“Kal Bhi Suraj Nillega, Kal Bhi Panchhi Gayenge
Sab Tujhko Dikhai Denge, Par Hum Na Nazar Aayenge…”
One of the famous songs of our Queen of Melody Lata Mangeshkar Ji suits well to the current situation as she left for the heavenly abode on February 06 leaving all of us in extreme shock and numbness. Her absence has left us all with a void that is never going to get filled ever again. It is just impossible to regain this lost precious gem of India.
The Voice of Millennium, Lata Mangeshkar Ji will be terribly missed by every one of us but she will always be alive in our hearts through her eternal songs. To sum up her life, her contributions and achievements in a blog is completely impossible. But to reminisce her efforts here is an attempt!
Lata Mangeshkar Ji: A Beating Heart of Every Indian
92 years back, on September 28, 1929, a melodious sun rose in India and nobody knew that this sun will shine so bright that it will nurture the whole country with its melodious voice. The rays of this sun since its rise continued to flourish and nurture so many new plants in the music industry of India. And now when that sun has got set, its melodious rays are still here to guide the new plants of this industry to reach their destination and to give the sense of immense pleasure to the ears of people.
Lata Mangeshkar Ji has never been onscreen as a young heroine but her presence was always there because of her melodious voice. She was the soundtrack to so many Bollywood movies. She was the reason that the character having her voice behind, made a heart to heart connection with the audience.
Lata Mangeshkar Ji was the beating heart of Indians as every occasion or event always remains incomplete without her songs, be it a wedding or a funeral, she gave us the songs of every emotion, every mood as well as every feel. With more than 30,000 songs in more than 36 languages is something that we cannot expect from a single person. She was a legend and she will always be.
Affectionally, called as ‘Didi’ she actually became the sister of whole country and hence this loss feels so personal to very Indian. She has left a legacy which is as old and as independent as India itself. She was the one who left India’s first Prime Minister, Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru in tears with her singing of ‘Ae Mere Vatan ke Logo’ and now India’s current Prime Minister, Narendra Modi too with her sudden demise. She was the living Goddess Saraswati who will always be worshipped by every one of us.
A Brief Background to the Life of Lata Mangeshkar Ji
Born to Deenanath Mangeshkar, an active name in the world of theatre, in the city of Indore on September 28, 1929, Lata Mangeshkar Ji began her learning of singing at the age of five. Her life was not an easy one. She lost her father in her teenage and it was then, her family shifted to Mumbai. Being eldest of five siblings, Meena, Asha, Usha and a brother, Hirdayanth who all now survive her, she started her singing career in Marathi Movies.
Besides singing, she also played minor roles onscreen but she never liked acting as she told in an interview, that she prayed God that no more acting in movies and God heard her. Gradually her fortune changed in 1949 and she made her place in the Bollywood industry with her first hit, “Aayega Annewala” in the movie ‘Mahal’ She made it to singing for actresses from Meena Kumari and Madhubala to Kajol and Preity Zinta and her voice became the heartthrob and she became India’s Nightingale, the Millennium voice of India.
Besides, Hindi she sang in other languages too, from Bengali to Gujarati. Also, she established herself as a live performer and usually she performed in white or cream coloured silk sarees on the stage. With her iconic voice her outfit was iconic too. She never got married because she served her whole life as a mother to all her siblings who now survive her and devoted all her life to music. In A book written by Ms. Kabir, she told, “Music is her life”. Besides music she had a great passion for cricket. As an aware citizen she always kept herself updated.
Also Read, A Memory Left Behind: The Best Movies of Dilip Kumar
Lata Mangeshkar Ji’s Achievements
Throughout her eight-decade career, Lata Mangeshkar Ji was adorned with several awards including the highest civilian award of the country, Bharat Ratna. She was the recipient of Three National Film Awards, 15 Bengal Film Journalists’ Association Awards, Four Best Playback Singer Filmfares, Two Special Filmfares and the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award. Also, she was the recipient of Dadasaheb Phalke Award. Moreover, she was bestowed with the highest civilian award of France, Officer of Legion Honour.
Along with these awards, she holds the Gunnies World Record of most recorded performer in the Indian film history. Moreover, as a cherry on the top, Lata Mangeshkar, on her 90th birthday was conferred with the award of the ‘Daughter of the Nation’.
Lata Mangeshkar Ji’s Last Days
Last days of Lata Mangeshkar’s life were terrible. She got Covid Positive and was admitted to Breach Candy Hospital. She recovered from Covid-19 but lost the battle of life on ventilator in the same hospital on February 6, 2022.
Lata Mangeshkar Ji’s Last Rites
The whole country is in deep shock with the demise of Lata Mangeshkar Ji. As soon as the news of her death got spread, social media was flooded with messages of mourning. The Nation mourned this huge loss by declaring the National Shok of two days. Her last rites were performed at Shivaji Park and so many people became a part of it including the Prime Minister Narendra Modi. With a heavy heart, the whole country bid farewell to her.
Lata Mangeshkar Ji Will Always Be Remembered…
“Tum Mujhe Yu Bhula Na Paoge…”
The above line of one of her songs in itself is a proof of the fact that she will be remembered in every era. Indeed the void her death has created will never be filled . She will always be remembered. Today, she is not here with us today, physically, but she will always remain immortal because of her songs. Her songs will always remain an integral part of our life . Every generation will have a special separate corner in their hearts for her songs. She was the beating heart and will always be, her eternal songs will keep on echoing in our minds and hearts forever.
