In early 1962, Lata Mangeshkar fell seriously ill. Doctors were called, and the medical investigation revealed that she was given slow poison.
Born on September 29, 1929, Lata Mangeshkar left the world last year in February. She was one of the best and most respected playback singers who recorded songs in over a thousand Hindi films and sang in more than thirty-six Indian languages.
She was born in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, to Pandit Deenanath Mangeshkar, a renowned classical singer and theater artist, and Shevanti. Her siblings, Meena, Asha, Usha, and Hridaynath, are all accomplished musicians and singers. Lata's upbringing was within the artistic ambiance of her father's theater company, known for producing musical plays. Her journey in the performing arts commenced at the age of five, initially through acting roles.
Attended school for one day:
She began singing and acting in her father Deenanath Mangeshkar’s musical plays when she was only five. On her first day at school, she started giving music lessons to other children and when the teacher asked her to stop, she felt so offended that she decided not to go to school ever. Other sources cite that she left school as she would always go to school with her younger sister Asha, and the school would object to it.
At a tender age of 13, tragedy struck Lata Mangeshkar's life as her father passed away due to heart disease, leaving her as the sole provider for her family. Struggling to make a mark in the music industry during the 1940s, she recorded her first song for the Marathi movie Kiti Hasaal (1942), although regrettably, the song was later excluded from the film. Relocating to Mumbai in 1945, her breakthrough arrived with the haunting melody 'Aayega Aanewala' from the movie Mahal (1949), catapulting her into stardom as one of Hindi cinema's most sought-after voices. During that year, Master Vinayak, a family friend who had been supporting the Mangeshkar family after her father's demise, offered her a minor role in his inaugural Hindi film, Badi Maa.
Her debut in Hindi cinema came with 'Mata Ek Sapoot Ki Duniya Badal De Tu' for the Marathi film Gajaabhaau (1943). Relocating to Mumbai in 1945 with Vinayak's company, she began music lessons under Ustad Aman Ali Khan of Bhindibazaar Gharana. Progressing in her career, she lent her voice to 'Paa Lagoon Kar Jori' in Vasant Joglekar's Hindi film ‘Aap Ki Seva Mein’ (1946). Her sister Asha also contributed to Vinayak's debut Hindi film, 'Badi Maa' (1945), while Lata sang the bhajan ‘Maata Tere Charnon Mein’ for the movie. Her encounter with composer Vasant Desai happened during the recording of Vinayak's second Hindi film, 'Subhadra' in 1946.
Slow Poison:
In early 1962, Lata Mangeshkar fell seriously ill. Doctors were called, and the medical investigation revealed that she was given slow poison. She fought a life-and-death battle for three days. The episode left her physically weak, and she remained bedridden for nearly three months. Soon after the incident, their cook vanished from home, without taking his wages. During this time, the late Bollywood lyricist Majrooh Sultanpuri would regularly visit didi, taste her food first and only then allow her to eat.
Non-Singing Endeavours:
She had started her career as an actor. She starred in Pahili Mangalagaur (1942) and then also featured in films like Chimukla Sansar (1943) and Maajhe Baal (1944). She, however, stated that she was uncomfortable acting and that applying make-up and laughing or crying as per the instructions of the director was not something that she enjoyed.
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