Lata Mangeshkar’s demise: Some interesting facts about India’s Nightingale

By Sanjay Maurya

“As a singer, you have to bring the soul to the song.”– Lata Mangeshkar

Lata Mangeshkar, the legendary singer, died yesterday (6^th February 2022) at Mumbai’s Breach Candy Hospital around 8 a.m., in a heartbreaking loss for the country. She was 92 years old at the time. The singer was admitted to the hospital after testing positive for COVID-19 and was suffering from pneumonia. Despite recuperating from the infection, her health was worsening again on Saturday (5^th February), according to hospital staff, and she remained serious and under surveillance. Lata Mangeshkar succumbed to multi-organ failure eventually.

Lata Mangeshkar

Siblings: Asha Bhosle, Hridaynath Mangeshkar, Meena Khadikar, Usha Mangeshkar
Born: 28 September 1929, Indore
Died: 6 February 2022
Awards: Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award, Bharat Ratna, MORE
Parents: Shevanti Mangeshkar, Deenanath Mangeshkar

Lata Mangeshkar’s father died of heart illness when she was just 13 years old, leaving her as the family’s main earner. In the 1940s, she attempted to make a name for herself as a singer, recording her debut song in the Marathi film Kiti Hasaal (1942).

Interesting Facts About The Legendary Singer

Deenanath Mangeshkar, Lata’s father, was a Marathi theatre performer and musical composer. Lata Mangeshkar was born Hema Mangeshkar and later changed her name to Lata after being influenced by a character in her father’s play.
Lata Didi comes from a family of singers, since her sisters Asha, Usha, and Meena are all well-known vocalists.
In an interview with Bollywood Hungama, Mangeshkar admitted that she didn’t listen to her own songs since she would identify various mistakes in her singing.
Mangeshkar was the second Indian vocalist to be awarded the Bharat Ratna, following Carnatic singer MS Subbalakshmi.
Didi’s largest number of duets are with famous singer Mohammed Rafi.
She worked as a music director for Marathi films including ‘Sadhi Manase,’ ‘Ram Ram Pavhana,’ and ‘Tituka Melvava.’
Mangeshkar was a die-hard cricket fan who witnessed the team’s 1983 World Cup victory and even performed for free to generate cash for them.
According to the Guinness Book of Records in 1974, Lata Mangeshkar was the most recorded performer.
In March of this year, Lata Mangeshkar released her most recent recorded song. ‘Saugandh Mujhe Is Mitti Ki’ was the title of the song.