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Born
1929
1929
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India
India
Journey
Lata Mangeshkar was an Indian playback singer whose career spanned more than seven decades and helped define the musical identity of Hindi cinema. Born Hema Mangeshkar in Indore, she grew up in a family deeply rooted in Indian music and theatre. Her father, Pandit Deenanath Mangeshkar, was a classical singer and theatre performer who introduced his children to music at an early age. Lata was the eldest of five siblings, including the celebrated singer Asha Bhosle.
After her father died in 1942, Mangeshkar entered the film industry while still a teenager to help support her family. She initially worked as an actress and singer in Marathi cinema before concentrating on playback singing. At 13, she recorded her first playback song for the Marathi film "Kiti Hasaal." Her first Hindi film playback recording followed in 1946 for "Aap Ki Seva Mein."
The late 1940s brought the breakthrough that established Mangeshkar as a major voice in Indian cinema. Her recording of "Aayega Aanewala" for "Mahal" in 1949 drew widespread attention and helped establish a new vocal ideal for Hindi film heroines. From that point, her career expanded rapidly. She worked with leading composers including Naushad, S. D. Burman, Shankar–Jaikishan, Madan Mohan, Salil Chowdhury, C. Ramchandra and R. D. Burman, recording songs that became closely associated with successive generations of actors and filmmakers.
Mangeshkar's repertoire extended well beyond romantic film songs. She recorded classical-based compositions, devotional pieces, patriotic songs, lullabies and dramatic numbers, adapting her singing to different characters and cinematic situations. She also recorded extensively outside Hindi, contributing to Marathi and numerous other Indian-language traditions. Her work eventually made her one of the most widely recorded voices in Indian music.
Her achievements were recognized with some of India's highest cultural honours. She received three National Film Awards, four Filmfare Awards for Best Female Playback Singer, the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 1989, the Padma Bhushan in 1969 and the Padma Vibhushan in 1999. In 2001, she received the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian honour. France later appointed her an Officer of the Legion of Honour.
Mangeshkar also contributed beyond playback singing. She composed music for Marathi films under the name Anand Ghan and took an active interest in issues affecting recording artists, including recognition and remuneration for singers. Her influence therefore extended into both the artistic and professional dimensions of Indian film music.
Lata Mangeshkar died in Mumbai on February 6, 2022, aged 92. By then, her recordings had become part of the cultural memory of several generations. Her career transformed the role of the playback singer in Indian cinema and established a standard of musical precision, interpretation and longevity that continues to influence singers across the country.
