India’s nightingale Lata Mangeshkar has died at the age of 94 after being hospitalized with Covid-19 since December.
Lata Mangeshkar often dubbed as “the nightingale of India”, winner of several awards like the Bharat Ratna, dada saheb Phalke award has passed away at age 92 at the Breach-Candy hospital due to multiple organ failures.
In her 80 years long career she delivered a generation of superhit songs, she made her debut with Aayega Aanewala in the movie Mahal starring Madhubala. Lata Mangeshkar’s voice and career rose to new heights from then on. She sang raga-based compositions by Naushad in films such as Baiju Bawra, Mother India, and Mughal-E-Azam, as well as Shankar-melodic Jaikishan’s hits in Barsaat and Shree 420; Salil Chowdhury’s lilting tracks in Madhumati earned her a Filmfare Award for Best Female Playback Singer; and Bees Saal Baad and Khandan. Lata Mangeshkar won three National Awards for Best Female Playback Singer for the films Parichay, Kora Kagaz and Lekin. Other memorable films in her credits include Pakeezah, Abhimaan, Amar Prem, Aandhi, SIlsila, Chandni, Sagar, Rudali and Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge.
Perhaps one most iconic moment in her life was singing “Ae mere Watan Ke logon” from the ramparts of the red fort after the 1962 Indo-china war which made the then prime minister Pt Jawahar Lal Nehru cry for the martyred soldiers.
