#GoldenFrames: Lata Mangeshkar, the Nightingale of India

Lata Mangeshkar has left behind a treasure trove of songs vocalised in her euphonious voice, sung across a career over seventy years. The singer is known famously as the 'Nightingale of India' and 'Melody Queen of India.' She is Hindi cinema’s greatest playback singer with 25,000 songs in over seven decades.

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Pic Courtesy : BCCL

Daughter of Pandit Deenanath Mangeshkar and Shevanti Mangeshkar, Lata Mangeshkar was born on September 28, 1929. She began her career at thirteen after her father passed away.

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Being a well-known Marathi musician and theatre artist, Pandit Deenanath Mangeshkar played a huge role as an early influence on Lata Mangeshkar.

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Lata Mangeshkar began her career in music and acting, simultaneously, at the age of 13—juggling singing with acting parts in Marathi movies. She recorded her first playback song for a Marathi movie, 'Kiti Hasaal.' Unfortunately, the song was removed from the movie's final cut. Mangeshkar worked in over eight movies from 1942 to 1948.

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Pic Courtesy : BCCL

With little success in acting, Mangeshkar went on to make a career in singing. She was initially rejected as a playback singer. However, she went on to deliver some of the industry's biggest hits. Her first Hindi song was “Mata Ek Sapoot Ki Duniya Badal De Tu” for the 1943 Marathi feature, 'Gajaabhaau.' There was no turning back since. She went on to collaborate with Bollywood titans like Shankar Jaikishan, Naushad Ali and SD Burman, among others.

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