Bollywood's 'Queen of Melody', Lata Mangeshkar, passed away on Sunday, 6 February at the age of 92, leaving her fans and the whole industry grief-stricken. She was admitted to Mumbai's Breach Candy Hospital for COVID complications and passed away due to multiple organ failure after weeks of hospitalisation.
As tributes pour in for the legendary singer, here's a look at some of the lesser-known facts about her:
Lata's entry in movies changed the face of the Indian music industry forever. Her incredibly melodious voice was a part of Indian cinema for almost eight decades and her demise has surely left a scathing void in our hearts.
Lata Mangeshkar as a child.
(Photo Courtesy: Twitter)
Lata's journey in the industry began when she was only 5 years old and acted in her father's theatre production. Lata's father was quite a disciplinarian and as surprising as it was, Lata and her siblings weren't allowed to watch films or even sing filmy songs!
Unfortunately, her father passed away when she was 13. Being the eldest of five siblings, all the family responsibilities fell upon her and that's when she stepped into the Marathi film industry. To support her family, she not only started singing in the films but also acted in a few movies.
Lata entered the music industry at a very young age when the playback was dominated by established singers like Zohrabai Ambalewali, Shamshad Begum, and Geeta Dutt but, it didn't take her long to become one of the most popular and sought-after voices.
Her first ever song was for a Marathi film Kiti Hasal in 1942 but she gained popularity with the song 'Aayega Aanewala' from Mahal. After that, she never looked back!
Lata's voice stood the test of times, from being rejected for her 'thin voice' to becoming the voice of the nation. Her contribution to Indian cinema goes beyond measure. It was her efforts that introduced the 'Playback Singer' category in the Filmfare Awards in 1959.
In a career spanning over eight decades, Lata won more than just hearts. She received the highest civilian awards in India (Bharat Ratna) and France (Legion of Honour), the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, multiple Filmfare and National Film awards among many others.
She was the first Indian to perform at the Royal Albert Hall and her name was even registered in the Guinness Book of World Records for singing over 25,000 songs. The list of her achievements is truly endless.
Lata Mangeshkar receiving a Filmfare award.
(Photo Courtesy: Twitter)
Over the years, the world has changed tremendously and so has the music industry but what remains is Lata's heavenly voice etched in our hearts.
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