On Sunday, February 6, our country lost its ‘Nightingale’ as the legendary singer Lata Mangeshkar left us for her heavenly adobe. The 92-year-old had tested positive for the coronavirus in January and had been admitted to the ICU ward at the Breach Candy hospital. On Saturday, her health started deteriorating once again, days after doctors had informed that the singer is showing signs of improvement. She passed away on Sunday morning at 8.12 am, due to multiple organ failures.
With a career spanning nearly eight decades, Lata Mangeshkar, also known as the ‘Queen of Melody’, was one of the most versatile singers of the Indian film industry. Born on September 28, 1929, the veteran singer had lent her voice to a bevvy of Bollywood leading ladies, from Madhubala to Priyanka Chopra. She sang over 5,000 songs in over 1,000 Hindi and around 36 regional films.
Her contribution to the Indian music industry and her impact on music lovers cannot go unnoticed. Mangeshkar will always be known for her versatile voice quality, owing to which she had recorded albums in all genres- gazals, pop, romantic, etc.
While we mourn her unfortunate demise, which has left a permanent void, we take a look at her family background and pray that the ones she has left behind, find the strength to deal with these difficult times.
Lata was born to classical singer and theatre artist Pandit Deenanath Mangeshkar and Shevanti in Madhya Pradesh’s Indore city. Notably, Shevanti was Pandit Deenanath’s second wife and also his first wife Narmada’s sister. Pandit Deenanath started teaching music to Lata at an early age, and by the time she was five years old, she started playing the lead role in the plays written by her father.
Oldest in the family, Lata had 3 younger sisters — Usha Mangeshkar, Asha Bhosle, Meena Mangeshkar, and a younger brother Hridaynath Mangeskar, and they all are accomplished singers and musicians in the industry. However, after Lata, it was Asha who achieved the desired fame and success in the industry.
Lata never got married but her affair with late Bhupen Hazarika often garnered headlines. Though the two never spoke about it, which was eventually termed as a rumour. This was until Hazarika’s estranged wife Priyamvada Patel Hazarika, back in 2012, confirmed his affair with the melody queen.
May her soul rests in peace.
