Lata Mangeshkar Indian singer Date of Birth: 28.09.1929 Country: India

Biography of Lata Mangeshkar

Lata Mangeshkar, an Indian singer who has been lending her voice to Indian films for over 60 years, is often hailed as the Greatest Indian Playback Singer of Indian Cinema. Despite the presence of young and seductive Indian actresses on the screen, Lata's voice continues to resonate with purity and clarity. With her golden voice, she has recorded more than 50,000 songs in Bollywood throughout her long life.

Born in 1929 in Indore, Central India Agency, British India, Lata Mangeshkar was the eldest child in her family. Her father, Pandit Deenanath Mangeshkar, was a professional singer and theater actor. Initially named Hema at birth, her parents later decided to rename her Lata in honor of a character named Latika from the play "BhaawBandhan," in which her father had acted. Lata's musical journey began at an early age, as she started taking singing lessons from her father. At the age of five, she performed her first role on stage in a play at her father's theater.

Tragedy struck when her father passed away from a heart attack in 1942, leaving Lata and her siblings in the care of family friends. At the tender age of 13, she embarked on her professional singing career. By the end of the 1940s, Lata had already established herself as a renowned singer in the Indian film industry. Her melodious voice perfectly complemented the music of Indian films, making her a sought-after artist.

Although Lata started her singing career without formal classical training, she later pursued it alongside her flourishing career. In the 1950s, she gained immense popularity and received the prestigious "Filmfare Award for Best Female Playback Singer" for her soulful renditions. Throughout the 1960s, Lata continued to collaborate with the best and most influential figures in Indian cinema, earning several accolades.

In the 1970s and 1980s, Lata Mangeshkar became a living legend, working with major film studios and delivering chart-topping songs. In 1974, she made her entry into the Guinness Book of Records for recording the highest number of songs, surpassing 25,000. By the early 1990s, she had crossed the remarkable milestone of recording over 50,000 songs. Interestingly, Lata's younger sister, Asha Bhosle, also became a singer and competed with her in terms of the number of recorded songs.

Throughout her illustrious career, Lata Mangeshkar has received numerous prestigious awards, including the esteemed "Bharat Ratna," the highest civilian award in India. In 1993, she was honored with the "Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award" for her lifetime contributions to the industry. Listing the films in which Lata's voice has graced would be an arduous task, as she has worked across all Indian languages, dialects, styles, and genres.

Lata Mangeshkar's musical journey has left an indelible mark on Indian cinema, solidifying her status as one of the most acclaimed singers in the country's history.