LATA MANGESHKAR AND THE MUSIC REVOLUTION

Late legendary singer Lata Mangeshkar became a legend not only for having a melodious voice, but also because of many twists and turns in her life, and the support of some experts from the bollywood's music industry.

- Debojit Acharjee

She was born in a Maharashtrian Brahmin family in 1929, and she has three sisters -- Meena, Asha, Usha and a brother named Hridaynath, and she is the eldest among them. Her father -- Deenanath Mangeshkar, was a well-known classical singer and a Marathi actor. Her mother, Shevanti (later renamed Shudhamati), a Gujarati woman from Thalner (Maharashtra), and she was Deenanath's second wife; his first wife Narmada, who had died, was Shevanti's older sister. Her name was “Hema" at birth, but later her parents renamed to “Lata" and the name was after a female character Latika, who was in one of her father's plays.

Deenanath was born in Goa and he adopted the surname “Mangeshkar” to represent his native town of Mangeshi, Goa. Her father was a very disciplined person, and always had a strict parenting nature. He never allowed his children to become frivolous and was also particular about their dress code. Her father only trained her in classical music at the age of five, which was the beginning of her melodious journey.

THE GAME CHANGERS

In 1942, when she was only 13 yrs of age, her father died of heart disease, and this was the most shocking incident of her life. But this incident didn't end her singing journey, instead, it took a sharp turn in her career. Her father's friend Master Vinayak (Vinayak Damodar Karnataki), the owner of Navyug Chitrapat Movie Company, took care of her family. He then helped her in making a career in singing and acting. Because of Vinayak, she got a chance to sing in a Marathi film, and she sang the song “Naachu Yaa Gade, Khelu Saari Mani Haus Bhaari”, in a Marathi film called Kiti Hasaal (1942).

He also gave her a small role in the marathi film Pahili Mangalaa-gaur (1942). Her first Hindi song was “Mata Ek Sapoot Ki Duniya Badal De Tu” for the Marathi film Gajaabhaau (1943).