Legendary singer Bharat Ratna Lata Mangeshkar is no more. She was 92. Hospitalised after contracting Covid-19, Lata Mangeshkar, also known as the Indian Nightingale, passed away at Breach Candy hospital. The singer was rushed to the hospital on 8th January, after she tested positive for Covid-19. A public darshan will be held at Shivaji Park in Mumbai and she will be accorded a state funeral.
President Ram Nath Kovind, Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other leaders have condoled her death.
Mr Kovind said Lata-Ji’s demise is heartbreaking for himself as it is for millions the world over. He said, in her vast range of songs, rendering the essence and beauty of India, generations found expression of their innermost emotions.
A Bharat Ratna, Lata-Ji’s accomplishments will remain incomparable.
Vice President, M. Venkaiah Naidu said India has lost its voice in the death of Lata ji, who has enthralled music lovers in India and across the globe with her mellifluous and sublime voice for many decades.
Prime Minister Modi said Lata Didi’s songs brought out a variety of emotions and she closely witnessed the transitions of the Indian film world for decades. Mr Modi said, beyond films, she was always passionate about India’s growth and always wanted to see a strong and developed India.
Prime minister in his tribute said, he has always received immense affection from Lata Didi and interactions with her will remain unforgettable. Mr Modi said, she leaves a void in our nation that cannot be filled and the coming generations will remember her as a stalwart of Indian culture, whose melodious voice had an unparalleled ability to mesmerise people.
Home Minister, Amit Shah said with her melodious and mesmerizing voice, she has filled the lives of every generation not only in India but all over the world with the sweetness of Indian music. Surface transport minister Nitin Gadkari her music has been very dear to him.
Information and Broadcasting minister Anurag Thakur said Lata Ji’s magical voice shall remain immortal. Mr Thakur said her voice will continue to echo everywhere be it at borders or be it at prayers.
BJP President JP Nadda said it is an irreparable loss to the entire art world.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said her golden voice is immortal and will continue to echo in the hearts of her fans.
The Union government has decided that as mark of respect two days of state mourning will be observed. During state mourning national flag will be flown at half-mast throughout the country and there will be no entertainment.
Lata Mangeshkar was born on September 28, 1929, to a Marathi and Konkani musician Pandit Deenanath Mangeshkar. Originally named Hema, she was the eldest of five siblings, including veteran singer Asha Bhosle.
Lata Mangeshkar, doyen of Indian film music and arguably the best female playback singer the country has ever produced has breathed her last after battling with fragile health for days at the Breach Candy hospital in Mumbai.
Her mellifluous voice straight from the soul ruled the air of not only India but the entire globe for decades; generation after generation, and she will continue to be the yardstick in the world of music for centuries to come.
Her gargantuan feat of recording around 30 thousand songs in almost all languages of the country remains a testimony to the enormous service she rendered to the world of music in India.
Many bollywood divas right from Madhubala, Vyajanthimala, Padmini, Nutan, Nargis, Meena Kumari, Mala Sinha, Sadhana to Hema Malini, Shabana Azmi, Sridevi and Aishwarya Rai were lucky enough to lip-sync the unbelievably mellifluous voice of the legendary singer.
AIR correspondent reports, Naam Gum Jayega, Chehra Yeh Badal Jayega, Meri Awaz hi Pehchaan Hai…this melody sums up Lata Mangeshkar. Be it millennials or from those from pre-independence era, anyone can recognise her golden voice in this age of Spotify.
It was her versatility that mesmerised the listeners, from the patriotic “Aye Mere Watan Ke Logo” to the bhajan “Allah Tero Naam”; from the romantic “Lag Jaa Gale” to the sensual “Aa Jane Jaa”; from the raag-based “Chalte Chalte” to the evergreen “Salame Ishq Meri Jaan”; from the motherly “Chanda Hai Tu, Mera Suraj Hai Tu” to the sentimental “Luka Chuppi”. Her prowess was evident in the duets she sung with fellow legends such as Mohammad Rafi, Kishore Kumar to juniors like Udit Narayan and Sonu Nigam.
Lata Mangeshkar ruled from the 1950s to the first decade of 2000, singing thousands of songs in 36 languages. She lent her voice to generation of on-screen beauties like Vyjantimala, Madhubala, Sharmila Tagore, Saira Banu, Asha Parekh, Rekha, Sridevi, Madhuri Dixit and Aishwarya Rai.
Born as Hema Mangeshkar on 28th September 1929 in Indore, Lata Mangeshkar was the eldest of the five siblings-Meena, Asha, Usha and Hridaynath. Her father Pandit Deenanath Mangeshkar was a classical singer and theatre actor. On 16th December 1941, she sang for radio following which her father decided to hone her talent.
Her care-free days were lost after her father’s demise in 1942. Lata took over the family’s responsibility. In her initial days, she tried acting as her voice was considered too ‘thin’. Her first song came in 1942 for the Marathi film, Kiti Hasaal, but it never saw the light of day.
It was Ghulam Haider, who fought for her place in an industry that was dominated by doyens like Shamshad Begum, Noor Jehan and Geeta Dutt. Her major break came in 1949, with the song “Aayega Aanewala” from the film, Mahal.
Her career took off in the 1950s, working with Anil Biswas, Shankar Jaikishan, Naushad Ali and S. D. Burman. She won her first Filmfare Award for Best Female Playback Singer for Salil Chowdhury’s composition “Aaja Re Pardesi” in 1958.
If 50s gave her the wings to fly, the 60s stamped her authority with hits like “Pyar Kiya To Darna Kya”, “Kahin Deep Jale Kahin Dil” and “Ajeeb Dastaan Hai Yeh” besides the legendary “Aye Mere Watan Ke Logo”.
It was also the decade of “Aap Ki Nazron Ne Samjha”, “Lag Jaa Gale”, “Tu Jahan Jahan Chalega”. It marked the beginning of her association with Laxmikant-Pyarelal, for whom she sang nearly 700 songs.
In the 70s and 80s, she continued her journey with songs like “Beeti Na Bitai” from the film Parichay, for which she won the National Award.
Over the years, the veteran was bestowed with numerous awards including the Bharat Ratna, the title of Officer of the French Legion of Honour, Dadasaheb Phalke Award, three National Film Awards, four Filmfare Best Female Playback Awards, Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Awarde. In 1984 and 1992, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra instituted awards in her memory.
Music was her life partner. To sum up the legend, one need not look no further than Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan who said, “kabhi besuri nahi hoti”.
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