata Mangeshkar’s father died due to a cardiac arrest the same year. As Lata Mangeshkar was the oldest among all her siblings, she took the brunt of the household’s responsibilities. After her father’s death, Vinayak Damodar, the operator of a film company and a close friend of Deenanath, took great care of Lata and her family.
The Very First Song
Lata Mangeshkar arrived in Bombay in 1945 & started learning under Amanat Ali Khan. In 1947, she sang a song for the Hindi movie ‘Aap Ki Seva Mein,’ but nobody paid attention to the song. During the period, singers like Shamshad Begum, Noor Jahan, and Zohrabhai Amblewali ruled the industry. These were among a few singers who were completely engaged as their voice was strong and distinctive. Lata Mangeshkar’s voice appeared weak and subdued in front of those people, and as a result, she faced difficulties initially in getting the audience’s attention. Later, she performed in four successive blockbusters in 1949, and she got noticed in all of them. The films Andaz, Dulari, Barsaat, and Mahal, were box office hits, with the song ‘Aayega Aanewala’ from Mahal being a mega-smash and confirming Lata Mangeshkar’s prominence in Bollywood films.
Filmy Career
Lata Mangeshkar has collaborated with nearly every major director and producer of her generation. She, at times, aspired to perform like Noor Jahan. However, with time, her voice became recognized. Anil Vishwas, Naushad Ali, SD Burman, Madan Mohan, and Shankar Jaikishan are a few brilliant music composers with whom Lata Mangeshkar has collaborated. The filmmaking industry was transformed when Lata Mangeshkar arrived, and her songs in movies gave the music industry a fresh start.
Lata Mangeshkar’s younger sister, Asha, also entered the film industry; their tones were very distinct, but just because they worked at the same location, there seemed to be a lot of contrast between the two. On the other hand, the two girls never allowed work to get in the middle of their bond.
Lata Mangeshkar collaborated on several songs with Mukesh, Mohammad Rafi, and Kishore. Her desire to sing was clear from the very beginning. However, Lata Mangeshkar refused to cooperate with SD Burman and Mohammad Rafi because of their disputes. Composer Jaikishan helped her reconnect with Rafi, but her association with Burman didn’t work out, and the two never collaborated after 1972.
Love Life
Lata Mangeshkar has been in the movie industry for over 70 years. Her melodies and beautiful tone were extensively debated in the industry for a long time. Still, there was a moment in her life when her name was linked to an individual in the love affair incident. Yes, Lata Mangeshkar fell madly in love once in her life, and she was so truly in love that she never wedded.
The First Meeting
Lata Mangeshkar was a great cricket lover as her brother Hridaynath was also a cricket player. Lata had fallen in love with Raj Singh, the Maharaja of Dungarpur and a former cricketer and former head of the BCCI. She came in touch with him while she watched the match with his brother. Lata’s brother and Raj Singh were close friends as both were cricket players. She had fallen in love when she saw Raj Singh for the very first time. And at the same time, Raj Singh was also aware of Lata’s talent. While his cricketing skills persuaded Lata, Raj was impressed by Singer’s voice.
Hridaynath Mangeshkar and Raj Singh spent much of their time together at Hridaynath’s residence. During this time, Raj Singh developed a great relationship with Lata Mangeshkar, his dear friend’s older sister. They both fell in love with each other after a few meetups. Raj Singh is also called Lata Mangeshkar ‘Mithu.’ Raj used to carry a cassette tape in his pocket that featured a selection of Lata’s songs.
Raj Singh and Lata Mangeshkar were set to marry.
As per a source in ‘Magazine,’ both Lata Mangeshkar and Raj Singh were preparing to marry after several years of knowing one other. When Raj Singh approached his family about it, his dad Maharawal Laxman Singh disapproved the proposal. This was because Lata did not come from a royal household. As a result, Maharawal Laxman stopped his son Raj Singh from marrying an ordinary woman.
The love tale between Lata Mangeshkar and Raj was left unfinished.
Maharawal Laxman Singh’s strong judgment destroyed Raj Singh and Lata Mangeshkar’s ambitions. Although they have never married, they have always been good friends. Raj Singh greatly respected and admired his father. That’s why he chose to accept his father’s choice. On the other hand, Raj Singh did not marry Lata and instead proclaimed to his father that he’ll never marry, a promise he followed until his death. And at the same time, Lata, who was also deeply in love with Raj, chose to live her life as an unmarried woman as Raj did, and hence she stayed unmarried since her last breath.
A Few Lesser-Known Facts About Lata Mangeshkar
1. Lata Mangeshkar was born into a household having prior knowledge of music.
Lata Mangeshkar was born into a family of artists. Lata was born and raised with a passion for music, thanks to her father, who owned a theatre business. When Lata and Asha Bhosle started singing, they wanted to continue their father’s legacy. She remembered the actual reason for her profession in an interview a few years ago with Stardust. “Once upon a time, my father ordered his follower to perform a Raag while he finished his work,” she explained. I was playing when a tone from the Raag performed by a follower startled me. I was correcting them the very next minute. When my father came, he realized that his kid has a good grip on the Raag.”
2. Lata Mangeshkar’s most recent song was released in 2019.
Lata Mangeshkar sang her final song, ‘Saugandh Mujhe Is Mitti Ki,’ as a dedication to the Army and motherland, composed by Mayuresh Pai. It was released on March 30, 2019.
3. Lata Didi was never a listener of her music.
Lata Mangeshkar told Bollywood Hungama that she doesn’t hear her songs because she would notice a thousand flaws in her voice if she did.
4. When Lata Mangeshkar was shooting a song, she fainted.
Lata once fainted while working on a track with musician Naushad. “We were recording a song on a long warm summer afternoon,” she confessed in a conversation with Firstpost. You’ve seen how hot Mumbai can get in the summer. There was no air conditioning in the music studio back then. During the final recording, even the ceiling fan was turned off. So, I fainted.
5. Madan Mohan became her beloved composer.
Madan Mohan, according to Lata, was the greatest music composer she collaborated with and with whom she had a particular relationship. “I enjoyed a particular bond with Madan Mohan. This was a brother-and-sister connection.” According to her, ‘Woh chup rahe’ from Jahan Ara is their greatest collaboration.
6. Lata’s fame extends way beyond Indian boundaries.
Lata was more than a musical sensation in India. Her great voice gathered lovers from all around the world. She is the first Indian to appear at London’s famed Royal Albert Hall.
7. Lata Mangeshkar earned a Guinness World Record at one point.
Lata Mangeshkar was named the most recognized performer (in song count) in the Guinness Book of Records in 1974. The entry was withdrawn by Guinness in 1991 when Lata’s sister was named the most recorded artist. Mohammed Rafi, on the other hand, denied the statement. Lata’s identity was still featured in the book, including Rafi’s claim. Pulapaka Susheela now has this title.
Lata Mangeshkar Awards and Achievements
Lata Mangeshkar has received various awards during her tenure, and the following is a list of some of them, including both national and international honours.
By the Government of India
- Dadasaheb Phalke Award
- Padma Bhushan
- Padma Vibushan
- Bharat Ratna
- One Time Award for Lifetime Achievement
By the National film awards
- Best Female Playback Singer(Parichay)
- Best Female Playback Singer(Kora Kagaz)
- Best Female Playback Singer(Lekin)
There are many more awards she has won.
Net Worth
Lata Mangeshkar has a net worth of $15 million. She is one of India’s wealthiest singers. She has even been called the queen of singing and melodies.
Death
Bharat Ratna Lata Mangeshkar is no longer with us. At the age of 92, Lata Mangeshkar passed away on February 6 2022. Lata Mangeshkar has been at Mumbai’s Breach Candy Hospital for 28 days. According to the doctor treating her, Lata Mangeshkar had pneumonia and corona. In the meantime, Lata Mangeshkar’s health began to improve, and she was even taken off the ventilator. However, things became worse, and according to Dr Pratit Samdani of Breach Candy Hospital, who was treating her, Lata Mangeshkar passed on Sunday, February 6, at 8:12 a.m. He said that Lata Mangeshkar suffered multiple organ failures due to pneumonia and corona.