Lata Mangeshkar

Lata Mangeshkar is not only the supreme voice of the Indian music, but an Institution of Indian Music. Lata Mangeshkar was born on 28th September, 1929, at Sikh Mohalla, Indore, Madhya Pradesh, India. Her father, Pt. Deenanath Mangeshkar a classical singer & stage actor, came from Mangeshi in Goa.

Ever since she started her singing career, Lata Mangeshkar has been active in all walks of Indian popular and light classical music having sung film songs, ghazals, bhajans and pop. Until the 1991 edition, when her entry disappeared, the Guinness Book of Records listed her as the most recorded artist in the world with not less than 30,000 solo, duet and chorus-backed songs recorded in 20 Indian languages between 1948 and 1987.

Between 1942 and 1948, Lata had to act in as many as 8 films in Hindi and Marathi to take care of the family's economic problems, after her father's death. She also made her debut as a playback singer in the Marathi film Kiti Hasaal (1942) but the song was edited out!

How She Came Into Picture?
The first Hindi film in which she gave playback was Aap ke Sewa Main (1947) but her singing went unnoticed. When Lata entered the Film Industry, heavier Punjabi voices like Noorjehan, Shamshad Begum and Zohrabai Ambalewali ruled the Industry. Ironically Lata was even rejected for Shaheed (1948) by producer S. Mukherjee who complained that her voice was too thin! However Ghulam Haider unable to use her in Shaheed gave Lata her breakthrough song with Dil Mera Toda from Majboor (1948).

1949 saw the release of four films. Barsaat, Andaaz (1949) , Dulari and Mahal. The songs of all four films were runaway hits particularly Aaega Aanewaalaa from the last mentioned. By 1950 the Lata wave had changed the Industry. Her high-pitched singing rendered obsolete the heavy basy nasal voices of the day. Only Geeta Dutt and to a certain extent Shamshad Begum survived the Lata wave. Asha Bhosle too came up in the late 1950s and the two sisters were the queens of Indian playback singing right through to the 90s.

Though Lata sang under the baton of all the top composers barring O.P. Nayyar and with all the top playback artistes of the day, special mention must be made of her work for C. Ramchandra who made her sound her sweetest and Madan Mohan who challenged her voice like no other music director. The 1960s and 70s saw Lata go from strength to strength even as there were accusations of her monopolizing the field.

From the 80s Lata cut down on her workload to concentrate on her shows abroad. Lata Mangeshkar sings infrequently now but even today the songs of some of the biggest hits of today Dil To Paagal Hai (1997), Maachis (1997), Hum Aapke Hain Kaun (1994) and Dil Se (1998) are sung by her. From Nargis to Kajol she's sung for them all. Lata Mangeshkar is in fact that rare artist who has realized her search for excellence.

A Phalke Award winner for her contribution to Indian Cinema, the latest jewel in Lata's crown is having India's highest civilian award, the Bharat Ratna conferred on her.

The List of Awards for Lata Mangeshkar
» Filmfare Awards
The Filmfare Awards for playback singing first started in the year 1958. In 1956, 'Rasik Balma' (Chori-Chori) won the Best Song Filmfare Award, Lata refused to sing it live in protest of no Playback Singer category, which paved way in 1958 of this new category ( though Male & Female Awards where started later on).
From the year 1958 to 1966 no other female singer was able to get the filmfare award. Since she had won the popular Filmfare awards many times, after 1969, Lata Mangeshkar made the awe-inspiring gesture of giving up Filmfare awards in favour of fresh talent.
1958 - Aaja Re Pardesi [MADHUMATI]
1962 - Kahi Deep Jale Kahi Dil [BEES SAAL BAAD]
1965 - Tumhi Mere Mandir Tumhi Meri Pooja [KHANDAAN]
1969 - Aap Mujhe Achhe Lagne Lage [JEENE KI RAAH]
1993 - Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award
1993 - Filmfare felicitated by the Maharashra Government for completion of 50 years.
1994 - Filmfare Special Award ( Didi Tera Devar Deewana -HAHK)

» National Awards
1972 - Parichay - Best Female Playback Singer.
1975 - Kora Kagaz - Best Female Playback Singer.
1990 - Lekin - Best Female Playback Singer.

» Maharashtra State Award
1966 - Sadhi Mansa - Best Playback Singer.
1967 - Jait Re Jait - Best Playback Singer.

» Bengal Film Journalist's Association Award
1964 - Woh Kaun Thi - Best Female Playback Singer.
1967 - Milan - Best Female Playback Singer.
1968 - Raja Aur Rank - Best Female Playback Singer.
1969 - Saraswati Chandra - Best Female Playback Singer.
1970 - Do Raaste - Best Female Playback Singer.
1971 - Tere Mere Sapne - Best Female Playback Singer.
1973 - Marjina Abdulla (Bengali) - Best Female Playback Singer.
1973 - Abhimaan - Best Female Playback Singer.
1975 - Kora Kagaz - Best Female Playback Singer.
1981 - Ek Duje Ke Liye - Best Female Playback Singer. []
1985 - Ram Teri Ganga Maili - Best Female Playback Singer.

Other Awards
» Some of Lataji's awards include :
1969 : Padam Bhushan
1974 : Guinness Book of World Records:for singing the maximum number of songs in the world
1980 : Was presented key of the city of Georgetown, Guyana, South America
1980 : Honorary Citizenship. The Republic of Suriname, South America
1985 : 9th June declared as Asia Day in honour of her arrival in Toronto, Canada[]
1987 : Honorary Citizenship of the U.S.A, Houston, Texas, U.S.A
1989 : Dada Saheb Phalke Award
1990 : Honorary Doctorate (Literature) By Pune University
1996 : Videocon Screen Lifetime Achievement Award
1997 : Rajiv Gandhi Award.
1998 : Lux Zee Cine Lifetime Achievement Award
1999 : Padma Vibhushan
1999 : NTR Award
2000 : Lifetime Achievement Award by IIFA in London
2000 : Jeevan Gaurav Puraskar by the Chaturang Pratishthan[]
2001 : Bharat Ratna - The Nation's Highest Civilian Award
2001 : Noorjehan Award : First Reciepient
2001 : Maharashtra Ratna : First Reciepient
2002 : Felicitation By CII ( For Contribution to Music & the Film Industry)
2002 : Hakim Khan Sur Award ( For National Integration by Maharana Mewar Foundation)
2002 : Asha Bhosle Award : First Reciepient

Doctor of Literature from Shivaji, Kolhapur, Pune, Khairagadh Music University, Hyderabad University & New York University.
Lataji has received about 250 trophies and 150 gold discs
The only Asian to have received the Platinum Disc of EMI London
Swar Bharati award given by Shankaracharya of Sankeshwar
In Tirupati, the title of Asthaan Sangeet Vidwaan Sarloo (Court Musician of the Shrine).
She has also been the member of the Rajya Sabha

Lata Mangeshkar Award
The Government of Madya Pradesh instituted a national level music award, in 1984, in recognition of Lata's extraordinary talent and her services to the field of music. The award, Lata Mangeshkar Award, consists of a certificate of merit and a cash award of Rs. One Lac.
Lata Mangeshkar Award was also instituted by Maharashtra Government in 1992, first recipient of this award was Manik Verma for her outstanding contribution in singing.