The lilting voice that could bring an entire nation up on its feet fell silent on Sunday, though it will reverberate forever in the hearts of millions of people world over. Legendary playback singer and Bharat Ratna awardee, Lata Mangeshkar, 92, breathed her last at Mumbai’s Breach Candy Hospital, where she had been admitted in January after she was diagnosed with Covid-19 and pneumonia.
She was cremated with full State honours at Mumbai’s Sivaji Park. Prime Minister Modi rushed to the megapolis to pay his last respects to the great singer, even as the government declared national mourning for two days. The national flag will also fly on half-mast for two days.
“Lata Didi’s songs brought out a variety of emotions. She closely witnessed the transitions of the Indian film world for decades. Beyond films, she was always passionate about India’s growth. She always wanted to see a strong and developed India,” the PM tweeted.
Condoling the death of the ‘Nightingale of India Cinema’, Vice President, M Venkaiah Naidu said, “India has lost its voice in the death” of the iconic singer.
The queen of melodies
Mangeshkar, who was the eldest daughter of renowned Marathi and Konkani musician Deenanath Mangeshkar, grew up in a household steeped in Hindustani classical tunes. Yet the adolescent Mangeshkar started her career in cinema as an actor and would go on to star in eight Hindi and Marathi films, before making her singing debut in the 1943 Marathi film Gajabahu.
Mangeshkar’s transition to the voice that ruled Bollywood began in 1949, when she sang the hauntingly beautiful Aayega Aanewala picturised on an ethereal Madhubala in the Kamal Amrohi film Mahal. Her soulful rendition would catapult her into becoming the leading voice of cinema for many generations with melodies like Ajib Dastan Hai Yeh, Kora Kagaz Tha Yeh Man Mera getting embedded into the cultural consciousness of the country.
When she sang Aye Mere Watan Ke Logon, an ode to the Indian soldiers who fell in the 1962 Sino Indian war, it moved late Prime Minister, Jawahar Lal Nehru, to tears.
The impact of Mangeshkar’s work was all pervasive, creating cultural ripples to this day. In a career spanning nearly eight decades, she has recorded songs in over 36 Indian languages and few foreign languages, her voice bridging the nation.
Mangeshkar holds the honour of being the first Indian artiste to perform live in London’s Royal Albert Hall. “Just as the fragrance of a flower has no colour, just as flowing water or the breeze has no boundaries, and just as the rays of the sun have no religious divide, the voice of Lata Mangeshkar is just such a miracle of nature,” Dilip Kumar had said introducing the Nightingale of India to her first international audience.
She was mentored by Master Vinayak, a filmmaker of the 1930s after moving to Mumbai and Ghulam Haider. She had a special relationship with composer Madan Mohan, with whom she went on to deliver some of her most memorable songs.
Love for cars and cricket
In addition to movies and music, Mangeshkar had a passion for cars. She was also a cricket fan, often taking breaks from recordings to watch Test matches. She even had a bat signed by Australian cricket legend Don Bradman.
On Sunday, tributes poured in from the length and breadth of the country with everyone sharing their favourite Lata songs. As playback singer Chithra said, “Her legacy is unparalleled. Even though Lataji is not with us physically, her voice will remain in our hearts.”
She may be no more but as Mangeshkar sang in the movie Mera Saaya, “Tu jahaan jahaan chalega, mera saaya saath hoga”.