#GoldenFrames: Lata Mangeshkar, the Nightingale of India

Lata Mangeshkar has left behind a treasure trove of songs vocalised in her euphonious voice, sung across a career over seventy years. The singer is known famously as the 'Nightingale of India' and 'Melody Queen of India.' She is Hindi cinema’s greatest playback singer with 25,000 songs in over seven decades.

Daughter of Pandit Deenanath Mangeshkar and Shevanti Mangeshkar, Lata Mangeshkar was born on September 28, 1929. She began her career at thirteen after her father passed away.

Being a well-known Marathi musician and theatre artist, Pandit Deenanath Mangeshkar played a huge role as an early influence on Lata Mangeshkar.

Lata Mangeshkar began her career in music and acting, simultaneously, at the age of 13—juggling singing with acting parts in Marathi movies. She recorded her first playback song for a Marathi movie, 'Kiti Hasaal.' Unfortunately, the song was removed from the movie's final cut. Mangeshkar worked in over eight movies from 1942 to 1948.

With little success in acting, Mangeshkar went on to make a career in singing. She was initially rejected as a playback singer. However, she went on to deliver some of the industry's biggest hits. Her first Hindi song was “Mata Ek Sapoot Ki Duniya Badal De Tu” for the 1943 Marathi feature, 'Gajaabhaau.' There was no turning back since. She went on to collaborate with Bollywood titans like Shankar Jaikishan, Naushad Ali and SD Burman, among others.

After Master Vinayak passed away in 1948, music director Ghulam Haider mentored Mangeshkar. He gave her the first major break with the song "Dil Mera Toda, Mujhe Kahin Ka Na Chhora," in the movie 'Majboor' (1948), which became her first breakthrough hit. In the 1950s, Lata sang songs composed by various music directors. She sang in every genre through the 1950s and 1960s.

Mangeshkar had an early hit in the song “Aayega Aanewala,” from the movie 'Mahal' in 1945. Eventually, her voice and career reached the greatest of heights.

Legendary composer S.D. Burman chose Lata Mangeshkar as the leading female singer for his musical scores in 'House No.44' (1955), 'Devdas' (1955) and 'Sazaa' (1951). Mangeshkar sang raga-based compositions by Naushad in movies like 'Baiju Bawra' (1952), 'Mother India' (1957) and 'Mughal-E-Azam' (1960).

"Pyar kiya toh darna kya," "Kahiin deep jale kahin dil," "Ajeeb dastaan hai yeh," "Aap ki nazron ne samjha," and many other songs of Lata Mangeshkar remain popular to date.

Lata Mangeshkar's soulful enactment, "Aye Mere Watan Ke Logon," moved India's first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, to tears in 1962.