The inspiring story of Lata Mangeshkar, arguably the greatest singer India has ever produced, is all about feminine strength, indomitable courage and sheer hard work.
Born on 28 September, 1929, in Indore, she was the eldest daughter of Deenanath Mangeshkar, who introduced her to the world of music. At the age of 13, she had to take charge of the entire family when her father passed away due to heart disease. This marked her entry into the male-dominated music industry.
Guided by Master Vinayak Damodar Karnataki in 1945, Mangeshkar moved to Mumbai and appeared in movies while also singing songs in them. Travelling from studio to studio, she struggled to establish herself as a singer in the 1940s. Her voice, categorised as ‘thin’, was considered by many early detractors as a negative. But music director Ghulam Haider and others continued to provide Mangeshkar with opportunities to sing.
It was with the success of the song ‘Aayega Aanewala’ in Mahal (1949) that she became one of the most sought-after voices of Hindi cinema. Since then she became one of the leading singers in Indian cinema, predominantly singing in Hindi, Marathi and Bengali movies. In a career spanning 70 years, Mangeshkar became an icon in the music industry and the voice of many leading ladies, from Madhubala and Meena Kumari to Madhuri Dixit Nene and Kajol. She recorded over a thousand songs in 36 Indian languages, while also mentoring other musicians—including her siblings, Meena Khadikar, Asha Bhosle, Usha Mangeshkar and Hridaynath Mangeshkar.
Her rendition of ‘Ae Mere Watan Ke Logo’—which she first sang on 27 January, 1963, to encourage Indian soldiers and civilians during the Sino-Indian War—moved India’s first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, to tears. The track is still considered one of the most inspiring patriotic songs ever produced in India.
Mangeshkar’s achievements brought her recognition from the world over. She was the first Indian to perform at the Royal Albert Hall, London, in 1974, and was listed in The Guinness Book of World Records as the most recorded artist in the same year. In 2001, she was awarded the Bharat Ratna—India’s highest civilian honour—for her immense contributions to the nation. She was the second female singer to receive this honour.
And while her work indeed brought in a true women’s era in the Indian music industry, Mangeshkar also shattered gender stereotypes by embodying the Indian female breadwinner of the family. She never married or had any children, proving to countless women that their success in life depends on an internal sense of fulfilment rather than what society says.
An inspiring daughter of the Indian motherland, Mangeshkar breathed her last on 6 February, 2022, at the age of 92 due to multiple organ dysfunction syndrome, caused by COVID-19 and pneumonia. The government of India announced a two-day mourning period, during which the Indian national flag will fly at half-mast as a sign of respect. Further, Mangeshkar was given a state funeral attended by Indian leaders in every field. Tributes to her life poured in from around the world.
But even as the world grieved the passing of this legendary singer, her legacy lives on through a lifetime’s work, and the resolute spirit that she has passed on to women who will continue to be inspired by her for generations.