Lata Mangeshkar, originally named Hema Mangeshkar at birth, was born on 28th September 1929. She passed away on 6th February 2022 at the age of 92. She was a renowned Indian playback vocalist and occasional music composer.
Throughout her career spanning eight decades, Lata Mangeshkar made significant contributions to the Indian music industry. She earned prestigious titles like the “Nightingale of India,” “Queen of Melody,” and “Voice of the Millennium.”
Lata Mangeshkar’s singing prowess extended to about 36 languages, with a focus on Marathi, Hindi, and Bengali. Moreover, she had knowledge of several foreign languages, including English, Indonesian, Nepali, Russian, Swahili, and Dutch.
Over the years, Lata Mangeshkar received numerous awards and honors. In 1989, the Indian government honored her with the “Dadasaheb Phalke Award.”
In 2001, she was granted India’s highest civilian award, the “Bharat Ratna,” becoming only the second female vocalist to receive this prestigious honor after M. S. Subbulakshmi. Furthermore, France awarded her the “Officer of the National Order of the Legion of Honour” in 2007.
Her illustrious career also included winning 3 National Film Awards, 15 Bengal Film Journalists’ Association Awards, 4 Filmfare Best Female Playback Awards, 2 Filmfare Special Awards, and the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award, among many others.
In 1974, Lata Mangeshkar achieved a milestone by becoming one of the first Indian playback vocalists to perform at the Royal Albert Hall in London, UK.
Her final recorded track, “Saugandh Mujhe Is Mitti ki,” was released as a tribute to the Indian Army and the Nation on 30th March 2019.
Lata Mangeshkar’s remarkable talent led her to be featured in the “Guinness Book of World Records” as the most-recorded artist/vocalist in history between the years 1948-1987.
On 8th Jan 2022, she tested positive for COVID-19 with minor symptoms and was hospitalized at Breach Candy Hospital’s critical care unit in Mumbai, Maharashtra. Her condition showed minimal improvement during treatment.
The medical team removed her from the ventilator on 28th Jan when her condition improved marginally, but she was later placed back on the ventilator on 5th February due to worsening conditions and the need for aggressive therapy.
Lata Mangeshkar eventually passed away on 6th February 2022 due to multi-organ failure syndrome after 28 days of continuous therapy for pneumonia and COVID-19.
In the aftermath of her passing, PM Shri Narendra Modi paid homage to Lata Mangeshkar in Mumbai and visited her family and Asha Bhosle. The Indian government declared a 2-day period of national mourning, and the country’s flag flew at half-mast from 6th to 7th February as a token of respect.
On 10th February 2022, Lata Ji’s ashes were immersed in Ramkund, in the Godavari River in Nashik, by her sibling Usha and nephew Adinath Mangeshkar.
1. Lag Jaa Gale
“Lag Jaa Gale,” a Hindi Bollywood song, holds the English meaning “Embrace me.” It was recorded for the 1964 movie “Woh Kaun Thi?” and composed by Madan Mohan Kohli, with lyrics by Raja Mehdi Ali Khan.
Sadhana, the movie’s star, performed the song onscreen, but the playback vocals were provided by the renowned Lata Mangeshkar. Throughout her illustrious career that began in 1942, Lata Mangeshkar recorded numerous songs, and among them, one song gained her immense fame.
This beautiful and well-known song was rated among Lata’s top 6 favorites in 2016 and among the top 20 in 2012.
On the track’s 50th anniversary in 2014, Lata Mangeshkar tweeted a message expressing her feelings about the timeless nature of the song “Lag ja gale”. Despite turning 58 this year, “Lag ja gale” remains so endearing that it feels evergreen. Vocalist Amit Mishra also confessed that it’s his favorite Lata Mangeshkar song and can listen to it on repeat a million times.
2. Ajeeb Dastan Hai Yeh
“Ajeeb Dastan Hai Yeh” is a song featured in the successful Bollywood film “Dil Apna Aur Preet Parai.”
The movie was released on 4th March 1960 and falls under the romantic comedy genre.The lyrics of the song “Ajeeb Dastan Hai Yeh” were penned by the renowned Indian Hindi-Urdu lyricist, Shailendra.
The beautiful music composition for the song was created by Shankar Jaikishan.Saregama was the music label associated with this popular track.
The main cast of the movie included Raaj Kumar, Nadira, and Meena Kumari.The movie was skillfully directed by Kishore Sahu.The performance of “Ajeeb Dastan Hai Yeh” by the Bollywood diva Lata Mangeshkar has etched its place in the history of the music industry.
3. Aap Ki Nazaro Ne Samjha
The song “Aap Ki Nazaro ne Samjha” is featured in the Hindi film “Anpadh,” which was released in 1962. Lata Mangeshkar’s enchanting voice brought out the true essence of this beautiful song. The lyrics of “Aap Ki Nazaro ne Samjha” were penned by Raja Mehadi Ali Khan, a well-known Bollywood lyricist. The music composition for the song was masterfully done by the talented musician Madan Mohan.
Lata Mangeshkar, a renowned playback singer, has numerous popular songs to her credit. “Aap Ki Nazaro ne Samjha” holds a special place among her top 10 songs. The music label for this song was Saregama. In the movie “Anpadh,” the lead roles were played by Dharmendra, Aruna Irani, Balraj Sahani, and Mala Sinha. The film was directed by Mohan Kumar.
4. Ek Pyar Ka Nagma Hai
The song “Ek Pyar Ka Nagma Hai” is featured in the classic film “Shor,” a vintage Bollywood hit that premiered in theaters on 15th September 1972.
The lyrics of “Ek Pyar Ka Nagma Hai” were penned by Santosh Anand, while the brilliant duo Laxmikant-Pyarelal handled the music composition. The song was released under the label Saregama India Ltd. in 1972 along with the “Shor” movie soundtrack.
Lata Mangeshkar, a prominent Bollywood singer, lent her voice to both the original and male versions of “Ek Pyar Ka Nagma Hai,” while Mukesh Mathur sang the male version. The lead roles in the film “Shor” were portrayed by Manoj Kumar, Jaya Bhaduri, and Nanda. Additionally, Manoj Kumar directed and wrote the movie.
5. Tujhse Naraj Nahi Zindagi
The hit song “Tujhse Naraj Nahi Zindagi” belongs to the movie “Masoom,” which was released in 1983.
Lata Mangeshkar sang the female version of the song, while the male version was performed by Anup Ghoshal.The lyrics of this classic were written by the renowned Gulzar, and the music composition was done by R.D. Burman.
For the song “Tujhse Naraj Nahi Zindagi,” Gulzar received the Filmfare Award for Best Lyricist.The music label associated with the song was Saregama.
The song delves into the enigma of life, attempting to comprehend its complexities.Starring in the song were Jugal Hansraj, Naseeruddin Shah, and Shabana Azmi.
6. Aye Mere Watan Ke Logo
The song “Aye Mere Watan Ke Logo” pays homage to the brave Indian soldiers who valiantly gave their lives during the Sino-Indian War. Its heartfelt lyrics were penned by Kavi Pradeep and released on January 27, 1963.
This soul-stirring Hindi patriotic song is a poignant reminder of the sacrifices made by our Indian soldiers, evoking strong emotions and passion due to the war casualties.
Lata Mangeshkar, a legendary singer, was the perfect choice for this song. Her rendition of “Aye Mere Watan Ke Logo” was unmatched, and the song was performed live on January 26, 1963, at the National Stadium in New Delhi on India’s Republic Day.
The music for this iconic song was composed by the talented music composer C. Ramchandra. He created a beautiful melody that perfectly complemented the powerful lyrics, leaving a lasting impact on listeners.
7. Bheegi Bheegi Raaton Mein
The song “Bheegi Bheegi Raaton Mein” is from the Bollywood movie “Ajnabee”, a romantic musical film.
This movie was released on the 18th of September, 1974, in theaters.R.D. Burman composed the music for this beautiful song, while the lyrics were penned by Anand Bakshi.The song was released by Ultra Bollywood, a popular music label.
“Bheegi Bheegi Raaton Mein” was a duet featuring two prominent Bollywood singers – Kishore Kumar and Lata Mangeshkar.
The film “Ajnabee” featured actors like Rajesh Khanna, Prem Chopra, Zeenat Aman, Yogita Bali, Babban Yadav, Asrani, Jankidas, Chandrashekhar, and Madan Puri in main roles.The director of the film was Shakti Samanta.
8. Zindagi Pyar Ka Geet Hai
The track “Zindagi Pyar Ka Geet Hai” is featured in the Bollywood drama film “Souten,” which premiered on June 3, 1983.
Lyricists Saawan Kumar Tak and Amit Khanna penned the emotional and sad lyrics for this song.
Music composer Usha Khanna was responsible for the song’s music composition.
The song is released under the music label Shemaroo.
Renowned singers like Lata Mangeshkar, Kishore Kumar, Asha Bhosle, and Sawan Kumar Tak lent their melodious voices to “Zindagi Pyar Ka Geet Hai.”
The movie “Souten” stars Rajesh Khanna, Tina Munim, Prem Chopra, and Padmini Kolhapure as the main leads.Saawan Kumar served as both the film’s director and producer.
9. Humko Humise Chura Lo
This iconic romantic song belongs to the hit Bollywood film “Mohabbatein,” which was released in theaters on 27th October 2000. Anand Bakshi penned the lyrics for “Humko Humise Chura Lo,” while Jatin-Lalit composed the music. The song was beautifully sung by Udit Narayan and Lata Mangeshkar together. The music for the movie “Mohabbatein” was branded by YRF and featured top stars from the film industry, including Amitabh Bachchan and Aishwarya Rai.
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10. Rimjhim Gire Sawan
This song is from the classic Hindi movie “Manzil,” which was released on 28th September 1979 in theaters. The lyrics of “Rimjhim Gire Sawan” were penned by lyricist Yogesh. The music was composed by the renowned music composer R.D. Burman, and the music label responsible for it was Saregama India Ltd.
Among the top 10 songs of Lata Mangeshkar, the female version of “Rimjhim Gire Sawan Lyrics” was sung by Lata Mangeshkar herself. On the other hand, the male version of the song was beautifully rendered by Kishore Kumar. In the movie “Manzil,” the lead roles were played by Moushumi Chatterjee and Amitabh Bachchan. Basu Chatterjee skillfully directed and wrote the film.
This melodious song became a chartbuster and added to the film’s success. Lata Mangeshkar has given us numerous brilliant and beautiful songs that have become an integral part of our lives. Her timeless voice and songs are enjoyed by all generations, and they will continue to be loved and cherished in the future as well.
