Hyderabad: It's been three years since the legendary singer Lata Mangeshkar bid adieu to the world. Her voice, however, continues to echo in millions of hearts across generations and time. But the road to stardom was not without its challenges for the singer, who was later hailed as the Nightingale of India. Her unparalleled career, which spanned over eight decades, was decorated with prestigious honours, including the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian award.
Her first ever recorded song was Naachu yaa gade, khelu saari mani haus for a Marathi film Kitty Hasal. The song never see the light of day. It was a humble beginning to the building of what would become one of the most illustrious careers in the history of Indian cinema.
While every listener has his/her own special playlist of Lata Mangeshkar's songs, today, we're going to dive into some of the iconic tracks, each with some interesting stories or milestones attached. Read on.
1 Dil Mera Toda: Ghulam Haider, who we lost to Pakistan following Partition, played a key role in Lata Mangeshkar's career. Back then, the playback scene in the Hindi film industry was dominated by established names. Singers like Shamshad Begum, Uma Devi, and Zohrabai Ambalewali were ruling the roost and there seemed to be little room for a young girl like Lata. She was once rejected by one of India’s greatest filmmakers, Sashadher Mukherjee. Ghulam took her to meet Mukherjee who was then working on Shaheed. Lata in an interview also spoke about how Mukherjee rejected her, saying her ‘baarik’ voice would not suit the leading lady of the film, Kamini Kaushal. However, it was Ghulam Haider who foresaw Lata's future. He famously said that those rejecting her today would soon be queuing up to sign her in the coming days. True to Ghulam's words, Lata broke big, and gradually her talent eclipsed the biggest of names in the playback industry.
It was Haider who gave Lata her first big break in 1948 with the song Dil Mera Toda from the film Majboor, which was well received. Thanks to Ghulam’s faith in her, Lata caught the attention of other music directors such as Naushad, Anil Biswas, Khemchand Prakash, Husnlal-Bhagatram, and work started pouring in. While Lata had already begun conquering recording studios by 1949, it was the tumultuous year of 1948, right after Partition, that marked the beginning of her ultimate victory.
2 Aayega Aanewala: Aayega Aanewala, the second song on the list happens to be Lata Mangeshkar's first major hit. Not many know that Lata wasn’t the first choice for this melodious track. Khemchand Prakash, one of the top composers of the 1900s, originally wanted Uma Devi to sing the song. However, Uma was bound by a contract with Kardar Productions, owned by the influential producer A.R. Kardar at the time. So, what was a missed opportunity for Uma became Lata's big break. At just 20, Lata Mangeshkar won the nation's heart when she sang for Madhubala in Mahal, which also starred Ashok Kumar in the lead. The song marked the beginning of her legendary career.
3 Hawa Mein Udta Jaye: For Raj Kapoor directed-acted and produced Barsaat, music composer duo Shankar-Jaikishan were on the lookout for a new voice. The industry had yet to get a clear departure from throaty voice and a nasal style industry norms. At this juncture, Lata managed to reach the recording studio of SJ and bagged Hawa Mein Udta Jaye. Ever since their first collaboration, Lata remained their first choice until Jaikishan's demise.
Composed in 1949, Hawa Mein Udta is one of the evergreen songs crooned by her. Besides this, Mangeshkar sang seven solos for the Barsaat soundtrack and two duets with Mukesh. The album of Barsaat was a big turning point in Lata's career.
4 Mora Gora Ang Laile: Sachin Dev Burman was another renowned music composer who shared a long and successful association with Lata Mangeshkar. He famously said, “Give me Lata and a harmonium, and I will give you an outstanding composition,” Almost every song he composed with her turned out to be a massive hit. However, this successful singer-composer duo eventually had a fallout and didn’t collaborate for quite some time. It was Sachin's son, Rahul Dev Burman, who finally managed to end the cold war between them. The song that reunited the two was one of the most memorable tunes from Bimal Roy’s Bandini (1963), and it also introduced the industry to one of its finest lyricists and filmmakers, Gulzar. Calling it just a song would be an understatement, as Mora Gora Ang Laile is more of a playful piece of poetry by Gulzar, with Lata’s playback for Nutan adding the perfect touch to it.
5 Yara Seeli Seeli: A lot came together for Yara Seeli Seeli to become one of Lata Mangeshkar's timeless hits. The folk touch, the fresh analogies that Gulzar weaved in, and Hridaynath Mangeshkar's evocative music all came together perfectly to create a musical masterpiece.
Lekin (1990), a film based on Rabindranath Tagore's short story Kshudhit Pashaan, was a landmark in Hindi film music. Apart from its musical success, the film was also significant in Lata Mangeshkar's career. She ventured into film production with Lekin. Lata had always wanted to produce a film, but with one condition: it had to have great music. For her debut production, Gulzar was entrusted with the writing, direction, and lyrics of the film. The hauntingly melodious song, filmed on Dimple Kapadia, earned Lata Mangeshkar a National Award.
Read More
