Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis did the honours in the presence of a large number of ministers, political leaders and music personalities like Usha Mangeshkar, Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia, Meena Khadilkar, Adinath Mangeshkar, Ashok Patki, Sonu Nigam, Anup Jalota, Pankaj Udas, Mayuresh Pai, Taufiq Qureshi, Lalit Pandit, and others.
With this, the University will offer the first six certificate courses of one-year each in Hindustani classical music, Indian flute, tabla, sitar, harmonium/keyboard and sound engineering will be launched with an initial intake of 150 students.
In August this year, the Maharashtra government had handed over a 7,000-square metre plot owned by the Directorate of Libraries in the Kalina campus of Mumbai University for the music college.
However, as a temporary measure, till the college gets its own building and other amenities, it will function from the P.L. Deshpande Academy, Shinde had said.
Lata Mangeshkar desired to start such a music college in memory of her father, Master Dinanath Mangeshkar, and the former Maha Vikas Aghadi government's former Minister Aditya Thackeray had shown her the plot which she had liked.
After her demise, the ex-CM Uddhav Thackeray had announced that a world class music college would come up in memory of 'Lata didi', as she was known during her lifetime.
Later, the government had set up a 14-member expert advisory board for the college courses which included Chairman Hridaynath Mangeshkar, Usha Mangeshkar, Adinath Mangeshkar, Suresh Wadkar, Mayuresh Pai, Zakir Hussain, A.R. Rahman and other personalities.
To start with, the teaching posts will be on an emoluments basis and clerical/ typist jobs will be filled on an external basis, machinery, equipment and other requirements will be purchased, all at a cost of nearly Rs 1.75 crore per month.
This fulfils a commitment made by the state government to start the global music college from the current academic year in memory of Lata Mangeshkar.
The chief minister in the presence of Union Tourism Minister G Kishan Reddy inaugurated the intersection, 'Lata Mangeshkar Chauraha'.
The intersection at the banks of the Saryu river has been developed at an estimated cost of Rs 7.9 crore, according to officials.
A 40-ft-long and 12-metre-high veena weighing 14 tonnes has been installed at the intersection, they said.
Paying tributes to the iconic singer, Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a tweet said, "Remembering Lata Didi on her birth anniversary. There is so much that I recall the innumerable interactions in which she would shower so much affection. I am glad that today, a Chowk in Ayodhya will be named after her. It is a fitting tribute to one of the greatest Indian icons."
The intersection will be a great attraction for tourists and music lovers. It is the first place in the country where such a giant musical instrument has been installed, officials said.
Satyendra Singh, secretary of the Ayodhya Development Authority, which is managing the project, told PTI that Rs 7.9 crore has been spent on developing the intersection which is one of the greatest projects of Ayodhya.
He said the giant veena has been made by Padma Shri awardee Ram Sutar, who took two months to make it.
"The beautifully designed veena has a picture of Saraswati, the goddess of music, engraved on it," he added.
"Remembering Lata Didi on her birth anniversary. There is so much that I recall the innumerable interactions in which she would shower so much affection. I am glad that today, a Chowk in Ayodhya will be named after her. It is a fitting tribute to one of the greatest Indian icons," the PM tweeted.
Remembering Lata Didi on her birth anniversary. There is so much that I recall…the innumerable interactions in which she would shower so much affection. I am glad that today, a Chowk in Ayodhya will be named after her. It is a fitting tribute to one of the greatest Indian icons.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 28, 2022
Born in 1929, Mangeshkar ruled the playback singing for decades. India's Melody Queen had the distinction of being conferred with the highest civilian honours of India and France.
Mangeshkar was the recipient of three National Film Awards, seven Filmfare awards, and the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 1989. She was conferred the Bharat Ratna in 2001, and the French awarded her the Officer of the Legion of Honour.
Lata Mangeshkar lent her voice to an endless succession of chart-topping numbers in Hindi cinema, from 'Allah Tero Naam' and 'Rangeela Re' to the 'Satyam Shivam Sundaram' title track, to 'Lukka Chuppi' in 'Rang De Basanti', apart from songs in Marathi (she also composed the music for several Marathi films in her 'Anandghan' avatar), Bengali, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, and Sinhala.
In 1974, the Guinness Book of Records listed Lata Mangeshkar as the most recorded artiste in human history, stating that she had recorded "not less than 25,000 solo, duet and chorus backed songs in 20 Indian languages" between 1948 and 1974.
The absence of two of Indian cinema's giants from the 2022 Oscars ceremony was a glaring one, especially after the British Academy Film and Television Awards (BAFTA) honoured Mangeshkar and Kumar earlier this month.
In its 2021 edition, the Oscars featured actor Irrfan Khan and Oscar winning costume designer Bhanu Athaiya in its tributes section, while Bollywood stars Rishi Kapoor and Sushant Singh Rajput found mention on the official website of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS).
The fans expressed their anger on Twitter, slamming the Academy for omitting the two Indian legends.
One user wrote, "Shame that @TheAcademy didn't pay homage to the two all time greats - Lata Mangeshkar & Dilip Kumar..."
Shame that @TheAcademy didn't pay homage to the two all time greats - Lata Mangeshkar & Dilip Kumar...😞😞👎👎#Oscars #Oscars2022
— That PERKY Guy🤠 #AmiKKR💜 (@i_Prathit) March 28, 2022
"They should have shown Lata Mangeshkar and Dilip Kumar in the In Memoriam section ..I mean come on man! They are CINEMA LEGENDS! #Oscars," another person posted on Twitter.
They should have shown Lata Mangeshkar and Dilip Kumar in the In Memoriam section ..I mean come on man! They are CINEMA LEGENDS! #Oscars
— Pa Cena 😅 (@VivekSRRRkian33) March 28, 2022
PS - MAYBE THEY ARE MENTIONED ON THE SITE BUT THAT DOESN'T MAKE IT BETTER
One more Twitteratti referred to Will Smith and Chris Rock's slapgate incident and posted, "So #Oscars didn't have time to pay tribute to Indian legends #LataMangeshkar & #DilipKumar. Not that it should matter to us but they rightfully deserve a slap. Consider #WillSmith charging at #Oscar2022"
So #Oscars didn't have time to pay tribute to Indian legends #LataMangeshkar & #DilipKumar. Not that it should matter to us but they rightfully deserve a slap. Consider #WillSmith charging at #Oscar2022 😏
— Karan Bhardwaj (@RebootWithKaran) March 28, 2022
While Mangeshkar found a mention on the 2022 list, posted on the Academy's website, Kumar was absent from this line-up as well.
During the live telecast, the Oscars honoured actors such as Sidney Poitier, Betty White, Carmine Salinas, Olivia Dukakis, William Hurt, Ned Beatty, Peter Bogdanovich, Clarence Williams III, Michael K Williams, Jean-Paul Belmondo, Sally Kellerman, Yvette Mimeux, Sonny Chiba, Saginaw Grant, Dorothy Steel, Dean Stockwell, Melvin Van Peebles, Norman Lloyd, and Max Julien in the 'In Memoriam' segment at the show held at Dolby Theatre here.
Composer-lyricist Steven Sondheim of "West Side Story" fame; cinematographer Hayla Hutchins; talent manager Chris Huvane; producers Jerome Hellman, David H DePatie, Martha De Laurentiis, Brian Goldner, Irwin W Young, Alan Lard Jr; "Superman" director Richard Donner; "Ghostbusters" filmmaker Ivan Reitman; costume designer Emi Wada; directors Jean-Marc Vallee, Lina Wertmulller, Douglas Trumbull, Felipe Cazals; visual effects supervisor Robert Blalack, Bill Taylor; film editor John Gregory, David Brenner, Lewis Erskine; casting director Don Phillips; "Pinocchio" animator Ruthie Thompson; stunt coordinator-performer Brad Allan, and composer Mikis Theodorakis were also remembered.
She had breathed her last at a hospital in Mumbai on February 6.
Lata Mangeshkar's sister Usha Mangeshkar along with other family members reached Varanasi with the urn containing the ashes.
They took a boat at Khidkiya Ghat from where they went to Ahilyabai Ghat.
After performing the Vedic rituals under the guidance of the priest Shrikant Pathak at the ghat, the ashes were immersed in the midstream of Ganga.
Lata didi has left behind a long trail of iconic songs which will be reminisced forever. The legendary singer ruled the chartbuster for over decades impressing many generations in succession.
The mesmerising voice fell silent on February 6 when she was 92.
However, many may not be aware that the iconic singer, who crooned several memorable songs, earlier was poisoned which affected her singing career. During an interview several decades back, Lata Didi revealed that in 1963 she was poisoned slowly at the age of 33. She felt very sick and couldn't get down from her bed. Even the situation worsened when she could barely move from her bed on her own.
“We Mangeshkars don’t talk about it, as it was a terrible phase in our life. The year was 1963. I began to feel very weak, and could barely get up from my bed. It came to a point where I couldn’t move on my own," Lata was quoted as saying by National Herald.
Lata said it was confirmed that she was being poisoned slowly and it took her about three months to recover, as per the report.
Though rumours were abuzz that Lata won't be able to sing, she proved everyone wrong with her comeback after 3 months. It was confirmed that poison was mixed in her food. Following the incident, her cook left the job without taking the salary. After such a disturbing revelation, lyricist Majrooh Sultanpuri used to taste the food every day before it was served to Lata Didi.
The melody queen refuted the rumours that she had not lost her voice. However, a daily publication claimed that after recovering, she went for recording but couldn't sing. Lata even had insisted the music director to carry on with some other singer. But, the music director was stubborn enough to wait for Lata and recorded the song after she pulled around completely.
Lata's last official full-fledged song was from Veer-Zaara. However, all the songs she lent her voice for decades back will remain forever in the hearts of music lovers.
She was the real Bharat Ratna in the true sense spreading the charm of her voice across many generations for over several decades. Her contribution to the Indian music industry will also be cherished till eternity.
Remembering Lata Didi on the 12th day of her heavenly abode, here we bring in a few lesser-known facts about the legendary singer.
Earlier on February 15, we had presented an interesting episode between Lataji and Kishore Da.
This time, lets know the lesser known tiff between Mohammad Rafi And Lata Mangeshkar
Apart from Kishore Kumar, Lataji has recorded several songs with Mohammad Rafi. The duo’s duet ruled the charts and the music industry. However, they had a tiff and did not sing together for around 3 years. They didn't even share a cordial relationship in their personal life. The duo fell out on issues of payment royalty to singers following which they decided not to sing together. However, later things were sorted out.
"Lag Ja Gale..."
‘Lag Ja Gale’ sung by Lata Mangeshkar is another evergreen song that is also hummed by music lovers in the young generation. Be it a singer or non-singer, the depth of this song can be sensed by everyone that made it a classic. This song from the suspense drama 'Woh Kaun Thi' was penned by Raja Mehdi Ali Khan and decorated musically by Madan Mohan.
However, there is a lesser-known fact behind this timeless song.
As said by Sanjeev Kohli (Madan Mohan's son), Lataji often said that Lag Ja Gale was a tough song to sing. All the murkis and variations suggested by the music director were quite difficult. Even, the singer herself had added a few variations to the song. The songs then were recorded in a 4-hour shift with all musicians and singer/s together with retakes.
Director Raj Khosla and Madan Mohan were good friends and he reminded the music director about a haunting song which was composed in 1949/50 but rejected by many directors. It was Naina Barse which became the theme song of the movie.
However, it was the same Raj Khosla who rejected the tune of Lag Ja Gale in the first sitting. As said by Kohli, he (Raj) felt that the tune was not haunting enough for a ghost story. But, Madanji was quite confident about his creation and requested the leading man to intervene. The second sitting was soon arranged with Manoj Kumarji present on the spot, the same tune was presented again. The director got blown away in the second sitting.
Despite limited technology, the song sounds so fresh even today. Isn't it!
"Meri Awaaz Hi Pehchan Hai"
"Meri Aawaz Hi Pehechan Hai...." is not just the lyrics of a song. Each and every word in the lyrics has a deep meaning and it is justified. "My voice is indeed my identity”, is what the lyrics mean.
"Meri awaaz hi pehchan hai" is from the song “Naam Gum Jaayega” which was penned by veteran lyricist-poet Gulzar in his directed movie 'Kinaara' in 1977. This song directed by another legend RD Burman went on to become a landmark from the singer and is still cherished by music lovers even after several decades.
This line from the song abruptly got associated with the singer and will ever remain.
During an interview, decades back, the Nightingale had said, “Everyone in the country knows that Gulzar sahab writes beautifully. He also speaks beautifully. When I was singing (this song), he came to me and gently said, ‘Meri awaaz hi pehchan hai aur ye hai pehchan’. He said something like this. But later, I also started saying that ‘my voice is my identity’. And now whoever sings that song or writes about me says those lines.”
Lata Mangeshkar And Yash Chopra Magic
Filmmaker Yash Chopra and Lataji shared a very beautiful relationship. Can you imagine YRF's movie without Lata's song? Of course, not! Be it Daag, Kabhie Kabhie, Silsila or new-age movies like Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, Dil To Pagal Hai, Mohabbatein or Veer-Zaara, one can't find a movie without Lata's song. Though Lata had officially given up on playback singing, it was Yash who convinced her to sing for his films. Lata's official full-fledged song was from Veer-Zaara.
Lata- The Revolutionary
The singing icon was known in the industry for her outspoken attitude. Today's singers are enjoying the benefits for the stand she took decades back. From giving credit to singers to getting awards and royalty share, it was Lata who took the stand and the rest is history.
Apart from that, Lata stopped singing in modern films for her dislike in remixing and re-recording old classic songs. As per the singing legend, remixing or re-recording spoiled the magic of the original. Well, no one would disagree over such a thought. Isn't it!
May her divine soul rest in peace!
The composer of a score of catchiest tunes adorns 7 gold chains, a ring for each finger and a bracelet marked with 'Bappi'. In his Instagram account, the legendary music director had once declared 'Gold Is my God'.
Even though the legendary singer and composer don't need an introduction, years ago the Washington Post captioned "Lahiri's a show in himself" in a review on one of his US concerts. The renowned newspaper had said so for the red-lensed sunglass he had worn, the mullet, black costumes, white-stone studded scarf and, again, golden vest et al.
This is the colourful Bappi Lahiri. His songs too bear that imprint - vibrant, yet not garish. The veteran music composer-singer had composed songs ahead of his time and had made the life of generations quite musical.
Even today, the Millenials dance to the beats of Booba booba booba booba mahbooba, nayi nayi masti me ,are dil duba, kabhi kabhi pal ye mile hasti me aao jhumo nacho gaao masti me, Jile Le Jile le... This song is featured in the film Tarzan (1986).
Bappi da is known best for gifting synthesised Disco music to Bollywood. Like his composition "Nothing is impossible", the acclaimed music director had established himself as a versatile singer too.
Remembering one of his melodious tune "Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna...," here are the vivid facto-graphy of the music legend - Bappi Lahiri.
During a talk show years ago, Bappi Da said, "SD Burman and Salil Chowdhury were two of his biggest inspiration. He started listening to their songs at the age of 17 yrs. "Burman Da's songs were melodious and "Din Dhal Jaye" is one of my favourites," he said.
During the interview, the legendary composer said, "I have given songs for 456 movies in different languages including Hindi, Bangla, Telugu, and Marathi. I have also worked in Hollywood movies. By god's grace, I am able to achieve all these. There is no other music director to date with such a record. Though Laxmikant-Pyarelal has worked in several movies, they were two, and my achievement is I am solo."
The iconic music personality is associated with the world of music from the tender age of 4. He played tabla so rhythmically that it drew the attention of none other than Lata Mangeshkar. This indeed had been the beginning of his journey into this world of melody.
When he was 11 yr old, Bappi had made his first composition. From that age, he had decided to become a composer.
Bappi reminiscing his journey had said during an interview, "1970s was a romantic era and I composed songs for several movies then. The series of blockbusters then began with Zakhmi's 'Jalta Hai Jiya Mera'. There were many of my favourite songs in the 70s."
"Ravikant Nagaich came up with the idea of creating something new for a new Bengali actor (Mithun Chakraborty). He insisted on me to create something new so that he should dance like John Travolta," Bappi stated.
"In 1979, I first time went abroad to attend a concert in America. During the trip, I went to a nightclub in Chicago. There I saw 33 records being played together. When I inquired about it, the operator told me it was Disco which in modern-day is referred to as DJ," he added.
"With a focus on creating something new, I created the song "Mausam Hai Gane ka, Bajane Ka" for Suraksha in 1980, with a music beat. The foundation of Disco Songs was laid with this and then the wave began," he said.
The pinnacle of Disco witnessed with the most popular number "I am A Disco Dancer.." The Music not only had made Mithun a star overnight, but it had also heralded the 'Disco era' in Bollywood.
The craze for the "Disco Dancer" song still continues, even as Bappi Lahiri in 1986 composed another hit "I am a Street Dancer.." starring Govinda. Like Mithun, this Lahiri number made Govinda a dancing star.
Above all, who would forget the melodious songs picturised on Big B in Namak Halal - Pag Ghungroo Bandh, Aaj Rapat Jaye To Hamen Na Uthaiyo, Raat Baaki, Baat Baaki and Jawani Jaan-E-Man ..All were not just big hits but are evergreen too. It refreshes the music listeners even today.
Many were aware that Bappi Lahiri had forayed into Hollywood. But few are aware that apart from bagging the World Record of composing the highest number of songs, he holds another global record!
Yes, you are reading it right. Jimmy Jimmy... Aaja Aaja.. song from Disco Dancer was dubbed in 45 languages, including foreign languages. A great achievement!
However, down to earth, Bappi said, "Award never mattered to me, my main aim is to please the audience, that's what I am doing."
Disclosing about the song that had created ripples right in his heart, Bappi said, "Manjilein Apni Jagah Hai from Shaarabi struck the emotional cords. After recording the song, Kishore (uncle) and I cried."
Fans are well aware that legendary singer Kishore Kumar was Bappi's maternal uncle (Mama). Bappi considered the iconic singer as his friend and guide.
"There was just one Kishore Kumar. He came and went away. I have so many beautiful memories of him that I can talk endlessly about him. I really miss him," Bappi had said during an interview.
Singer Kishore Kumar is remembered for his iconic songs and is known for his fun-loving attitude. Remembering the legendary singer, Bappi once said, “The day before he passed away, we were working in the studio. He made all of us, Ashaji (Bhosle), me and others, laugh a lot."
"When he was resting, I told him, ‘Mama, aaj bahut hasaaya aapne (Uncle, you made us laugh a lot today)’. He said, ‘Jab main chala jaunga toh tum log yaad karoge ki woh kitna hasaata tha (When I won’t be around anymore, you will remember how much I used to make you all laugh)’,” Bappi was quoted as saying.
The composer remembered his Mama with the super hit song of the duo, ‘Yaad aa raha hai tera pyaar’ from 1982 movie Disco Dancer.
When many contemporary music composers are recreating and remixing several songs of the old era, , Bappi used to think of the future and composed the tune of his songs that were ahead of his time, and that still drives the youths crazy; be it a marriage procession or at dance/nightclubs.
The demise of music doyen is an irreparable loss to the Indian music halls. But like his Giraftar number Karega Jo Bhi Bhalai Ka Kaam, Uska Hi Naam Rahe Jayega, the Disco King will remain forever in the hearts of music lovers.
Mere Naina Sawan Bhadon Story
Even as the Bharat Ratna and India's Nightingale is credited with thousands of songs in over 36 Indian languages, the golden pair of Lata and Kishore simply made the connoisseurs go mesmerised by the magic. One can't count the memorable hits delivered by the pair of Lata and Kishore.
But there is a special story on one such evergreen song ''Mere Naina Sawan Bhadon..."
''Mere Naina Sawan Bhadon..." is an emotional song featured in the 1976 movie Mehbooba starring Superstar Rajesh Khanna and Hema Malini in the lead. The haunting melodies of the song, which was sung by both Kishore Kumar and Lata Mangeshkar, are still cherished by many to date.
But do you know, Kishore Kumar had refused to lend his voice to the song, even after knowing that Lata will be giving her voice for the female number?
Yes, you are reading it right! The story behind had been divulged by none other than the venerable music maestro RD Burman.
In an interview years ago, Panchamda said, "When I played the song in front of him, he promptly refused to lend his voice. Kishore said, No, I won't be able to sing it. Then, I asked why?
In the course of the interview, RD Burman said that when I insisted Kishore, he too became stubborn. "However, when I insisted, a relented Kishore asked me to first record the song with Lata Mangeshkar," disclosed Panchamda.
In fact, explaining Kishore 'stubbornly' reluctance to sing Mere Naina Sawn Bhadon.., Burman said the song was composed in Shivranjini raaga, which is well known as one of the most difficult raagas in the annals of India's classical music.
Speaking further Panchamda said, "When I informed Kishore that the song was composed in Shivranjani raag, he said, " raag ki aisi ki taisi, first let me listen to the song and I will by-heart it."
"But Kishore firmly said to me, let Lata Didi first sing the song. With no option left, I requested Lata Mangeshkar to first record the song. Lata sang it quite melodiously. Kishore then listened to the song for almost 7 days, and came to the studio to record his song," said RD Burman and then added that Kishore sang it beautifully.
"None one can say that he memorised the Lata version and sang it, it seemed he sang it out from his heart," said Panchamda.
It is well known in music circles that unlike Lata, Kishore Kumar didn't take any professional training in Indian classical music. But the magic he weaved in his memorable songs compelled one to call Kishoreda a god-gifted singer.
As per critics, the secret of Kishore's success seems to be that of listening to a song with full concentration, memorizing the same and then delivering the same with his touch of magic.
The theme of the story 'Mere Naina Sawan Bhadon' here is Lata Mangeshkar had been a guide for the wizards like Kishoreda.
Anecdote Of Maiden Lata - Kishore Meet
While recalling her first meeting with Kishore Kumar, Lata Mangeshkar had said that she, for the first time, met him (Kishore), while going to Bombay Talkies.
It was the year 1948. Lata was travelling on a local train in Mumbai's Mallad. Kishore was also in the same coach and sitting beside her. Both de-boarded the train at Mallad station and walked towards Bombay Talkies.
While Lata was going ahead, Kishore Kumar walked behind her.
Even though Kishore's face was familiar then, Lata couldn't recall. As the road to Bombay talkies is a long distance from the station, Lata decided to take a 'Tanga' (horse carrier). Even, Kishore had also hired a 'Tanga.'
The sequences made the Lag Ja Gale singer develop a thought that the man (Kishore) was following her. When she reached the studio, Lata complained about him to the music composer Khemchand Prakash.
Feeling quite amused, Prakash explained everything to Lata and introduced her to Kishore Kumar. And on the same day, the duo recorded "Yeh Kaun Aya Re Kar Ke Sollah Singar" for Ziddi.
This was the beginning of their journey, after which they recorded several blockbuster songs that are still on everyone's lips.
Lataji had lent her voice to several songs with top singers throughout her eight decades journey. The list is reminiscent of the names of Mohammed Rafi, Mukesh, Suresh Wadekar, Shabbir Kumar, Mohammad Aziz, Kumar Sanu, Udit Narayan and Sonu Nigam et al.
In her musical journey, Lataji has several iconic songs to her name that remain evergreen till date.
Even Salman Khan has sung this song now as his tribute to the immortal Lataji. But do you know this song which is now being played almost everywhere after her death was initially rejected by Raj Khosla, the movie director of Woh Kaun Thi when the music director Madan Mohan first made him listen to the song? Throwing light on the incident the lead hero of the movie and eminent producer-director Manoj Kumar had said that this decision of Raj Khosla left Madanji shattered who was a very sensitive artist.
Manoj Kumar loved the song and made Raj Khosla re-listen to it. The director was appalled at himself that how he could reject such a beautiful composition and that is how “Lag Ja Gale” was included in the movie.
The song went on to become such a big hit that its regional versions in Tamil, Telugu, and even in the Bengali language were created. The song was used in the Tamil movie Yaar Nee? as "Ponmeni Thazhuvamal" and in Telugu movie Aame Evaru? as "Andala ee reyi". Both these movies were released in 1966. In Bengali, it was rendered by Shipra Bose as “Shongi je ke e monke amar aaj dolalo" in 1968.
Over the years, it has been recreated even in Pakistan many times and by Indian artists like Jyonita Gandhi and by band Sanam.
Sadhana, the lead actress of Woh Kaun Thi on whom the song was shot was known by the name of his song whereas famous Bollywood actor late Irrfan Khan used to hear this song every day till he succumbed to cancer a couple of years ago.
Listen to her singing this unforgettable song live here!
At the request of Grammy Award winner Anne Murray in Canada, Lata weaved her magic singing Anne's hit song, “You Needed Me”. The melody queen, who was 55 years of age at the time, decided to fulfill the request from Anne to sing her song during the concert in Toronto which was organized to benefit the United Way of Canada.
Lata sang “You Needed Me” with such grace and mellifluousness that the audience could not stop expressing their admiration and burst out giving a big hand to the music legend. The local orchestra continued to play the music and Lataji went to deliver one of her rarest performances in English. Listen to the audio here.
Interestingly, even at the age of 55 years, she was ready to learn something new, experiment, and contribute to music in whichever way possible. She regularly sang in concerts meant for charity. It is a known fact that Lataji had a great fondness for cricket and had good bonding with leading cricketers like Sachin Tendulkar and Sunil Gavaskar.
So when India won the World Cup in 1983 for the first time, she did a concert to raise money for the world cup winning team. At that time BCCI was not rolling in money as it is today, but Lataji wanted the players to be rewarded for their achievement. That is why she raised Rs 20 lakh through a concert along with her brother Hridayanath Mangeshkar and thus each one of the players from the team took home Rs 1 lakh.
Nevertheless, even today, all the singers are reaping the benefits for the stand that she took or the changes that Bollywood was forced to make because of her impactful singing.
Name of Singer Was Never a Part of Record Earlier
When Lataji started singing, the names of the singers were never mentioned on the cover of the record. Only the names of the actresses, actors, music composers, production houses and directors made it to the cover. So, masses rarely came to know about the singers who were behind the melodious songs that the big actresses like Madhubala or Meenakumari enacted on the screen.
— Lata Mangeshkar (@mangeshkarlata) January 1, 2022
However, all this changed when 'Ayega Ayega Anewala' sung by Lata Mangeshkar in 1949 became a huge hit. In those days, there were no recording techniques available; which is why the effect of the sound coming from far off initially and slowly becoming louder in this song was made possible by a lot of practice by Lataji. The mic was placed in the middle of the room and she was asked to start singing from the corner of the room and slowly come forward as the song progresses while singing.
'Ayega Anewala' became such a big hit that despite beauty queen Madhubala enacting it on the screen, people were more interested to know about the singer behind the song. The production house received hundreds of letters asking them to include the name of the singer on the cover of the record. And from then on names of singers also started getting prominence along with the actors, directors and music composers.
From Getting Awards to Royalty Share in Songs
Now-a-days, there are so many awards given to singers at almost all the Awards Functions including Filmfare, Screen Awards, IIFA Awards and so on. But in the early fifties, the awards were restricted only to the music composers who walked away with all the credit if the song became a hit. However, Lataji was of the opinion that the way a singer sings also contributes hugely to making a song hit. That is why she wanted Filmfare to start awards for singers as well.
So, when Shankar Jaikishan was awarded the best music composer award at Filmfare, they requested Lata Mangeshkar to sing that song at the awards function but she refused. On her insistence, later on, awards for singers were started at Filmfare.
Similarly, singers used to get only one-time payment for their singing during the fifties. By the sixties, Lataji had become the topmost singer in India having delivered back-to-back hit songs. She was touring the Western world and had come to know about the royalty that the singers get there through their songs. However, in India at that time, only musicians were given royalty by the producers whereas singers were never considered for the same.
Namaskar pic.twitter.com/6uI2GqQUtu
— Lata Mangeshkar (@mangeshkarlata) September 29, 2021
That is when the queen of melody decided to take a stand and demanded the then ineffective singers association to support her in her demand for royalty. Raj Kapoor, who was very close to her, denied this demand. She also had bad fallout with her favourite singer Mohammad Rafi and even her sister Asha Bhosale. But Kishore Kumar supported her and slowly producers started offering royalty to the singers.
It will be apt to say, the Coronavirus has stopped the Nightingale from singing a Jagannath Bhajan in Odia language, robbing her millions of fans in the State of a chance to hear her praising their beloved Lord.
As per reports, Lataji had a wish to sing a Jagannath Bhajan. Out of the eight songs composed for the purpose, the ‘Nightingale’ chose to sing one: “To sandhya darshana lagi balichi mana, re Chakanayana...”. The song was composed by Debitosh Acharya.
Speaking to OTV, lyricist Mohit Chakrabarty said, “I was elated when I knew that Lataji chose to sing the Bhajan written by me. We offered to record the Bhajan at her home as she was unwell at that time. But being a thorough professional, she insisted that she would record in a studio once she recovered.”
That could never happen. “The Coronavirus pandemic set in and whole country was pushed into a lockdown making it impossible to record anything. Gradually her health deteriorated further and her last wish to sing a Jagannath Bhajan remained unfulfilled,” Chakrabarty added.
Meanwhile, the legendary singer’s ashes were collected on Monday by her nephew Adinath Mangeshkar from Mumbai's Shivaji Park, where the she was cremated yesterday with full state honours.
The proceedings of the Rajya Sabha on Monday were adjourned for an hour as a mark of respect to the departed soul. Soon after the House assembled at 10 am, Chairman Venkaiah Naidu expressed sorrow at the passing away of Lata Mangeshkar. Her singing prowess has been as diverse as our country, he said.
Apart from receiving the country’s highest civilian award, The Bharat Ratna in 2001, Lataji was bestowed with several honours, like the Padma Bhushan in 1999, Rajiv Gandhi Award in 1997 and from many more awards for her songs. She was also awarded the Dada Saheb Phalke award in 1989.
Soon after the House assembled at 10 a.m., Chairman Venkaiah Naidu expressed sorrow at the passing away of Lata Mangeshkar. Her singing prowess has been as diverse as our country, he said.
"Lata ji knitted our nation by representing us collectively and each one of us in our singularity. Besides defining the golden standard of playback singing through thousands of her melodious songs in many languages, she captured every mood, moment and journey of our nation for over seven decades.
"Her distinguished and long career ran parallel to that of free India over the last 75 years, capturing the trials and tribulations of the times. India is struck silent with her passing away in the 75th year of Independence," the RS Chairman said.
He also said that she was a great philanthropist and founded the Lata Mangeshkar Medical Foundation, a public charitable trust which contributes towards the medical expenses of needy patients irrespective of caste, creed and religion. She also started Master Deenanath Mangeshkar Smruti Pratishthan, which provides assistance to students and contributes to the welfare of senior citizens, he added.
Lataji also served as a Nominated Member of this House from November 1999 to November, 2005.
Describing her contribution to the field of music, he said that she recorded over 25,000 songs and she captured every mood and journey of our country for over seven decades.
She was bestowed with several awards like Padma Bhushan in 1999, Rajiv Gandhi Award in 1997, Bharat Ratna in 2001 apart from many other awards for her songs. She was also awarded with the Dada Saheb Phalke award in 1989.
Naidu said, "The country has lost a legendary playback singer... created an irreparable void in the world of music."
The Members of the House stood in silence for a while in respect to the departed soul and the proceedings of the House were adjourned by the Chairman.
In the Lok Sabha too, soon after the House meets at 4 p.m., Speaker Om Birla will read out the obituary message for Lata Mangeshkar and will adjourn the proceedings for an hour, sources said.
Heads of States, noted dignitaries from all over the globe extended touching tributes to the most-loved voice of India. Ambassadors and missions of various countries also grieved the demise of singing legend and said her melodies will forever remain with music lovers across generations.
The Indian subcontinent has lost one of the truly great singers the world has known with the demise of Lata Mangeshkar, top leadership of South Asian countries said on Sunday as they paid their tribute to the "empress of music" who "touched billions of hearts through her golden and unparalleled voice".
Mangeshkar, whose voice stirred millions of hearts everyday and who will forever be counted as one of India's greats with an estimated 25,000 songs in an almost eight-decade career, died in Mumbai on Sunday. She was 92.
In a message of condolence, Bangladesh's Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said Mangeshkar will remain alive forever in the hearts of the people in the region through her work.
In a separate message, President Abdul Hamid also expressed his profound shock and sorrow at the death of the legendary singer and expressed condolences to the bereaved family.
Taking to Twitter, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, who was on a four-day visit to China, said, "With the death of Lata Mangeshkar the subcontinent has lost one of the truly great singers the world has known. Listening to her songs has given so much pleasure to so many people all over the world.
With the death of Lata Mangeshkar the subcontinent has lost one of the truly great singers the world has known. Listening to her songs has given so much pleasure to so many people all over the world.
— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) February 6, 2022
Expressing his condolences on Mangeshkar's demise, Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa said India's "Queen of Music" "touched billions of hearts through her golden and unparalleled voice".
Nepal's President Bidya Devi Bhandari recalled the contribution of "genius" Mangeshkar to Nepali songs as she paid her tribute to the legendary Indian singing maestro.
Dubbed as the 'Nightingale of India', Mangeshkar has lent her voice to many songs in Nepali films, including blockbuster 'Maitighar' which features yesteryear bollywood actress Mala Sinha in the lead role with Nepali actor Chidambar Prasad Lohani.
In a tweet, the US Embassy in India said, "We join India in paying tribute to legendary singer Lata Mangeshkar, who passed today at the age of 92. History will mark her contribution to India's music in golden words."
We join India in paying tribute to legendary singer Lata Mangeshkar, who passed today at the age of 92. History will mark her contribution to India’s music in golden words. #LataMangeshkar #LataDidi pic.twitter.com/4cPLdVhxhy
— U.S. Embassy India (@USAndIndia) February 6, 2022
"We are saddened to hear about the demise of the Nightingale of India, #LataMangeshkar Ji. Her contribution to music and her voice will always be remembered. We join the people of India in mourning. May her memory be a blessing. Om Shanti," wrote Embassy of Israel in India in its condolence message.
We are saddened to hear about the demise of the Nightingale of India, #LataMangeshkar Ji. Her contribution to music and her voice will always be remembered.
— Israel in India (@IsraelinIndia) February 6, 2022
We join the people of India in mourning. May her memory be a blessing.
ॐ शांति 🙏
The British High Commission said it joins India and Indians worldwide to pay tribute to the 'Nightingale Of India' Lata Mangeshkar.
Her legacy will live forever, the British mission here said on Twitter.
The British High Commission family joins India and Indians worldwide to pay tribute to the #NightingaleOfIndia #LataMangeshkar.
— UK in India🇬🇧🇮🇳 (@UKinIndia) February 6, 2022
Her legacy will live forever.
German envoy to India Walter Lindner hailed Mangeshkar as the 'Nightingale of India' and a musical genius.
"A legend, an irreplaceable voice and an institution of music for seven decades! Very sad news... her legacy will live forever," he tweeted.
"मेरी आवाज़ ही, पहचान है.. गर याद रहे.." #NightingaleofIndia #LataMangeshkar Singer & musical genius passes away at the age of 92. A legend, an irreplaceable voice & an institution of music for 7 decades! Very sad news.. her legacy will live forever.. #RIP #latamangeshkarji 🙏🕯 pic.twitter.com/tluxC44Rer
— Walter J. Lindner (@AmbLindnerIndia) February 6, 2022
In a tweet, French Ambassador to India Emmanuel Lenain said, "Deeply saddened by the demise of Bharat Ratna Lata Mangeshkar. An institution in herself, she was conferred Officier de la Legion d'Honneur' in recognition of her incomparable singing career."
"Our heartfelt condolences to her loved ones and fans across the world," he said.
Deeply saddened by the demise of Bharat Ratna #LataMangeshkar.
— Emmanuel Lenain 🇫🇷🇪🇺 (@FranceinIndia) February 6, 2022
An institution in herself, she was conferred Officier de la Legion d’Honneur’ 🇫🇷 in recognition of her incomparable singing career.
Our heartfelt condolences to her loved ones and fans across the world. pic.twitter.com/JA9tCbXxO2
Officials said a decision has been taken that the Rajya Sabha will be adjourned for an hour after Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu reads Mangeshkar's obituary when the House meets for the day at 10 am on Monday.
In the Lok Sabha too, soon after the House meets at 4 pm, Speaker Om Birla will read out Mangeshkar's obituary and adjourn the proceedings for an hour, the sources said.
The legendary singer passed away in a Mumbai hospital on Sunday morning at the age of 92. She was admitted to the hospital in January after she was down with COVID-19.
Both houses of Parliament are witnessing a debate on the motion of thanks on the president's address and Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to reply to the debate in the Lok Sabha on Monday and in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi was among the luminaries from politics and entertainment industry present at her funeral at Shivaji Park in Dadar area in the evening.
Modi left the venue after offering her floral tributes. Floral tributes were also paid to her at Shivaji Park on behalf of President Ram Nath Kovind.
Lata's brother Hridaynath Mangeshkar lit the funeral pyre of the singing legend, who died at 92 in a hospital here on Sunday morning after multi-organ failure.
Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, Deputy CM Ajit Pawar, NCP chief Sharad Pawar, actors Shah Rukh Khan and Aamir Khan, cricketer Sachin Tendulkar and MNS chief Raj Thackeray were among those present at the funeral.
The mortal remains of Lata Mangeshkar, draped in the national flag, were taken in a truck from her residence in south Mumbai to Shivaji Park for the last rites.
A large number of people thronged the roads from where the cortege passed as the melody queen embarked on her final journey.
Megastar Amitabh Bachchan, noted actor Anupam Kher, lyricist Javed Akhtar and filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali were among those who paid tributes to Mangeshkar at her residence on Pedder Road in south Mumbai, located about 8 km from the Shivaji Park, before her mortal remains were taken for the last rites.
A large number of people also thronged the roads from where the cortege passed as the 92-year-old melody queen embarked on her final journey.
She died in a hospital here on Sunday morning following multi-organ failure.
Before Mangeshkar's mortal remains were kept in the truck decked with flowers and a huge photograph of the singer, the police and military personnel gave a ceremonial salute and a band played the national anthem.
Some of her family members, including sister and veteran singer Asha Bhosale, accompanied the mortal remains in the truck.
Maharashtra Protocol Minister Aaditya Thackeray was present on the occasion.
Those who paid tributes to Mangeshkar at her residence included Amitabh Bachchan's daughter Shweta Nanda, filmmakers Ashutosh Gowariker, Madhur Bhandarkar, actor Shraddha Kapoor and music composer Lalit Pandit.
The truck, escorted by a military police jeep, will move through the Haji Ali junction, Worli Naka, Poddar Hospital Chowk, Old Passport Office, Siddhivinayak temple, Cadel Road and later reach the Shivaji Park in Dadar.
The site where the 92-year-old singer's funeral will be performed with full state honours is about 100-metre away from Shiv Sena founder Balasaheb Thackeray's memorial, on the west side of the Shivaji Park, located in Dadar area.
Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) Commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal told PTI that they have arranged about 25 kg sandalwood for Mangeshkar's cremation along with other necessary things.
Around 2,000 sq ft of the park's area has been barricaded for the funeral proceedings, a BMC official said.
Chahal has issued a special permission for the singer's funeral to be held at the park.
"The BMC is making all necessary arrangements at the Shivaji Park," Chahal said, adding that the melody queen's mortal remains are expected to be brought to the ground in some time.
A senior official said they have made similar arrangements as done during Balasaheb Thackeray's funeral on the same ground.
Chahal said they have erected two stages inside the barricaded area of the park.
On one platform, the singer's mortal remains would be kept for public 'darshan' (viewing), and her various photographs will be displayed another stage, he said.
Another platform was being erected near it with cement blocks for the last rites.
The civic body was also erecting a stage for the VIPs outside the barricaded area, on the west side of the park.
The park gate located near MNS chief Raj Thackeray's residence has been kept reserved for the movement of VIPs, while another gate near the Shivaji Park Gymkhana will be available for the general public movement.
People started arriving at the park since 1 pm to witness the funeral of the legendary singer.
Chahal and Additional Municipal Commissioner Suresh Kakani were present at the ground to oversee the arrangements.
A team doctors and other medical staff from G-North ward of the BMC were also deputed at the ground to tackle any emergency.
A couple of JCBs, a road-roller and a few tempos along with workers were at the ground to shape up the arrangements.
An ambulance, a few water tankers and a generator van have also been arranged at the ground.
An OB (outside broadcasting) van of Doordarshan also reached the ground to live telecast the cremation proceedings.
Earlier in the day, Mangeshkar's body was brought to her home on Pedder Road in south Mumbai from the hospital, where she breathed her last in the morning.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said he will be visiting Mumbai later in the day to pay his last respects to Mangeshkar.
A two-day state mourning will be observed in the wake of the demise of the legendary singer on February 6 and 7.
The national flag will fly at half mast on Sunday and Monday throughout India and a state funeral will be accorded to her.
A.R. Rehman being her favourite out of the few songs that she sang for movies, a few belong to the Southern music composer. Be it Luka Chuppi from Rang De Basanti or Oh Palanhare from Lagaan, all these songs were very emotional and even today are loved by all. But the movie for which she sang as the lead singer for the last time and sang almost all the songs was Yash Chopra’s Veer Zaara.
Incidentally, the tunes for these songs were composed by Madan Mohan in the sixties but they were never included in any movies. However, Yashji thought that they were best suited for the story that he was portraying in Veer Zaara. Madanji was rakhi bhai of Lataji and she was Madanji’s first choice when it came to singing his songs. The legendary singer sang all the songs of the female lead in this movie which became iconic and even surprised Shah Rukh Khan who believed that the tunes were old and may not work in this modern era.
Last Song of Lata Mangeshkar Was a Tribute to Nation
In the later years of her life, she collaborated with Mayuresh Pai a lot. She sang bhajans of Swami Samarth along with her sister Usha Mangeshkar, and also released a Bengali album Shurudhwani which included poems of Salil Chowdhury in 2019.
Lataji was a true patriot who always insisted on following Indian tradition, congratulated Indian sportspeople, scientists, and achievers whenever they performed well and made name for the country, and believed that her singing was her way of contributing to the nation. That is why even her last song was a tribute to the Indian soldiers and the nation in collaboration with Mayuresh Pai. The song titled, “Sougandh Mujhe Is Mitti Ki” was released on 30th March 2019.
You will we remembered "The Nightingale of India"
— 🦋🌟🦋🌟🦋ANGRY BOT🇮🇳 🇮🇳 (@Angry_Bot14) February 6, 2022
Truly, End Of An Era #LataMangeshkar
Om Shanti 😔 #लता_मंगेशकरpic.twitter.com/ma6PIxP2FB
There is a short narration by Lataji before the start of this song in which she says that while hearing a speech of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi she was impressed by a few lines that he said. And this song has been inspired by these lines from Modiji.
She was an institution in herself who brought tears to the eyes, inspired millions with her patriotic and devotional singing, and created a treasure trove of unmatched songs for the aspirants desirous of making a name in the world of music.
When Lata’s Ae Mere Watan Ke Logon Made PM Nehru Cry on Stage
Ae Mere Watan Ke Logon is one of the iconic songs and the most powerful Indian patriotic song which even today brings goosebumps. No wonder when Lataji first sang it in 1963 with the then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru on the stage at the Ram Leela Maidan in New Delhi on January 27, it brought tears to the eyes of Panditji.
While recalling the incident, Mangeshkar had said that she was not ready to sing the song as she had rehearsed it only one time. But on the insistence of Kavi Pradeep who had written it, she decided to perform, and thus an immortal song was born. Coincidentally, Lataji breathed her last on the birth anniversary of Kavi Pradeep which can be considered a divine indication. From 1963 till today, this song is a part of every patriotic function held on Independence Day and Republic Day in India.
Although she was called a melody queen, Lataji’s voice also had a soulful quality that hit the core of the heart which is why all her renditions touched the chord with the audience and made them feel the deep emotions that the song conveyed. While in patriotic songs like Ae Mere Watan Ke Logon or “Vande Mataram” from Anand Math her voice sizzled like lightning it adapted a divine, mesmerizing tone when it came to songs like Mahatma Gandhi’s favourite bhajan “Vaishnava Jana Toh Tene Kahiyeje“, “Allah Tero Naam,” or “Ae Malik Tere Bande Hum" or even “Ek Tuhi Bharosa” from Anil Kapoor’s Pukar.
And that is the reason, even in the era when remixes and mashups are doing pretty well; Lata Mangeshkar’s songs maintained their distinct identity and could not be turned into some popular mixes. After all who can match the Goddess that was Lata Mangeshkar!
"We join India in paying tribute to legendary singer Lata Mangeshkar, who passed away today at the age of 92. History will mark her contribution to India's music in golden words. #LataMangeshkar #LataDidi", wrote the US Embassy in India in its message.
We join India in paying tribute to legendary singer Lata Mangeshkar, who passed today at the age of 92. History will mark her contribution to India’s music in golden words. #LataMangeshkar #LataDidi pic.twitter.com/4cPLdVhxhy
— U.S. Embassy India (@USAndIndia) February 6, 2022
"We are saddened to hear about the demise of the Nightingale of India, #LataMangeshkar Ji. Her contribution to music and her voice will always be remembered. We join the people of India in mourning. May her memory be a blessing. Om Shanti," wrote Embassy of Israel in India in its condolence message.
"Songs are part of the culture, part of our memories. Thank you Lata. #LataMangeshkar'," wrote Kobbi Shoshani, the consul general of Israel in Mumbai.
We are saddened to hear about the demise of the Nightingale of India, #LataMangeshkar Ji. Her contribution to music and her voice will always be remembered.
— Israel in India (@IsraelinIndia) February 6, 2022
We join the people of India in mourning. May her memory be a blessing.
ॐ शांति 🙏
Songs are part of the culture, part of our memories. Thank you Lata.#LataMangeshkar #लता_मंगेशकर pic.twitter.com/mixusXOSnR
— Kobbi Shoshani - Consul General🇮🇱 (@KobbiShoshani) February 6, 2022
"Deeply saddened by the demise of Bharat Ratna #LataMangeshkar. An institution in herself, she was conferred Officier de la Légion d'honneur in recognition of her incomparable singing career. Our heartfelt condolences to her loved ones and fans across the world," was the message of Emmanuel Lenain, the Ambassador of France in India.
Deeply saddened by the demise of Bharat Ratna #LataMangeshkar.
— Emmanuel Lenain 🇫🇷🇪🇺 (@FranceinIndia) February 6, 2022
An institution in herself, she was conferred Officier de la Legion d’Honneur’ 🇫🇷 in recognition of her incomparable singing career.
Our heartfelt condolences to her loved ones and fans across the world. pic.twitter.com/JA9tCbXxO2
"Saddened by the tragic death of #LataMangeshkar, one of India's greatest playback singers for over seven-decades. As the Queen of Melody, her songs spanned every genre & connected cultures through music. She would be remembered for her lasting legacy for generations to come," wrote Farid Mamundzay, the Ambassador of Afghanistan to India.
Saddened by the tragic death of #LataMangeshkar one of India's greatest playback singers for over seven-decades. As the Queen of Melody, her songs spanned every genre & connected cultures through music. She would be remembered for her lasting legacy for generations to come. 🇦🇫 🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/4cxlLbeLr9
— Farid Mamundzay फरीद मामुन्दजई فرید ماموندزی (@FMamundzay) February 6, 2022
"Deeply saddened by the passing away of Bharat Ratna Lata Mangeshkar ji. She was the voice of the country ever since I can remember. This is truly the end of an era," wrote Dr S. Jaishankar, the External Affairs Minister.
Deeply saddened by the passing away of Bharat Ratna Lata Mangeshkar ji. She was the voice of the country ever since I can remember. This is truly the end of an era.
— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) February 6, 2022
"An irreplaceable loss to the nation. An irreplaceable loss to the world of music. Bharat Ratna #LataMangeshkar will live in our hearts forever," writes T.S. Tirumurti, the ambassador and permanent representative of India in the United Nations.
An irreplaceable loss to the nation.
— PR/Amb T S Tirumurti (@ambtstirumurti) February 6, 2022
An irreplaceable loss to the world of music.
Bharat Ratna #LataMangeshkar will live in our hearts forever 🙏 pic.twitter.com/z9Je4hS6Kb
The icon began singing at the age of 13 and recorded her first song in 1942. While her Hindi songs are well-known, many don’t know that she has also sung in Odia.
She had recorded two songs in Odia- "Sei Chuna Chuna Tara Phula Aaji" for the 1963 movie Suryamukhi and "Aaji Mun Shrabani Luhara Harini Jeun Rajani" for the 1967 movie Arundhati. Both the movie had won the National award for best Odia feature film in 1963 and 1967, respectively.
Both the songs remain all-time classics of Odia cinema. Sei Chuna Chuna Tara Phula Aaji is one of the most popular songs of the time, which won the hearts of the million of Odias.
A music lover shared a rare photo of Lata Manhgeshkar from "Sei Chuna Chuna Tara phule" in which Lata Mangeshkar can be seen standing with her brother Hridaynath Mangeshkar, Lyricist Gurukrushna Goswami, Music Director Shantanu Mohapatra and Jatin Das.
1963 photo at Lataji's residence during recording of #Odia song" Sei Chuna Chuna Tara phule "for film Suryamukhi.From left to right Lyricist Gurukrushna Goswami, Lata Mangeshkar,her brother Hridaynath Mangeshkar,Shantanu Mohapatra, Music Director,and Jatin Das, @suryanandannet pic.twitter.com/25DJP2STJw
— alpha ray (@alpharay63) September 30, 2020
Shantanu Mohapatra's composition "Aaji Mun Shrabani Luhara Harini Jeun Rajani" seems to get life with the voice of Lata Mangeskar. Many failed to recognise Lata Mangeskar in this song as her Odia accent was so correct and perfect that many thought it was sung by an Odia singer.
Bharat Ratna Lata Mangeshkar passed away after a 28-day-long battle with Covid-19, pneumonia and related issues Mumbai at 8:12 a.m. on Sunday morning, leaving behind a legacy that will be hard to match.
Click To Listen To The Songs:
Sei Chuna Chuna Tara Phula Aaji
Aaji Mun Shrabani Luhara Harini Jeun Rajani
Lata Mangeshkar passed away today at the age of 92. The singing legend was admitted to Mumbai's Breach Candy hospital after she tested positive for COVID-19 in early January this year.
"She is no more. She died in the morning," Usha Mangeshkar, the singer's younger sister, told PTI on Sunday.
As soon as the news spread, many celebrities took to their social handles and paid tributes to the singer.
Describing Lata Mangeshkar as "the voice of million centuries", megastar Amitabh Bachchan paid homage to the singing legend who passed away on Sunday.
Bachchan took to his personal blog to bid adieu to the melody queen.
"She has left us .. The voice of a million centuries has left us .. her voice resounds now in the Heavens !" he wrote.
"Prayers for calm and peace .." the 79-year-old actor adde
Ace Music composer AR Rahman expressed his deepest condolences and wrote, "Love, respect and prayers"
Akshay Kumar wrote, “Meri Awaaz Hi Pehchaan Hain, Gar Yaad Rahe…and how can one forget such a voice! Deeply saddened by the passing away of Lata Mangeshkar ji, my sincere condolences and prayers. Om Shanti.”
Former Indian Captain Virat Kohli wrote, "Deeply saddened to hear about the demise of Lata ji. Her melodious songs touched millions of people around the world. Thank you for all the music and the memories. My deepest condolences to the family & the loved ones. Folded hands."
South Superstar Chiranjeevi also expressed his condolence. "Nightingale of India, one of the greatest Legends #Lata Didi is no more.HeartbrokenBroken heart The vacuum due to this colossal loss can never be filled. She lived an extraordinary life.Her Music lives on & will continue to cast a spell until Music is there! Rest in Peace #LataMangeshkar,"
Check all the reactions here:
Love, respect and prayers 🌹 @mangeshkarlata pic.twitter.com/PpJb1AdUdc
— A.R.Rahman (@arrahman) February 6, 2022
Meri Awaaz Hi Pehchaan Hain, Gar Yaad Rahe…and how can one forget such a voice!
— Akshay Kumar (@akshaykumar) February 6, 2022
Deeply saddened by the passing away of Lata Mangeshkar ji, my sincere condolences and prayers. Om Shanti 🙏🏻
Proud daughter of Maharashtra & a 'Bharat Ratna' in true sense. Profound prayers & regards to our Mangeshkar family, fans, well wishers across the globe. Om Shanti 🙏
— Shatrughan Sinha (@ShatruganSinha) February 6, 2022
U will be missed our nightingale. But ur voice shall live with us forever ... #RIPLataji pic.twitter.com/cCrNfj29dG
— Salman Khan (@BeingSalmanKhan) February 6, 2022
भारतरत्न #LataMangeshkar जी हमारे बीच से कहीं जा ही नहीं सकती।उनकी छवि और उनकी आवाज़ हर भारतीय के दिल और आत्मा में हमेशा के लिए छाई रहेगी।पर शायद ऊपर देवी देवताओं को भी #लतादीदी की आत्मीय आवाज़ सुनने का दिल किया।सो बुला लिया।वैसे मैं आपके Watsapp messages बहुत मिस करूँगा!💔🥲🙏 pic.twitter.com/7UeZYUIutU
— Anupam Kher (@AnupamPKher) February 6, 2022
And today the words of my favourite song resonate very deeply in my heart as I sing - lag jaa gale, ki phir yeh haseen raat ho naa ho…shaayad phir iss janam mein mulaakat ho naa ho.
— Karan Johar (@karanjohar) February 6, 2022
Thank you for making an entire nation swoon with your pure voice. RIP #LataMangeshkar. (2/2)
Deeply saddened to hear about the demise of Lata ji. Her melodious songs touched millions of people around the world. Thank you for all the music and the memories. My deepest condolences to the family & the loved ones. 🙏
— Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) February 6, 2022
So sad to hear that Lataji is no more, going to miss her so much.End of an Era!Lataji,Nightingale of India,whose voice hs made generations sing,dance & cry wil forever feed our emotion.Heartfelt condolences to Ashaji,family & friends.Nation wil miss her. Om Shanti#LataMangeshkar pic.twitter.com/eIOUxydQYm
— Sunny Deol (@iamsunnydeol) February 6, 2022
We lost a legend...
— Sanjay Dutt (@duttsanjay) February 6, 2022
Lata Mangeshkar ji your music, personality, humility will always stay with us for generations... My condolences to the family 🙏🏼#LataMangeshkar
Nightingale of India, one of the greatest Legends #Lata Didi is no more.Heartbroken💔 The vacuum due to this colossal loss can never be filled. She lived an extraordinary life.Her Music lives on & will continue to cast a spell until Music is there! Rest in Peace #LataMangeshkar
— Chiranjeevi Konidela (@KChiruTweets) February 6, 2022
A very sad day and a huge loss for all of us, her fans. Your contribution will live on forever ma’am.
— bhumi pednekar (@bhumipednekar) February 6, 2022
My condolences to the family and all her fans across the world. Om Shanti 🙏 #LataMangeshkar pic.twitter.com/lEp50LL8CH
Your music touched our soul and made us smile. Rest in Peace Lata Mangeshkar Ji. Your legacy will inspire generations to come. 🙏 pic.twitter.com/Z5xOcHNmjo
— Shikhar Dhawan (@SDhawan25) February 6, 2022
Deeply saddened by demise of @mangeshkarlata didi she has been a mother figure to me over the years, use to call her every fortnight & have conversations. It's a personal loss for me. Her presence will be immensely missed in my life. Love you Didi.❤️❤️#OmShanti 🙏#VoiceofIndia pic.twitter.com/EDepT6229e
— Madhur Bhandarkar (@imbhandarkar) February 6, 2022
India has lost our nightingale. Cinema and music will never be the same again. Lataji your immense body of work and your iconic voice will be unparalleled forever.#LataMangeshkar pic.twitter.com/41YRICkMvh
— Mammootty (@mammukka) February 6, 2022
The Nightingale of India ,a voice which has resonated with, brought joy and happiness to millions around the world leaves. Heartfelt Condolences to her family and fans. Om Shanti 🙏#LataMangeshkar pic.twitter.com/O6gWb27x3s
— Virender Sehwag (@virendersehwag) February 6, 2022
Legends live for eternity! No one will ever be like her! #LataMangeshkar pic.twitter.com/qk5eFX5qcf
— Gautam Gambhir (@GautamGambhir) February 6, 2022
We lost a legend today. Truly an end of an era. May her soul rest in peace and glory. #LataMangeshkar 💔 pic.twitter.com/YK1TZ3oXXF
— Tamannaah Bhatia (@tamannaahspeaks) February 6, 2022
Pained to receive news of Bharat Ratna #LataMangeshkar didi's demise. Her voice and melodies will remain immortal. Condolences to her family, friends and millions of fans all over the world.
— VVS Laxman (@VVSLaxman281) February 6, 2022
ॐ शांति pic.twitter.com/SwSkZmuwqO
If we play her songs one by one, we could hear her for a month and never hear the same song again. Prolific and profound. I mourn with the rest of the country for our nightingale...
— Kajol (@itsKajolD) February 6, 2022
My deepest condolences to the family.#LataMangeshkar pic.twitter.com/Dy01l6mbjI
Our nightingale has fallen silent. You are no more but your legendary contribution to the music industry will live on. The number of emotions you could make us feel with just a single line.
— Pooja Hegde (@hegdepooja) February 6, 2022
R.I.P #LataMangeshkar Mam.
You will always be in our hearts.Our National Treasure❤️ pic.twitter.com/FmyZnMjm2g
Feeling numb. Devastated. Yesterday was Saraswati Puja & today Ma took her blessed one with her. Somehow it feels that even the birds, trees & wind are silent today.
— Shreya Ghoshal (@shreyaghoshal) February 6, 2022
Swar Kokila Bharat Ratna #LataMangeshkar ji your divine voice will echo till eternity. Rest in peace. Om Shanti. pic.twitter.com/UvUDTPu1eq
India has lost its nightingale! You will be terribly missed but your legacy will live forever 😍🙏🏻
— Kajal Aggarwal (@MsKajalAggarwal) February 6, 2022
Om Shanti ❤️#LataMangeshkar #immortal #legend pic.twitter.com/GndHbeKNEC
There will be always only one Nightingale of India #LataMangeshkar ! Rest in Peace Lata Ji. pic.twitter.com/TDPescIdNw
— Yo Yo Honey Singh (@asliyoyo) February 6, 2022
Deeply saddened by the news of @mangeshkarlata Ji’s passing away. She leaves behind a huge legacy of songs which will be treasured for generations to come.May her soul rest in peace. Condolences to the family. #NightingaleofIndia #LataMangeshkar pic.twitter.com/svW9iZsQb4
— Boney Kapoor (@BoneyKapoor) February 6, 2022
“𝘚𝘩𝘢𝘢𝘺𝘢𝘥 𝘱𝘩𝘪𝘳 𝘪𝘴𝘴 𝘫𝘢𝘯𝘢𝘮 𝘮𝘦𝘪𝘯 𝘮𝘶𝘭𝘢𝘢𝘲𝘢𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘰 𝘯𝘢 𝘩𝘰...”
— Harshdeep Kaur (@HarshdeepKaur) February 6, 2022
Just don’t want to say Good Bye.. Saddest day in music…
She was music.. she was soul.. she was perfection.. an Institute of music… True Goddess… 🙏🏼#LataMangeshkar ji 🙏🏼 pic.twitter.com/oqdNi6M2Dv
Legends remain immortal.. #RIP #LataMangeshkar thank you for the songs🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼 pic.twitter.com/RWyZqT5vM1
— TheFarahKhan (@TheFarahKhan) February 6, 2022
Darkest day in the world of music.Her contribution to our memories and music is certainly incomparable. Today marks the end of an era.She vanquished our hearts for decades & would always be ruling as a queen of melody for the years to come. #latamangeshkar. pic.twitter.com/pioY2dcKfJ
— Imran Abbas (@ImranAbbas) February 6, 2022
Beyond Maharashtra and some parts of Karnataka, the world has hardly taken note of Lata Mangeshkar, the music composer on a par with any of the musical greats. She even had taken a pseudonym, Anandghan, literally, "a cloud of ananda (joy)".
Lataji composed music for only Marathi films. The first was 'Ram Ram Pahuna' in 1950. For the next four whose music she scored, she masked her identity behind the pseudonym Anandghan. The films were 'Mohityanchi Manjula' (1963), 'Maratha Tituka Melvava' (1964), 'Saadhi Manasa' (1965) and 'Tambdii Mati' (1969).
The reason why she adopted an alias has been well-documented over the years by the Marathi-language media. The veteran director Bhalji Pendharkar doted on Lata as his daughter. When he was working on 'Mohityanchi Manjula', he realised none of the noted music directors were available at that point of time.
When he shared his concern with Lata, she quickly said, "I will do it." Pendharkar warned her that the kind of music needed was very different because of the rustic background of the story. "No issues, I will do it," a confident-sounding Lata reiterated.
He was worried and sounded her out about the possible damage to her image if she failed. Then came the idea of adopting a name for composing. Pendharkar suggested some names, but Lata zeroed in on Anandghan.
Not just 'Mohityanchi Manjula', the other films whose music Lataji scored also had excellent compositions that are etched in the collective memory of Marathi music connoisseurs and a listing of Marathi film music is incomplete without these. She even had the renowned flautist, Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasiya, play for one of her songs.
Lataji wanted to keep her identity secret, but the film went on to receive the state government award for best music, among others. The announcer declared that Anandghan was none other than Lata and then she reluctantly agreed to go public.
But then, why did she not continue?
"Lata Didi was not a music composer in the conventional sense of the word," Kushal Inamdar, a noted contemporary music director, pointed out.
"She may not have been inclined even when her songs as a composer would have been the best. She may have also felt that Lata as a music composer would possibly threaten other composers, which in turn, could have affected her work as a singer," Inamdar added.
"She is a one true genius. But one needs to produce something new and that too continually. Being a music composer needs a different kind of emotional investment into that craft and frankly, with that talent pool of so many versatile composers around, she did not even need to do it," Inamdar explained.
Ideally, Lata Didi as a singer and Lata Didi as a music composer should not be compared as the skill needed for the two roles are different. As Inamdar put it, "She achieved her perfection in singing. She is a genius."
The only consolation was that she may have passed on, but her voice, which moved our hearts and provided succour to our souls for more than seven decades, will forever be with us.
Like all inspirational stories, Lataji's early struggle to establish herself in the 1940s is one that we cannot ever forget. In those days, she would take a BEST bus and travel from her south Mumbai home regularly to meet Naushad Ali at his Khar West bungalow or in the studios, hoping for a 'singing break' under the legendary music maker's baton.
In the vicious Mumbai monsoon, she would come to Naushad's home, wearing her trademark sari, carrying an umbrella but totally drenched, shivering and barely able to speak, let alone sing. The music director would offer her piping hot tea and cookies to soothe her, but no songs ... yet ... .
"I felt her voice was not yet 'ripe' for my style of music," said Naushad, the perfectionist, in a conversation with this writer. He was trying to justify not giving her an early break. "To improve her diction and control over words, I advised her to learn and practice Urdu, which she did ... and finally, she was ready to record for me."
The first choices of Naushad were the reigning stalwarts -- Noorjehan, Suraiya, Shamshad Begum, Zohra Ambalewali, to name a few.
With time, trained by her father, Dinananth Mangeshkar, Lataji grasped the maestro's advice and got her first major hit -- 'Uthaye Ja Unke Sitam' ('Andaz', 1949) -- composed by her mentor Naushad. With it, she 'arrived' in the film industry.
Thereafter, top music directors of the era wooed her, and they included Sachin Dev Burman, Husan Lal-Bhagat Ram (brothers), Ghulam Haider, Sardar Malik, Ghulam Mohammed, Jaidev, Salil Chowdhary, C. Ramchandra, Shankar-Jaikishan (partners), Roshan, Madan Mohan, M. Zahur Khayyam, Kalyanji-Anandji (brothers), Laxmikant-Pyarelal (partners), Sonik-Omi (uncle-nephew), Ravi Kumar Sharma or 'Ravi', Sudhir Phadke, Sajjad Hussain, Usha Khanna, and even A.R. Rahman, Anu Malik, Rajesh Roshan, Anand-Milind and Jatin-Lalit, among the younger crop of baton wielders.
Producers and directors vied for Lataji's unique voice and style for their top heroines, especially because she could 'mould' her voice to suit most heroines. Without doubt, she had become the first among women singers, a position that Mohammed Rafi enjoyed among the men.
Yet, there was a music director who remained aloof from Lataji -- with haughty pride -- and yet rose to the top echelons of the music industry -- the incomparable O.P. Nayyar.
"I found Lata's voice too thin, too shrill, which did not suit my compositions," Nayyar had once said, claiming he was "the only music director who succeeded in Bollywood without Lata's voice".
He added: "I needed a more vivacious, richer, healthier voice of, say, Shamshad Begum, Geeta Ghosh-Dutt, Asha Bhosale." One woman singer, Suman Kalyanpur, was blessed with a voice rivalling that of Lataji's, but she was content being in the shadows, yet she thrived on enduring masterpieces composed by some of the music directors.
As Lataji's singing style matured under master music directors, her voice helped heroines who acted or danced to her tunes catapult to stardom, such as Madhubala, Meena Kumari, Nargis, Ameeta, Beena Rai, Waheeda Rehman, Vyjayanthimala Bali, Tanuja, Sharmila Tagore, Asha Parekh, Nutan, Saira Bano, Sadhana Shivdasani, Babita Kapoor, Zeenat Aman, Parveen Babi, Hema Malini, Rekha, Sridevi, Neetu Singh, Madhuri Dixit, and many others in the post-1980s, right down to the youngsters, notably, Kajol, Rani Mukherjee and Karisma Kapoor.
After the exit of Noorjehan from India and the fading away of other stalwart female singers, by the late 1950s/early 1960s, Lataji was firmly perched on the top of the heap and brooked no nonsense from anyone -- producers, directors, composers, siblings or contemporaries -- attempting to clamber anywhere close to her roost.
Bollywood is full of stories of how Lataji ring-fenced her position till the very end, often raising the hackles of her female peers, although male singers, such as Mohammed Rafi, Mukesh, Kishore Kumar, Mahendra Kapoor and Manna Dey (all deceased) and others, chose to maintain a professional rapport with her.
Nevertheless, there were tales of how Rafi once bore the brunt of her "other side", or certain composers quivering as she gently declined to sing for them after they allegedly dared to commission some other female singers, for whatever reason. Of course, powerful filmmakers such as Mehboob Khan, Raj Kapoor, Kamal Amrohi, Dev Anand, Shakti Samanta, B.R. Chopra, Yash Chopra and the likes had no time for tantrums.
Born on September 28, 1929, as the oldest child of a musically inclined family in Indore (Madhya Pradesh) -- comprising father Dinanath, Lataji, Meena (Khadilkar), Asha (Bhosale), Usha and sole brother Hridaynath -- she was tutored by her dad from the age of five and also acted in his musical stage plays, till death in 1942.
Helped by a close family friend, Master Vinayak D. Karnataki, she got a foothold in singing and acting that year with a first Marathi song and a maiden Hindi song in 1943 before shifting to the film industry capital in 1945.
In Bombay (now, Mumbai), she learnt classical music and continued singing the odd songs, till her big break with 'Dil Mera Toda, Mujhe Kahinka Na Chhoda' ('Majboor', 1948), with full help from Ghulam Haider, whom she later described as her "godfather".
With a colossus such as Noorjehan still around, Lataji continued her with a few more hits -- 'Aayega Aanewala' ('Mahal', 1949) and 'Uthaye Ja Unke Sitam' ('Andaz', 1949), heralding her entry with a bang in big-time Bollywood.
Simultaneously, she sang in different Indian languages with aplomb, non-film songs, with her range encompassing classical, tragic, melodious, erotic, melancholic, light, mischievous, depending on the composer, or the heroine, or the song situation.
After the seniors passed away or faded out, Lataji sang expertly and easily with the gen next of male singers such as S.P. Balasubramaniam, Amit Kumar, Shabbir Kumar, Nitin Mukesh, Anwar, Udit Narayan and Sonu Nigam, and astounded her listeners with the seemingly "undying" power and youthfulness of her golden voice.
Over the decades, she was decorated with a multitude of rewards and honours -- three Padma awards, five Filmfare Awards, the Dadasaheb Phalke Award -- capped by the Bharat Ratna in 2001. More than that, state governments named awards and institutions after her.
Lataji sang at prestigious live concerts or charitable events, enthralling global audiences, picked up more overseas accolades, such as France's highest civilian honour, Officer of the Legion of Honour, in 2007, briefly dabbled in high-end merchandise, such as signature jewellery and perfumes, launched a production and music house, and entered into international music collaborations.
Death has only removed her physically. The legacies she leaves behind will outlive her for decades.
India's Melody Queen, who also composed music for Marathi films and was a producer as well, and had the distinction of being conferred with the highest civilian honours of India and France, passed away on Sunday morning at the Breach Candy Hospital in Mumbai, where she had been admitted because of Covid-related complications on January 11.
Lata-ji’s demise is heart-breaking for me, as it is for millions the world over. In her vast range of songs, rendering the essence and beauty of India, generations found expression of their inner-most emotions. A Bharat Ratna, Lata-ji’s accomplishments will remain incomparable. pic.twitter.com/rUNQq1RnAp
— President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) February 6, 2022
I am extremely saddened by the demise of Lata Mangeshkar Ji, the Nightingale of Indian Cinema and legendary singer. India has lost its voice in the death of Lata ji, who has enthralled music lovers in India & across the globe with her mellifluous & sublime voice for many decades. pic.twitter.com/C9m3PfexyP
— Vice President of India (@VPSecretariat) February 6, 2022
Lata Didi, as she was known among her family and followers, was 92 and is survived by her siblings -- playback singer and composer Meena Khadilkar, popular singer and restaurateur Asha Bhosale, singer Usha Mangeshkar, and music director Hridayanath Mangeshkar.
I am anguished beyond words. The kind and caring Lata Didi has left us. She leaves a void in our nation that cannot be filled. The coming generations will remember her as a stalwart of Indian culture, whose melodious voice had an unparalleled ability to mesmerise people. pic.twitter.com/MTQ6TK1mSO
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 6, 2022
She never married, but was close to the late Raj Singh Dungarpur, the aristocratic former cricketer and President of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) from 1996 to 1999.
The voice that entranced billions is no more. Lata Ji’s songs deeply touched our souls in love & sadness, fun & frolic, hopes & dreams.
— Baijayant Jay Panda (@PandaJay) February 6, 2022
She ruled our consciousness for so many decades in a way that made her immortal for the ages. No one came close to her hold over us.
Om Shanti🙏 pic.twitter.com/hmnU9YABS0
One of India's most loved voices, Lata Mangeshkar was the recipient of three National Film Awards, seven Filmfare awards, and of course, the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 1989. She was conferred the Bharat Ratna in 2001, becoming the second singer after M.S. Subbulakshmi to be so honoured, and the French awarded her the Officer of the Legion of Honour.
Deeply saddened to know about the passing away of legendary singer #LataMangeshkar. The 'Melody Queen of India' leaves a void in our collective consciousness. She will live through her melody for eternity. My thoughts & prayers are with the bereaved family & her countless fans.
— Naveen Patnaik (@Naveen_Odisha) February 6, 2022
In 1974, Lata Mangeshkar became the first Indian to perform at the Royal Albert Hall, London. She had indeed come a long, long way since the time when the first song that she recorded for a film -- 'Kiti Hasaal' in 1942 -- was dropped in the final cut.
Born in what was then the princely state of Indore on September 28, 1929, to the classical singer, Marathi theatre actor and writer of musical plays Deenanath Mangeshkar and his wife Shevanti (Shudhamati), Lata Mangeshkar was originally named Hema by her parents, but they later changed it to Lata after the character Latika from one of her father's musical plays.
सुर व संगीत की पूरक लता दीदी ने अपनी सुर साधना व मंत्रमुग्ध कर देने वाली वाणी से न सिर्फ भारत बल्कि पूरे विश्व में हर पीढ़ी के जीवन को भारतीय संगीत की मिठास से सराबोर किया।
— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) February 6, 2022
संगीत जगत में उनके योगदान को शब्दों में पिरोना संभव नहीं है।
उनका निधन मेरे लिए व्यक्तिगत क्षति है। pic.twitter.com/uRwKwZa4KG
Lata Mangeshkar's association with the performing arts began when she was five and started appearing in her father's musical plays, and it continued even after her father's premature death in 1942, thanks to his good friend, the actor and director Master Vinayak (Vinayak Damodar Karnataki), who took the family under his wings.
Received the sad news of Lata Mangeshkar ji’s demise. She remained the most beloved voice of India for many decades.
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) February 6, 2022
Her golden voice is immortal and will continue to echo in the hearts of her fans.
My condolences to her family, friends and fans. pic.twitter.com/Oi6Wb2134M
It was Master Vinayak who took Lata Mangeshkar to Mumbai, paved her way into the world of Marathi cinema, got her to take Hindustani classical music lessons from Ustad Aman Ali Khan of the Bhendi Bazaar Gharana, and introduced her to Vasant Desai, V. Shantaram's favourite music composer.
Lata Mangeshkar @mangeshkarlata is no more. Generations of Indians loved listening to her songs. They remain evergreen.
— Nirmala Sitharaman (@nsitharaman) February 6, 2022
She led a life dedicated to music. Condolences to her family and all lovers of music. https://t.co/PQmzMSq7PS
But it was not until Master Vinayak's death in 1948 that the struggling singer-actor found the person whom she considered to be her "godfather" -- the music composer Ghulam Haider, who gave Lata Mangeshkar her first big break with the song 'Dil Mera Toda, Mujhe Kahin Ka Na Chhora' in the movie 'Majboor' (1948). It was her first big break.
Haider took his protege to Shashadhar Mukherjee, the Filmistan boss now better known as Kajol and Rani Mukherjee's grandfather, for his film, 'Shaheed' (1948), but he turned her down because he found her voice to be "too thin".
Lata Mangeshkar proved him oh-so-wrong just a year later when her song 'Aayega Aanewaala', filmed on the gorgeous Madhubala in Kamal Amrohi's debut directorial, 'Mahal' (1949), became an ageless hit.
हर संगीत प्रेमी के हृदय में निवास करने वाली स्वरकोकिला, भारत रत्न लता मंगेशकर जी का निधन हृदय विदारक है।यह संपूर्ण कला जगत के लिए अपूरणीय क्षति है।
— Jagat Prakash Nadda (@JPNadda) February 6, 2022
ईश्वर दिवंगत आत्मा को अपने चरणों मे स्थान दें। लता दीदी के परिजनों और विश्वभर में फैले करोड़ों प्रशंसकों के प्रति संवेदनाएं। ॐ शांति
And in one of life's delicious ironies, Mukherjee's granddaughter lip-synced the 'Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge' song, 'Mere Khwabon Mein', which was sung by none other than Lata Mangeshkar, as well as the other numbers picturised on her and Shah Rukh Khan.
Since 'Mahal', Lata Mangeshkar was courted by just about every music director of note -- from Anil Biswas to S.D. Burman (and his son Rahul Dev, whose first and last song she sang), Naushad (who had asked her to sing like the then reigning nightingale, Noorjehan), Madan Mohan, Shankar-Jaikishan, Laxmikant-Pyarelal (for whom she's said to have sung 700 songs in 35 years), and Kalyanji-Anandji.
Anguished to know that the ‘Queen of Melody’, the great #LataMangeshkar is no more with us. My heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family and admirers. A household name across India, her melodious voice enthralled music lovers for decades. May her soul rest in peace 🙏 pic.twitter.com/8U3Y20ekki
— Niranjan Patnaik (@NPatnaikOdisha) February 6, 2022
And she worked with every contemporary composer of note -- from Anand-Milind, sons of Chitragupt, with whom she had also worked, and Anu Malik, Sardar Malik's son, to Ilaiyaraaja and A.R. Rahman. It is said she worked with music directors from 13 states in her star-studded career.
After Noorjehan moved to Pakistan, Lata Mangeshkar became the go-to playback singer for every film producer and music composer. She did not disappoint them.
Lata Mangeshkar lent her voice to an endless succession of chart-topping numbers in Hindi cinema, from 'Allah Tero Naam' and 'Rangeela Re' to the 'Satyam Shivam Sundaram' title track, to 'Lukka Chuppi' in 'Rang De Basanti', apart from songs in Marathi (she also composed the music for several Marathi films in her 'Anandghan' avatar), Bengali, Tamil, Kannada, Malayalam, and Sinhala.
In 1974, the Guinness Book of Records listed Lata Mangeshkar as the most recorded artiste in human history, stating that she had recorded "not less than 25,000 solo, duet and chorus backed songs in 20 Indian languages" between 1948 and 1974. The claim was contested by her long-time rival, Mohammad Rafi, who claimed to have sung around 28,000 songs.
After Rafi's death, the Guinness Book in its 1984 edition listed Lata Mangeshkar in its entry for 'Most Recordings', but it also recorded Rafi's claim. Later editions of the Guinness Book said Lata Mangeshkar had sung no less than 30,000 songs from 1948 to 1987.
For 73 years, from 1943 to 2015, when she recorded her last song for a film (the Indo-Norwegian production, 'Dunno Y2...Life Is A Moment', which was all about gay love), Lata Mangeshkar commanded a fan following and an inimitable reputation with not many parallels in the Indian performing arts.
The late Yash Chopra, who was one of Lata Mangeshkar's favourite directors, said in an article he had penned for BBC.com on the occasion of the singer's 75th birthday (not long after she had sung the famous 'Veer Zaara' song, 'Tere Liye Hum Hain Jiye', with Roop Kumar Rathod): "I see God's blessing in her voice." We are blessed to have that voice live with us forever.
"She is no more. She died in the morning," Usha Mangeshkar, the singer's younger sister,” told PTI.
The 92-year-old singer tested positive for Covid with mild symptoms and was admitted on January 8 to Breach Candy Hospital's intensive care unit (ICU) where she was being treated by Dr Pratit Samdani and his team of doctors.
Lata was taken off the ventilator on January 27. However, she was again put back on ventilator support yesterday after her health condition deteriorated.
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari condoled the demines of the legendary singer.
देश की शान और संगीत जगत की शिरमोर स्वर कोकिला भारत रत्न लता मंगेशकर जी का निधन बहुत ही दुखद है। पुण्यात्मा को मेरी भावभीनी श्रद्धांजलि। उनका जाना देश के लिए अपूरणीय क्षति है। वे सभी संगीत साधकों के लिए सदैव प्रेरणा थी।
— Nitin Gadkari (@nitin_gadkari) February 6, 2022
(With PTI Inputs)
Medicos attending on her have indicated that the 92-year-old Lata - who was taken off the ventilator on January 27 - is again responding to her ongoing treatment at the Breach Candy Hospital.
The entire Mangeshkar clan, including Asha Bhosale, Usha Mangeskar, sole brother Hridaynath Mangeshkar and other family members are present at the hospital.
A string of VVIPs, including Rashmi Thackeray, the wife of Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena President Raj Thackeray, film personalities like Madhur Bhandarkar, Union Minister Piyush Goyal, BJP leader M.P. Lodha, and others visited the hospital to enquire after her health.
Lata was admitted to the hospital on January 9 following various health issues, including Covid-19, and has remained there for the past nearly four weeks.
Raj Thackeray said that he went specially to discuss with the medical teams treating her at the hospital and dispel rumour mongering that has been rampant since this afternoon.
The Mumbai Police have deployed additional security around the hospital in south Mumbai to control the anxious crowds comprising the singer's fans and well-wishers attempting to reach there.
The 92-year-old singer tested positive for coronavirus with mild symptoms and was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the Breach Candy Hospital in south Mumbai on January 8 where she is being treated by Dr Pratit Samdani and his team of doctors.
According to Samdani, Mangeshkar has shown signs of marginal improvement.
She has been off the ventilator for two-and-half days but continues to be under observation. She has been put off the ventilator because of marginal improvement in her health. Her health condition demands her to be in the ICU, Samdani told PTI.
Regarded as one of Indian cinema's greatest playback singers, Mangeshkar started her career at the age of 13 in 1942 and has sung over 30,000 songs in various Indian languages.
In her over seven-decade career, she has been the voice behind various memorable tracks such as "Ajeeb dastan hai ye", "Pyar kiya to darna kya", "Neela asman so gaya", and "Tere liye", among others.
The singer -- known as Melody Queen of India -- has been lauded with numerous awards and honours including the Padma Bhushan, the Padma Vibhushan and the Dada Saheb Phalke Award, and multiple National Film Awards.
She is also a recipient of the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian honour.
The 92-year-old singer tested positive for coronavirus with mild symptoms and was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the Breach Candy Hospital in south Mumbai on January 8.
Sharing the health update, associate professor Dr Pratit Samdani from the Breach Candy Hospital told PTI, "She is showing signs of improvement. She is in the ICU. It is difficult to say for how many days she will be in the hospital."
Anusha Srinivsan Iyer, a close friend of the family, also said the veteran singer is doing well.
"Lata Didi is showing signs of improvement from before and is under treatment in the ICU from the amazing team of doctors spearheaded by Dr Pratit Samdani. We are looking forward and praying for her speedy healing and coming back home," Iyer said in a statement.
On Friday, rumours started doing the rounds on social media that Mangeshkar's health had deteriorated.
Iyer had dismissed the rumours and said, "A sincere appeal. Please do not give wind to any false news...The family and the doctors need their space. Let us pray for Lata Didi's speedy recovery and return home."
Regarded as one of Indian cinema's greatest singers, Mangeshkar started her career at the age of 13 in 1942 and has over 30,000 songs to her credit in several Indian languages.
In her over a seven-decade career, she has sung various memorable tracks such as "Ajeeb dastan hai ye", "Pyar kiya to darna kya", "Neela asman so gaya", and "Tere liye", among others.
The singer -- known as Melody Queen of India -- has been lauded with numerous awards and honours including the Padma Bhushan, the Padma Vibhushan and the Dada Saheb Phalke Award, and multiple National Film Awards.
She is also a recipient of the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian honour.
The 92-year-old singer tested positive for coronavirus with mild symptoms and was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the Breach Candy Hospital in south Mumbai last week.
Associate professor Dr Pratit Samdani from the Breach Candy Hospital told PTI, "She continues to be in the ICU and is under treatment".
Mangeshkar's niece Rachana Shah had on Thursday said the singer is doing well and requested the media to respect the privacy of the family.
Regarded as one of Indian cinema's greatest singers, Mangeshkar started her career at the age of 13 in 1942 and has over 30,000 songs to her credit in several Indian languages.
The 92-year-old veteran, also known as the Nightingale of India, was admitted to the ICU of Breach Candy hospital in south Mumbai two days ago.
She is mild COVID positive. Considering her age, doctors advised us that she should be in the ICU because she requires constant care. And wecannot take a chance. As a family we want the best and want to ensure she has 24X7 care, Mageshkar's niece Rachna Shah told PTI.
She will be fine. But she is going to take a while because of her age. And also, COVID-19 takes seven days , she added.
In November 2019, Mangeshkar was admitted to the same hospital after she complained of difficulty in breathing and was diagnosed with pneumonia. She was discharged after 28 days.
Mangeshkar started her career at the age of 13 in 1942 and has sung over 30,000 songs in several Indian languages in an over seven-decade career. Some of her most loved tracks are Ajeeb dastan hai ye , Pyar kiya to darna kya , Neela asman so gaya and Tere liye .
Considered one of Indian cinema's greatest singers, Mangeshkar received the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian honour, in 2001. She is also the recipient of several other awards, including the Padma Bhushan, the Padma Vibhushan and the Dada Saheb Phalke Award, and multiple National Film Awards.
According to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), Mumbai on Monday reported 13,648 new COVID-19 cases, taking the city's tally of infections to 9,28,220.
* Lata Mangeshkar: Rishitulya purva pradhan mantri Bharat Ratna Atal Bihari Vajpayeeji ke swargwas ki vaarta sunke mujhe aise laga jaise mere sar par pahaad toota hai, kyunki main unko pita samaan maanti thi aur unhone mujhe apni beti banaaya tha. Mujhe wo itne priya the ki main unko dadda kehke bulaati thi. Aaj mujhe waisa dukh hua hai jaise mere pitaji ke swargwas ke samay hua tha. Ishwar unki aatma ko shanti de.
(The news of respected former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's demise has been shocking. I used to regard him like my father, and he had made me his daughter. He was so dear to me that I used to call him 'Dadda'. I feel the same pain I felt when my father had passed away. May his soul rest in peace.)
* Amitabh Bachchan: “His oratory powers were unmatched and the usage of words exemplary. They were filled with the power of pronunciation. The rendition of the word was enough to give it meaning... One did not need to understand the language, that was his brilliance. Some of his public speeches and ones done in the Houses of Parliament are testimony. A poet, a writer, a politician, a Prime Minister... an extremely rare human.”
* Shah Rukh Khan: "Years on, I had the opportunity to meet him and spend lots of time discussing poetry, films, politics, and our ailing knees. I also had the privilege of enacting one of his poems for the screen. The country lost a father-figure and a great leader. Personally I have lost a part of my childhood and growing up memories of learning, smiling and of course poetry. May his soul rest in peace. Will miss your smiling face Baapji."
Also Read: Op-Ed: Vajpayee: A Colossus Among Pygmies
* Rajinikanth: I'm saddened to hear the demise of a great statesman Shri Vajpayeeji. May his soul rest in peace.
* Sanjay Dutt: Indeed a big loss for our country as we pay our last tribute to Atal Bihari Vajpayeeji. He was a close family friend and his legacy will forever be remembered. Thank you for your selfless service, sir! My heartfelt condolence to everyone.
* S.S. Rajamouli: One of the few statesmen who brought dignity and esteem to politics. His dream and steadfast application of road connectivity changed and continues to change millions of lives in our country. Bowing with respect to our beloved leader Atal Bihari Vajpayeeji.
Also Read: Vajpayee’s footprints to remain etched in history of Odisha
* Prosenjit Chatterjee: A gentleman with immense knowledge whom we have lost. India has lost a great person. My deepest condolences for the entire family. Rest in peace sir.
* Resul Pookutty: At this hour of calamity and insecurity sad to hear of the passing of Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee, our former Prime Minister and a true statesman. One of the sane voices in the Indian politics. Dear Sir, you will be missed and your tribe, even more in this changing times.
* Farhan Akhtar: RIP Atal Bihari Vajpayeeji. You will be remembered as one of India's greatest leaders, as an exemplary statesman, as a tour de force for peace and unity and most of all as a genuine, warm, approachable human being.
* Dhanush: Deeply saddened to hear about the passing away of Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayeeji. Heartfelt condolences to the family and dear ones of the great man.
* Ashoke Pandit: Atalji was a man of words but today no word would describe the loss India suffers in his death. He wasn't a politician... He was a thought, a vision. Mortal humans perish but a thought always remains alive and grows in the minds and hearts of millions.
* Rana Daggubati: Today we lost a great statesman, poet and orator. A man who dreamed of a glorious nation and strived to take us on the path to prosperity. Rest in peace.
* Dia Mirza: "Let no one challenge India's secularism." - Atal Bihari Vajpayee. Growing up in India in the 1980s and 1990s, one can never forget what a deep impact Atal Bihari Vajpayeeji made on us... He was a great statesman and leader.
* Arjun Kapoor: Heartfelt condolences to Vajpayeeji's family and dear ones. May his soul rest in peace.
* Adnan Sami: Extremely saddened to learn of the passing away of former Prime Minister Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayeeji. Apart from being one of the greatest statesman India has seen, he was a great man of 'peace'. He spread love everywhere he went... May he rest in peace.
(With IANS Inputs)
A Marathi song titled "Ata visavyacha kshan" (it is time to rest now) sung by Lataji, which was posted in the social media, triggered off a wave of raging grief among her fans.
But rest assured, all you "Lata bhakts". She isn't hanging her boots yet.
In an exclusive conversation, Lataji said: "I don't know who started this rumour, or why. It seems like the work of an idle mind. Two days ago I suddenly started getting all these messages and calls anxiously inquiring about my retirement."
Lataji wondered where that came from. "I got to know that one of my Marathi songs 'Ata visavyachi kshan' was being seen as my swan song. But I sang that song five years ago! In 2013, music director Salil Kulkarni came to me with the song. I agreed to sing it mainly because it was written by the well-known poet Balakrishna Bhagwant Borkar. I had never sung any of his poetry. How was I to know that five years later it would be used by mischievous minds as my retirement song!"
Lataji assured her fans she has no plans to retire.
"I will continue to sing till my last breath. Music is the essence of my existence. We Mangeshkars are a family devoted to music. Take music away from our lives and we are nothing."
I reminded her that jealous elements could be responsible for spreading retirement rumours, that in fact way back in the early 1960s an effort was made even to poison her.
Lataji replied softly: "I know. It is true that I was poisoned. But I don't want to blame anyone for any of the setbacks of my life. Why should anyone be jealous of me now? I have stopped singing film songs for some years now.
"No, I won't say, as you put it, they aren't worthy of me anymore...I just can't connect with today's film songs. So I have bowed out. As far as non-film songs are concerned, I will continue to sing them no matter what."
"Birthday greetings and best wishes for a long and healthy life to Lata Mangeshkar, who has been honoured with the Bharat Ratna. May her melodious voice continue to mesmerise millions across the world for years to come," the President tweeted.
Calling Mangeshkar as "Lata Didi", the Prime Minister also expressed his best wishes on her birthday.
"Respected Lata Didi, best wishes to you on your birthday. Your exceptional work, spanning decades has endeared you to crores of Indians. You have always been passionate about our country's development. May you lead a long life filled with good health," Modi tweeted.
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Born to a family of musicians on September 28, 1929, in Madhya Pradesh's Indore city, Mangeshkar is the second female vocalist after M.S. Subbulakshmi to receive the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian honour, in 2001.
She is also the recipient of Dadasaheb Phalke award, three National Film awards and the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement award besides many others.
A doyenne among playback singers, her career spans over seven decades.
Her sister singer Asha Bhosle, Usha Mangeshkar and brother Hridaynath Mangeshkar were present at the occasion.
Dressed in her signature white sari while receiving the honour, the "Paani Paani Re" famed singer told media that it was an honour for her for being considered for title.
"And the fact that my name came to Jagatguru Shankaracharya's mind for the honour and his coming to honour me personally makes me feel very blessed. It is not something that you receive every day and I am truly grateful to him for this blessing," she said.
Having a career of more than six decades and being the recipient of the 'Bharat Ratna', 'Dadasaheb Phalke Award', among several other awards, the 'Queen of Melody' said, "Every award is special for me because people have given me award out of love and respect for my work."
Her brother composer Hridaynath added, "Shankaracharya has ordained our father with the Sangeet Ratna title and I was bestowed with Bhaav Gandharva. Now, he has honoured Lata di with Swara Mauli. This is her second title after Swara Bharati and we all feel truly privileged."
Asha Bhosle said she takes pride to born as her sister.
"She is one of the icons of our nation and no one can be like her. I am happy for her. I am also thankful for almighty to send me to a family of great singers. My brother and sisters are celebrated singers," Bhosle added.
"Bahut ho gaya... Aapko kaisa lagta hai... Aap gaati kyun nahin hain... Aapke favourite naye singers kaun hai... Aap apni behen (Asha Bhosle) se kyun nahin milti... Arrey bhai, sab ho chuka hai (It's enough... How do you feel? Why don't you sing? Who are your favourite new singers? Why don't you meet your sister? I have answered all this enough).
"Let's talk about the fun times," she suggested as though she were 18 rather than 88.
With a girlish giggle, Mangeshkar said: "Should I tell you the truth? I don't feel my age at all. I still feel young. I've never been weighed down by my troubles. Everyone has her share of problems in life. Even when I was young and struggling, and I was happy hopping from studio to studio bumping into other strugglers like Kishoreda and Mukesh bhaiyya.
"Those were fun times even when I had to go hungry for the entire day. There was no money in my purse. But there was only hope in my heart. And the belief that no matter how tough the future looked there was always hope for a better tomorrow."
Once during one such hot sweltering day, she had fainted during recording.
She sets the record straight about the incident: "It has wrongly been presumed over the years that I fainted while recording a song with Salilda (Chowdhary). It's nothing like that. Of course his songs were very complex. So were those composed by my brother Hridaynath Mangeshkar. But because of my father's blessings, I was always up to any challenge in the recording studio.
"No, that incident where I fainted did not happen with Salilda. It happened with Naushad saab. We we recording a song on a long hot summer afternoon. You know how Mumbai gets in summer. During those days, there was no air conditioning in the recording studios. And even the ceiling fan was switched off during the final recording. I just fainted."
She laughed at that remembrance, and said: "I had some really fun times. I remember I was recording a duet with Uma Devi who later became the comedienne Tun Tun. Uma Devi was as 'khati-peeti' (well fed) back then as a singer as she was later as an actress.
"So there we were, the two of us singing into the same mike. Back then, duets were recorded on one mike. Me, a frail reed-like pint-sized girl, she quite formidable in her physical Apresence. I was given a stool to stand on, as I had a problem reaching the mike.
"I sang my lines and then when Uma Devi moved forward to sing into the mike and nudged my shoulder, I fell right to the ground."
Loud laughter followed this anecdote.
So whom did she enjoy recording with the most?
"Kishoreda," pat came the reply.
"Recording with him was like one whole session of fun and games. He would make me laugh so much , I could barely sing. I had to stop him. Kishorda, pehle gana phir masti. (first song, and then fun)'. It was especially problematic when we were singing sad duets. Instead of tears of grief, my eyes would be tearful with laughter."
Speaking of her grief-stricken songs, it is said that the whole congregation at the recording wept when she sang Madan Mohan's "Heer" in "Heer Ranjha" and Sachin Dev Burman's "Tum mujhse dur chale jana na" in "Ishq Par Zor Nahin".
"That's true," she said.
"Except for me, they were all crying. I've never been a weeper even when singing the most somber songs. I've always preferred laughter to tears. God has always been kind. I've never been given any reason for tears. I think I cried the most when I lost my father and my mother."
What are her birthday thoughts?
"I can't thank the listeners enough for bearing with me for 70 years. I didn't even how the time flew by. Waqt kaise nikal gaya pataa hi nahin chala (I don't know how time flew by). If I had a chance to live it all again I wouldn't change a thing. Not even that fall from the stool while singing with Uma Devi," she quipped.
Here's what these celeb have tweeted:
Lata Mangeshkar: Best of luck to the women cricket team for the Women's World Cup final.
Sachin Tendulkar: Wishing our Women In Blue all the best for the Women's World Cup final. We are all cheering for you! Messages of support from my 100MB family!
Shah Rukh Khan: To the Women in Blue for the Women's World Cup final. You make us the most proud. All the best and have a great game. Love to the ladies.
Anupam Kher: Here is wishing Women In Blue all the luck for Women's World Cup final. You are the bestest. Jai Hind and Jai Ho.
Anil Kapoor: All the very best to the Women in Blue for today's Women's World Cup final. Come on India.
Akshay Kumar: Come on India, let our Women In Blue feel the support of a billion fans! Proud. Women's World Cup final.
Sonakshi Sinha: Come on India. Women's World Cup final. Women In Blue.
Shraddha Kapoor: Such a proud feeling that our India women's cricket team is playing in the Women's World Cup final. Good luck. Girl power all the way!
Suniel Shetty: Just play your game and the rest will fall in place! Looking forward to another round of outstanding cricket from you. Very best.
Huma Qureshi: Go girls. Can't wait to feed you the victory biryani team India.
Saqib Saleem: Come on girls! I know you are prepping the victory dance... we got this.
"These days, I have been hearing that you plan to retire. Please don't think this way. The country needs you and it is my request, too, that you don't allow even the thought of retirement to enter your mind," Mangeshkar tweeted in Hindi.
The buzz on Dhoni's retirement gathered force after India lost its World Cup semifinal match to New Zealand on Wednesday.
Apart from requesting Dhoni to not retire, Mangeshkar also left an encouraging note for Team India, to help them tide over their defeat. She dedicated her 1994 song, "Akash ke us paar bhi", to the Men in Blue. The song is penned by Gulzar and composed by Hridaynath Mangeshkar.
"We did not win yesterday, but we didn't lose. I dedicate this song by Gulzar sahab to our team," she said in another tweet.
Swaraj, 67, passed away late on Tuesday after suffering a massive cardiac arrest.
Her untimely death led to an outpour of emotions on social media as various film celebrities expressed their shock and grief and also recalled the moments when they got to interact with her.
Here's what they have written on social media:
Amitabh Bachchan: Really saddening news. A really flourishing politician... Prayers.
Lata Mangeshkar: Deeply shocked and saddened to hear about Sushma Swarajji's sudden demise. A graceful and honest leader, a sensitive and selfless soul, a keen understanding of music and poetry and a dear friend. Our former external minister will be remembered fondly.
Rishi Kapoor: RIP. Sushma Swarajji.
Akshay Kumar: Extremely sad to hear about the passing away of #SushmaSwarajji...she was such a dynamic leader, someone who was unanimously admired and respected by all. My thoughts and prayers with her family. May her soul rest in peace.
Vishal Bhardwaj: So sad to learn about the unfortunate demise of Ms. Sushma Swaraj. One of the most reasonable and big hearted voices of Indian politics. She had so much love and care for artists and when she was the I&B Minister, she gave Bollywood the status of a Film Industry. She was also the main person to get the copyright amendment bill passed unanimously in 2012. May her soul rest in peace.
Anil Kapoor: It's with a heavy heart that we bid goodbye to the fierce leader and exceptional human being that was Sushma Swarajji. Her loss will be felt deeply by the whole nation as we keep the memory of her leadership and wisdom alive in our hearts...RIP Iron Lady??
Ajay Devgn: Devastated with the untimely demise of Sushma Swarajji. A dynamic and an inspiring leader. Immense loss to the nation! May her soul rest in peace.
Shekhar Kapur: Wonderful gracious warm compassionate. All those that knew Sushmaji outside her world of a brilliant politician, an amazing speaker and parliamentarian, will mourn her as a true friend. Goodbye Sushma Swaraj.
Hema Malini: Sushmaji always appreciated my dance and in particular my presentation of "Ganga" over which she went into raptures in public. She was a lovely person with an aura of her own and she held her head high as a senior minister in the cabinet where she was surrounded by men. Miss you Sushmaji.
Adnan Sami: My family and I are in complete shock to learn the tragic news of dear Sushmaji's sudden demise. She was a motherly figure for all of us; an extremely respected stateswoman; exceptional orator and a very loving, caring and warm soul. Will miss her dearly. RIP Sushmaji.
Manisha Koirala: Deeply shocked and saddened to hear about Sushma Swaraj aunty's sudden demise. An honest leader, a sensitive and kind soul. Close friends of my parents! She will be missed deeply.
Mallika Sherawat: Sad to hear about the passing away of Sushma Swarajji.
Shared an Instagram video from the recording session on Monday, Reshammiya wrote: "Production of the song is in progress, this is just a scratch. Thank you dear people of the globe for bringing this unadulterated smile on Ranuji's face. Her versitality and confidence is growing with each song... 'Aashiqui Mein Teri' from 'Happy Hardy and Heer' is a proof. Lots of love, wishing all of you a very Happy Ganesh Chaturthi."
Mondal became an overnight social media sensation after a video of her singing Lata Mangeshkar's soulful number "Ek Pyaar Ka Nagma Hai" on a railway platform went viral on the internet.
It also paved the way for her phenomenal rise from a street singer to a debutante playback singer in Bollywood.
Mangeshkar will be conferred the title as a tribute to her contribution to Indian film music over seven decades.
Poet-lyricist Prasoon Joshi has written a special song for the occasion.
"Modiji is a very big fan of Lataji's voice. She represents the collective voice of the Indian nation. Honouring her is to honour the daughter of the nation and that's what we will officially designate her on her 90th birthday," an informed source from the government said.
By Subhash K Jha
"I feel we have to see in which connotation Lata ji has made that statement. I feel when you start copying another singer then it doesn't work that well. But I also feel that taking an inspiration from someone else is really important," said Himesh, during the launch of a new song on Wednesday.
Singer Ranu Mondal also attended the event.
Himesh added: "Kumar Sanu always tells that he is inspired by Kishore Kumar. Similarly, we all are inspired by people in some way or the other. When I started singing songs in high pitch then people criticised me, terming it as nasal singing. But if you look at the international scene, it has become a common trait."
Himesh and Ranu were interacting with the media at the launch of a new song from the upcoming film "Happy Hardy And Heer". The song is titled "Teri meri kahaani", and is sung by Ranu.
Present at the event were also producers Deepshikha Deshmukh and Kumar Taurani, and Himesh's wife Sonia Kapoor.
Ranu Mondal, who has now recorded three tracks for Bollywood singer-composer Himesh Reshammiya, became an overnight social media sensation after a video of her singing Lata Mangeshkar's soulful number "Ek pyaar ka nagma hai" at Ranaghat railway platform went viral on the internet.
The video has paved the way for her phenomenal rise from a street singer to a debutante playback singer in Bollywood. Melody queen Lata Mangeskhar's reaction to Ranu Mondal, stating that the internet sensation should "be original", has disappointed many fans and social media users, who feel the legendary singer could have been "more gracious".
Praising Ranu, Himesh said: "I feel Ranu ji is born with certain kind of talent and she has been inspired by Lata ji. I don't feel anybody can become a legend like Lata ji. She is the best. Ranu ji has started her own beautiful journey and I feel that people misunderstood Lata ji's statement. I feel she told Ranu ji that it's good to get inspired but you shouldn't copy anyone's voice and I don't feel that Ranu ji has copied anyone's voice."
Himesh Reshammiya is returning to the big screen with a double role in the film "Happy Hardy And Heer". In the film, Himesh plays Harpreet Singh Lamba a.k.a. Happy, who travels to Europe from Punjab with his lady love Heer, and Harshvardhan Bhatt a.k.a Hardy, a rich Gujarati businessman who completes the love triangle.
"Lataji ki umar ke hisab se mai choti thi, hu aur aage ja kar bhi rahungi.. Bachpan se unka awaz pasand hai. (As far as age is concerned, I am younger to her and will always remain her junior. I have loved Lataji's voice since childhood)," Ranu Mondal told Navbharat Times.
Ranu Mondal, who has now recorded three tracks for Bollywood singer-composer Himesh Reshammiya, became an overnight social media sensation after a video of her singing Lata Mangeshkar's soulful number "Ek pyaar ka nagma hai" at Ranaghat railway platform went viral on the Internet.
When Lata Mangeshkar was asked about Ranu Mondal, she expressed happiness but with reservations.
"Agar mere naam aur kaam se kissiko bhala hota hai toh main apne-aap ko khush-kismat samajhti hoon (If anyone gets benefited by my name and work then I feel fortunate).
"But I also feel imitation is not a reliable and durable companion for success. By singing my songs or Kishoreda's (Kumar), or (Mohd) Rafi Saab's, or Mukesh Bhaiyya or Asha's (Bhosle) numbers, aspiring singers can get short-term attention," Lata Mangeshkar added.