Remembering Lata Mangeshkar: Times when the legendary singer proved her greatness
After Lata Mangeshkar's demise, we recount the instances when Lata Mangeshkar proved her brilliance.
The 'Nightingale of India' Lata Mangeshkar passed away on Sunday, February 6 at the Breach Candy Hospital in Mumbai. The veteran singer died due to multiple organ failure at the age of 92 after she was admitted to the hospital due to Covid-19 complications last month. Lata Ji's last rites were held at the Shivaji Park and her funeral was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and various Bollywood celebrities including Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan, Ranbir Kapoor, and others.
As we remember Lata Didi, we recount six such instances when she proved her greatness. (All images: File photos)
Born in a musical family in Indore, Lata was born to Pandit Deenanath Mangeshkar, a classical singer and theatre actor. When Lata Didi was six years old, one of his father's students was singing incorrectly. She interrupted him and explained to him the correct raga. Her father is said to have started her musical training after this incident.
Listening to Lata Mangeshkar at her father's second death anniversary, Deenanath Mangeshkar's guru Pandit Ramkrishna Bua Vaze is said to have predicted that the singer would achieve unparalleled success and other singers won't be able to last in front of her. His prediction indeed proved absolutely correct.
The Bharat Ratna awardee Lata Mangeshkar used to cancel her recording if she didn't feel fully satisfied with her voice. She used to directly call the music director and apologise for scraping the recording. That's why it is said that even when Lata Ji sneezed, the entire film industry would go down with fever.
Once the acting legend Dilip Kumar is said to have remarked that Lata Ji's voice is excellent, but she needs to work on her Urdu pronunciations. This impacted the legendary singer so much that she started learning the language from the very next day. Both the legends shared a close bond of friendship and trust.
Lata Didi chose the iconic Royal Albert Hall in the United Kingdom as the venue for her first international performance in 1974 when she performed some of her best songs to a packed audience. She also shared some anecdotes on the stage, displaying a quirky sense of humor. Lata Didi was the first Indian artist to perform at the prestigious London venue.
In early 1962, Lata Mangeshkar fell seriously ill. Doctors were called, and the medical investigation revealed that she was given poisoned slowly. She fought a life-and-death battle for three days and was bed-ridden for three months. After her recovery, the singer sang the superhit song 'Kahin Deep Jale Kahin Dil' and earned her second Filmfare Award.