Lata Mangeshkar turns 80

Today the nightingale of India, Lata Mangeshkar is celebrating her 80th birthday. Frankally speaking, the whole nation is celebrating her birthday. From last 6 decades, her melodious voice has been touching the hearts and souls of millions of her admirers around the world. She has been the first choice for all the film producers and directors as her voice for female characters has been undisputed over the decades. She has lent her voice to heroines from Madhubala to Madhuri Dixit to Preeti Zinta. She sang in thousands of Bollywood movies and has sung songs in over twenty regional Indian languages.

She was born in a Marathi family in Indore, Madhya Pradesh. Her father, Pandit Deenanath Mangeshkar was a classical singer and theater actor. Lata took her first music lessons from her father. At the age of five, she started to work as an actress in her father’s musical plays. In 1942, when she was only 13, her father died of heart disease. Then Master Vinayak, the owner of Navyug Chitrapat movie company, who was also a close friend of the Mangeshkar family, took care of her. He helped Lata get started in a career as a singer and actress.

After Master Vinayak’s death in 1948, music director Ghulam Haider mentored Lata as a singer. Haider gave Lata her first major break with the song “Dil Mera Toda,” from the movie Majboor (1948). However she got major break with the song “Aayega Aanewaala,”. It was a song in the popular movie Mahal (1949) which proved a turning point for her career.

After the Sino-Indian war, on June 27, 1963, Lata sang the patriotic song Ae Mere Watan Ke Logon (meaning, “Oh, the People of My Country”) in the presence of Jawaharlal Nehru. That song was composed by C. Ramchandra and written by Pradeep. And believe me that song brought the Prime Minister to tears.

Lata’s major hit Films ::

Baiju Bawra (1952), Mughal-E-Azam (1960), Kohinoor (1960), Aag (1953), Shree 420 (1955), Chori Chori (1956). Sazaa (1951), House No. 44 (1955), Devdas (1955) and Madhumati (1958), Mughal-E-Azam (1960), Dil Apna Aur Preet Parai (1960), Bees Saal Baad (1962), Guide (1965), Jewel Thief (1967), Anpadh (1962), Woh Kaun Thi? (1964), Jahan Ara (1964), Mera Saaya (1966), Parasmani (1963), Maya (1961), Pakeezah (1972), Prem Pujari (1970), Sharmeelee (1971), Abhimaan (1973), Amar Prem (1972), Caravan (1971), Kati Patang (1971), Aandhi (1975), Parichay (1973), Kora Kagaz (1975), Ek Duje Ke Liye (1981), Lekin (1990), Chandni (1989), Lamhe (1991), Darr (1993), Yeh Dillagi (1994), Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge (1995), Dil To Pagal Hai (1997), Mohabbatein (2000) and Veer Zaara (2004).