Lata Mangeshkar

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Lore & Background

Lata Mangeshkar was born on 28 September 1929 in Indore, then the capital of the princely state of Indore in British India. Her father, Deenanath Mangeshkar, was a Marathi and Konkani classical singer and theatre actor; her mother, Shevanti, was a Gujarati woman from Thalner. She was the eldest child, with siblings Meena, Asha, Usha, and Hridaynath, all accomplished singers and musicians. She received her first music lesson from her father and began acting in his musical plays at age five. After her father's death of heart disease in 1942, Master Vinayak helped her start a career as a singer and actress. She moved to Mumbai in 1945 and took Hindustani classical lessons from Ustad Aman Ali Khan of Bhindibazaar Gharana. Her first major break came with the song "Dil Mera Toda, Mujhe Kahin Ka Na Chhora" in the film Majboor (1948), mentored by music director Ghulam Haider, whom she later called her "Godfather." A defining moment was the hit "Aayega Aanewaala" in Mahal (1949), composed by Khemchand Prakash, which brought recognition to playback singers in India. In 1947, composer Anil Biswas introduced her to actor Dilip Kumar, who criticized her Urdu pronunciation; she reportedly did not speak to him for thirteen years, but used the critique as motivation to hire a Maulvi to improve her diction. The two reconciled in August 1970, and she tied a Rakhi on his wrist every year thereafter.

Reader's Guide

Lata Mangeshkar's significance lies in her transformative impact on Indian film music. She recorded songs in over thirty-six Indian languages and a few foreign languages, primarily Hindustani, Bengali, and Marathi. Known for her discipline, she always recorded barefoot as a mark of respect for the recording studio, which she considered a temple. Despite her perfectionism, she famously never listened to her own songs after their release, stating she would only find mistakes. Her pursuit of phonetic perfection, motivated by Dilip Kumar's 1947 critique of her Urdu pronunciation, became a hallmark of her career. She received numerous honors: the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 1989, the Bharat Ratna in 2001 (becoming only the second singer to receive India's highest civilian honour), and France's National Order of the Legion of Honour in 2009. She was the recipient of three National Film Awards, 15 Bengal Film Journalists' Association Awards, four Filmfare Best Female Playback Awards before declining further ones, two Filmfare Special Awards, and the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award. In 1974, she became the first Indian playback singer to perform at the Royal Albert Hall in London. She appeared in Guinness World Records as the most recorded artist in history before being replaced by her sister, Asha Bhosle. Her legacy includes influencing generations of singers and elevating the status of playback singers in India.

Did You Know?

• Lata Mangeshkar always recorded her songs barefoot as a mark of respect for the recording studio, which she considered a temple.
• She never listened to her own songs after their release, stating in interviews that she would only find mistakes in her singing.
• In 1974, she became the first Indian playback singer to perform at the Royal Albert Hall in London.
• She appeared in Guinness World Records as the most recorded artist in history before being replaced by her sister, Asha Bhosle.
• After Dilip Kumar criticized her Urdu pronunciation in 1947, she hired a Maulvi to teach her the nuances of the Urdu language and reportedly did not speak to him for thirteen years.