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| Remembering the Nightingale - Lata Mangeshkar’s Legacy Lives On | | | Dr. Vinod Chandrashekhar Dixit
Lata Mangeshkar’s death anniversary on February 6, 2026, marks her 4th death anniversary. She passed away on February 6, 2022, at the age of 92 due to multiple organ dysfunction syndrome Iconic Indian singer Lata Mangeshkar, the nightingale of India, who has charmed the people of India and across the world with her melodious voicewill always keep ruling the Hearts of people for all times to come. Lata’s death marks the end of an era in music. She ruled the world of music for decades and the magic of her voice will live forever. She had sung around 50,000 songs as a playback singer in films in 14 different Indian languages. Her singing journey has become an iconic model success story for many struggling and established singers in India. Lata was named ‘Hema’ at her birth. Her parents later renamed her Lata after a female character, Latika, in one of her father’s plays, ‘Bhaaw Bandhan’.
Famously known as ‘Lata Didi’ in the Bollywood music fraternity, Mangeshkar was born in a Marathi-speaking family in Indore to classical singer and theatre actor Pandit Deenanath Mangeshkar and his wife Shevanti, a homemaker.
Perhaps, she must have been the most recorded voice in the history of this century. She got her first major break with the song Dil Mera Toda in the movie Majboor (1948) but her first major hit was Aayega Aanewaala, sung for Madhubala in the movie Mahal (1949). She won a Filmfare award as the best female playback singer for the song Aaja Re Pardesi for the movie Madhumati (1958).
Lata took her first music lessons from her father at the age of 5 and also studied with Aman Ali Khan Sahib and later Amanat Khan.Lata Mangeshkar has sang in more than 500 films and for many Lata is the most admired singer. It was after India’s losses in the India-China war in 1962 that a young Lata had sung the song, “Ai Mere Watan Ke Logon, Zara Aankh Me Bhar Lo Pani” the song, written by Kavi Pradeep, moved many heartening people into tears and still remains to be one of the most patriotic song sung by her. When she sang the song- Aye Mere Watan Ke Logo on 27 January 1963, it brought tears to the then Prime Minister of India- Jawaharlal Nehru.
Lata’s stylistic innovation offered a solution to the problem of women’s presence in the cinematic public sphere. She was the diva of Indian playback who symbolizes honour and success.
“Lag jaa gale” , “Aapkinazron ne samjha” and “Mera saaya saath hoga” are but a few chosen gems among hundreds of priceless ones that Madan Mohan created for Lata. “Pyaarhua iqraar hua”, “Yehraat bheegi bheegi”, “Ab raat guzarne waali hai”, “Main kya karoon Ram” and “Raja ki aayegi baarat” are but a few Lata hits Shankar-Jaikishen created for Lata in Kapoor’s films. Ram laxman scored their greatest hit ever with the Lata-voiced “Didi tera dewar deewana” in “Hum Aapke Hain Koun”.
With S.D. Burman, Lata got to prove her prowess at playing with authentic earthy notes. If Lata managed to survive, it was owing to her sheer power of perfection as a singer, and unique qualities. She has lent her voice to thousands of songs in Hindi, regional and foreign languages.
She was awarded the Bharat Ratna, the highest civilian honour in 2001. France conferred her with its highest civilian award (Officer of the Legion of Honour) in 2007.She said that “From my experience and understanding, I believe money follows name and fame, while recognition calls for a huge amount of sacrifice. To get something, you have to lose something. That’s the rule of life.”Earlier there was no category for best playback singer in the Filmfare awards and after her protest, it was included in 1958. She got her 1st Filmfare Award for Best Playback Singer for the song- Aaja Re Pardesi from the movie Madhumati in 1958. From 1958 to 1966, she monopolized Filmfare awards for Best Female Playback Singer and it was stopped in 1969 only when she gave up the awards in an unusual gesture for promoting fresh talents.
She had a voice suited to more soothing, mature, melodramatic and patriotic songs. She had a set of ideals when it comes to good music, and for her, more than popularity, its about the songs she gets to croon. Lata was an ideal for everyone- be it singer or composer and her identity is the reason for her respect in the music industry and in the hearts of every Indian today.She has inspired and motivated every person in the world by her devotion & dedication.
It is reported that Lata had sung hundreds of songs with Mohammed Rafi, but there was a time when she stopped talking to Rafi. The two refused to sing together. However, after four years, with the effort of actress Nargis, both of them sang the song Dil Pukare in a program.In one her interview she that her true godfather was Ghulam Haidar who trusted her talent.
Her songs have been a part of all of us and her voice engrained in every Indian and we will all cherish her forever. |
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