Lata Mangeshkar
BIOGRAPHY
Lata Mangeshkar was born in Indore on September 28, 1929, and became, quite simply, the most popular playback singer in Bollywood's history. She has sung for over 50 years for actresses from Nargis to Preity Zinta, as well as having recorded albums of all kinds (ghazals, pop, etc). Until the 1991 edition, when her entry disappeared, the Guinness Book of World 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. Today that number might have reached 40,000!
She was born the daughter of Dinanath Mangeshkar, the owner of a theater company and a reputed classical singer in his own right. He started giving Lata singing lessons from the age of five, and she also studied with renowned singers Aman Ali Khan Sahib and Amanat Khan. Even at a young age she displayed a God-given musical gift and could master vocal exercises the first time.
Ironically, for someone of her stature, she made her entry into Bollywood at the wrong time - around the 1940s, when bass singers with heavily nasal voices, such as Noor Jehan and Shamshad Begum were in style. She was rejected from many projects because it was believed that her voice was too high-pitched and thin. The circumstances of her entry into the industry were no less inauspicious - her father died in 1942, the responsibility of earning income to support her family fell upon her, and between 1942 and 1948 she acted in as many as eight films in Hindi and Marathi to take care of economic hardships. She made her debut as a playback singer in the Marathi film Kiti Hasaal (1942) but, ironically, the song was edited out!
However, in 1948, she got her big break with Ghulam Haider in the film Majboor (1948), and 1949 saw the release of four of her films: Mahal (1949), Dulari (1949), Barsaat (1949), and Andaz (1949); all four of them became runaway hits, with their songs reaching to heights of what was until then unseen popularity. Her unusually high-pitched singing rendered the trend of heavily nasal voices of the day totally obsolete and, within a year, she had changed the face of playback singing forever. The only two lower-pitched singers to survive her treble onslaught to a certain extent were Geeta Dutt and Shamshad Begum.
Her singing style was initially reminiscent of Noor Jehan, but she soon overcame that and evolved her own distinctive style. Her sister, Asha Bhosle, too, came up in the late 1950s and the two of them were the queens of Indian playback singing right through to the 1990s. Her voice had a special versatile quality, which meant that finally music composers could stretch their creative experiments to the fullest. Although all her songs were immediate hits under any composer, it was the composers C. Ramchandra and Madan Mohan who made her sound her sweetest and challenged her voice like no other music director.
The 1960s and 1970s saw her go from strength to strength, even as there were accusations that she was monopolizing the playback-singing industry. However, in the 1980s, she cut down her workload to concentrate on her shows abroad. Today, Lata sings infrequently despite a sudden resurgence in her popularity, but even today some of Hindi Cinema's biggest hits, including Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995), Dil To Pagal Hai (1997), and Veer-Zaara (2004) feature her legendary voice.
AS A SINGER
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Utha Utha (Video short) (playback singer) |
2017 |
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Dunno Y 2... Life Is a Moment (playback singer) |
2015 |
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Goliyon Ki Rasleela Ram-Leela (playback singer) |
2013 |
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Satrangee Parachute (playback singer) |
2011 |
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Dunno Y Na Jaane Kyun... (playback singer) |
2010 |
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Jail (playback singer) |
2009 |
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Strangers (playback singer) |
2007 |
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Salaam-E-Ishq (playback singer) |
2007 |
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Mujhe Khabar Thi Wo Mera Nahi (Short) (playback singer) |
2007 |
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Sail (playback singer) |
2006 |
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Jai Santoshi Maa (playback singer) |
2006 |
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Bhakla (playback singer) |
2006 |
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Chingaari (playback singer) |
2006 |
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Rang De Basanti (playback singer) |
2006 |
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Lucky: No Time for Love (playback singer) |
2005 |
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Bewafaa (playback singer) |
2005 |
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Page 3 (playback singer) |
2005 |
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Veer-Zaara (playback singer) |
2004 |
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Mujhse Dosti Karoge! (playback singer) |
2002 |
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Lal Salaam (playback singer) |
2002 |
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Buhari (playback singer) |
2001 |
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Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham... (playback singer) |
2001 |
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Lajja (playback singer) |
2001 |
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Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India (playback singer) |
2001 |
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Uljhan (playback singer) |
2001 |
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One 2 Ka 4 (playback singer) |
2001 |
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Censor (playback singer) |
2001 |
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Zubeidaa (playback singer) |
2001 |
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Farz (playback singer) |
2001 |
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Mohabbatein (playback singer) |
2000 |
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Call (playback singer: "Ek Tu Hi Bharosa") |
2000 |
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Dulhan Banoo Main Teri (playback singer) |
1999 |
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Godmother (playback singer) |
1999 |
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Jahan Tum Le Chalo (playback singer) |
1999 |
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Hum Tum Pe Marte Hain (playback singer) |
1999 |
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Manchala (playback singer) |
1999 |
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Kachche Dhaage (playback singer) |
1999 |
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Hu Tu Tu (playback singer) |
1998 |
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Dil Se.. (playback singer) |
1998 |
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Satya (playback singer - as Lathamangeshkar) |
1998 |
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Dushman (playback singer) |
1998 |
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Jab Pyaar Kisise Hota Hai (playback singer) |
1998 |
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Payoji Maine Ram Ratan Dhan Payo (Short) (playback singer) |
1998 |
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Dil To Pagal Hai (playback singer) |
1997 |
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Betaabi (playback singer) |
1997 |
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Lav Kush (playback singer) |
1997 |
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Salma Pe Dil Aa Gaya (playback singer) |
1997 |
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Aatank (playback singer) |
1996 |
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Maachis (playback singer) |
1996 |
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PremGranth (playback singer) |
1996 |
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Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (playback singer) |
1995 |
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Sanam Harjai (playback singer) |
1995 |
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Guddu (playback singer) |
1995 |
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Karan Arjun (playback singer) |
1995 |
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Chaand Kaa Tukdaa (playback singer) |
1994 |
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Hum Aapke Hain Koun...! (playback singer) |
1994 |
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Ulfat Ki Nayee Manzilen (playback singer) |
1994 |
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Professor Ki Padosan (playback singer) |
1994 |
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1942: A Love Story (playback singer) |
1994 |
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Gangster (playback singer) |
1994 |
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Yeh Dillagi (playback singer) |
1994 |
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Kanoon (playback singer) |
1994 |
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Insaniyat (playback singer) |
1994 |
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Prem Shakti (playback singer) |
1994 |
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Elaan (playback singer) |
1994 |
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Nasibo (playback singer) |
1994 |
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Aasoo Bane Angaarey (playback singer) |
1993 |
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Darr (playback singer) |
1993 |
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Teri Payal Mere Geet (playback singer) |
1993 |
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Pyaar Ka Tarana (playback singer) |
1993 |
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Anmol (playback singer) |
1993 |
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Antim Nyay (playback singer) |
1993 |
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Maya (playback singer) |
1993 |
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Aaina (playback singer) |
1993 |
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Rudaali (playback singer) |
1993 |
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Parampara (playback singer) |
1993 |
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Dil Ki Baazi (playback singer) |
1993 |
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Lootere (playback singer) |
1993 |
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Kshatriya (playback singer) |
1993 |
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King Uncle (playback singer) |
1993 |
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I Love You (playback singer) |
1992 |
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Maarg (playback singer) |
1992 |
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Mehboob Mere Mehboob (playback singer) |
1992 |
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Police Aur Mujrim (playback singer) |
1992 |
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Radha Ka Sangam (playback singer) |
1992 |
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Shet Patharer Thala (playback singer) |
1992 |
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Geet (playback singer) |
1992 |
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Bewaffa Se Waffa (playback singer) |
1992 |
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Angaar (playback singer) |
1992 |
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Heer Ranjha (playback singer) |
1992 |
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Khel (playback singer) |
1992 |
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Khuda Gawah (playback singer) |
1992 |
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Saatwan Aasman (playback singer) |
1992 |
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Vansh (playback singer) |
1992 |
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Karm Yodha (playback singer) |
1992 |
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Dil Hi To Hai (playback singer) |
1992 |
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Prem Daan (playback singer) |
1992 |
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First Love Letter (playback singer) |
1991 |
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Phool Bane Angaarey (playback singer) |
1991 |
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Sau Crore (playback singer) |
1991 |
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Lamhe (playback singer) |
1991 |
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Banjaran (playback singer) |
1991 |
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Do Pal (playback singer) |
1991 |
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Dancer (playback singer) |
1991 |
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Saudagar (playback singer) |
1991 |
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Bourani (playback singer) |
1991 |
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Henna (playback singer) |
1991 |
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100 Days (playback singer) |
1991 |
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Rajnartaki (playback singer) |
1991 |
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Farishtay (playback singer) |
1991 |
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Patthar Ke Phool (playback singer) |
1991 |
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Nabab (playback singer) |
1991 |
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Sanam Bewafa (playback singer) |
1991 |
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Balidaan (playback singer) |
1991 |
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Kanoon Ki Zanjeer (playback singer) |
1990 |
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Kishen Kanhaiya (playback singer) |
1990 |
