Nonagarian Lata Mangeshkar turns 91

Lata Mangeshkar, a name that redefines vocal music, turns 91 today. Born as Hema Mangeshkar, (the eldest among her siblings; all well known names in music industry), began her singing career at a very early age. Born on September 28 1929, in Indore (Madhya Pradesh) to renowned theater Natya Sangeet and Hindustani classical vocalist Pt. Deenanath Mangeshkar and Shevanti Mangeshkar, the veteran took her first musical lessons from her father. At the age of 5, Hema aka Lata acted in her father’s musical play and later her name was changed to Lata, after the character Latika that she played.

Lataji or Lata didi, as she is fondly called, began her singing at the age of 13. She sang for a Marathi movie, though she was later dropped out from the album. Her first Hindi song was "Mata Ek Sapoot Ki Duniya Badal De Tu" for the Marathi film Gajaabhaau (1943). She moved to Mumbai in 1945.

Her first major hit song was Aayega Aanewala from the film Mahal that was composed by Naushad ji.

In the 1950s, Lataji sang songs composed by various music directors of the period, including Anil Biswas, Shankar Jaikishan, Naushad Ali, S. D. Burman, Amarnath, Husanlal, and Bhagatram, C. Ramchandra, Hemant Kumar, Salil Chowdhury, Datta Naik, Khayyam, Ravi, Sajjad Hussain, Roshan, Kalyanji-Anandji, Vasant Desai, Sudhir Phadke, Hansraj Behl, Madan Mohan, and Usha Khanna. She sang "Sri Lanka, Ma Priyadara Jaya Bhumi", a song in Sinhala, for the 1955 Sri Lankan film Seda Sulang.

She made her debut in Tamil playback singing with "Vanaradham" in 1956 (Uran Khotala dubbed in Tamil) with the Tamil song "Enthan Kannalan" for Nimmi in the dubbed version composed by Naushad.

Apart from the above, Lata didi has also collaborated with singers and musicians like Kishore Da (Kishore Kumar), Shabbir Kumar, Shailendra Singh, Nitin Mukesh (Mukesh's son), Manhar Udhas, Amit Kumar (Kishore Kumar's son), Mohammed Aziz, Vinod Rathod, and S.P. Balasubrahmanyam.

Her most loved duet with SP was from the film Hum Aapke Hai Kaun "Didi Tera Dewar Deewana".

She also sang duets with Pankaj Udhas, Mohammed Aziz, Abhijeet Bhattacharya, Udit Narayan, Kumar Sanu, and Suresh Wadkar. Her most notable work of the 90s was Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge with songs such as "Mere Khwabon Mein Jo Aaye", "Ho Gaya Hai Tujhko To Pyaar Sajna", "Tujhe Dekha To Yeh Jana Sanam", and "Mehndi Laga Ke Rakhna".

In the 2000s, Mangeshkar's duets were mainly with Udit Narayan and Sonu Nigam. 2005-06 were the years of her last well-known songs: "Kaise Piya Se" from Bewafa and "Shayad Yehi To Pyaar Hai" from Lucky: No Time for Love, with Adnan Sami and "Lukka Chhupi" in Rang De Basanti (2006 film) with A. R. Rahman. She sang "Ek Tu Hi Bharosa" from Pukar. Other notable songs of this decade were from Veer-Zaara, sung with Udit Narayan, Sonu Nigam, Jagjit Singh, Roop Kumar Rathod, and Gurdas Mann. One of her latest songs was "Jeena Hai Kya" from Dunno Y2 (2014).

Her voice though gets etched into one’s heart; it is heard that on 27 January 1963, against the backdrop of the Sino-Indian War, Lata sang the patriotic song "Aye Mere Watan Ke Logo" in the presence of then PM Jawaharlal Nehru. The song, composed by C. Ramchandra and written by Kavi Pradeep, is said to have moved the PM to tears. The song still gets goose bumps to whoever listens it. Such is the magical voice of Lata didi.

She has recorded in over a thousand Hindi films and has sung songs in over thirty-six regional Indian languages and foreign languages, though primarily in Marathi, Hindi, Bengali and Assamese.

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 is 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 is the recipient of three National Film Awards, 15 Bengal Film Journalists' Association Awards, four Filmfare Best Female Playback Awards, two Filmfare Special Awards, Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award and many more. In 1974, she became the first Indian to perform in the Royal Albert Hall.

She won Maharashtra State Government's Best Music Director Award for the film Sadhi Manase. The song "Airanichya Deva Tula" from the same film received best song award.

She also holds names like Queen of Melody, Nightingale of India, Voice of the Millennium, Nightingale of India.

She ruled the hearts with her melodious voice from 1940’s-2010’s. Her voice even now seems afresh and equally melodious.

Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan said kambakht, kabhi besuri na hoti ("she is never off-key").

Dilip Kumar ji once commented, "Lata Mangeshkar ki awaaz kudrat ki takhleek ka ek karishma hain," meaning "Lata Mangeshkar's voice is a miracle from God”.

Apart from singing Lata didi was also into music direction, Production. She composed music for following Marathi movies under the pseudonym of Anand Ghan.

All we can say is her song from the film Kinara... “Naam Gum Jaayega...Chehra ye badal jaayega

Meri Aaawaj hi Peechaan hai... Gar yaad rahe...” holds true in her case.

Today, on her birthday, best wishes from her fans, celebrities, politicians are pouring in to wish the Nightingale good health. We wish Lata didi a great and blissful life.

Happy Birthday Nightingale of India! May you stay blessed!