What’s the identity of today’s singers: Lata Mangeshkar (A 2006 exclusive interview of Lata Mangeshkar)

She was 2 when sound came to Indian cinema and just 12 when her voice got tuned in. Lata Mangeshkar, the unbroken string of the past to present Bollywood music, laments the lack of originality in present day singers.

Born Hema Hardikar, 77-year-old Lata has literally “been there, seen and done that” in the field of film music and continues to lend voice to actresses who are old enough to be her great grand daughters.

Witnessing a steady deterioration of quality in film music through ages has although not made her quit purely because her approach to film music – right from her seminal films - is thoroughly professional.

“Even as children our interest was never much into film music. We were more into classical and folk music. It was purely because we had to earn a living that I opted for film singing,” the Bharat Ratna holder told me in an interview.

“My family was already into moviemaking. So film singing became a natural and obvious choice for a career,” the Bharat Ratna awardee remarked.

Indeed, the phenomenon called Lata Mangeshkar happened purely as a matter of fate and destiny.

One would wonder what would have happened if her father, Dinanath Mangeshkar had not died when she was just 13. Or what would have happened if she was not the eldest in the family and hence taking responsibility for its survival.

Interestingly, according to Lata, her father forbade the listening to or singing of film songs, except those of Kundan Lal Saigal.

Lata’s voice first created a stir when she won the “Khazanchi” trophy in 1941 in Pune, singing composer Master Ghulam Haider’s actually songs sung by Noorjehan.

“I can still remember how we used to rave about “Khazanchi’s” songs. It left a memorable impact on our minds. In those days Saigal sahab’s voice used to turn our knees to jelly,” Lata reminisced.

“Of course there were so many other artistes including great ones like K.C. Dey (uncle of legendary singer Manna Dey), Zohrabai and Noorjehan,” she said.

In fact “Badi Maa” (1945) saw Lata and her sister Asha (Bhonsle) acting alongside Noorjehan and sang for both - herself and Asha – in it.


“That was a time when I also used to act in movies – again only to earn a living. It was only after the end of 40s did I take up singing full time,” a nostalgia-filled Lata said.

Her first cinematic song was for the Marathi film “Kiti Hasaal” (1942) and in Hindi it was in the film “Aap Ki Seva Mein” (1947) where she sang songs composed by Datta Davjekar.

However, her first impact came with “Majboor” (1948) in which she also sang her first duet with Mukesh – “Ab Darne Ki Kya Baat” – which has a faint resemblance to “Tu Cheez Badi Hai Mast Mast” (Mohra, 1994).

Legend goes that Ghulam Haider locked horns with his employer Filmistan after they deleted a song recorded in Lata’s voice for “Shaheed” (1948) and worked – with a vengeance - on “Majboor” for Bombay Talkies.

However, Bollywood music history as we know it today was made only when she began haunting the Indian mass psyche with her “Ayega Anewala” composed by Khemchand Prakash for Kamal Amrohi’s “Mahal” (1949).


Although, ironically the film’s credits named the singer “Kamini”, the character played by the ethereal Madhubala who sings the song, Lata swept away her competition overnight after “Mahal”.

After reigning supreme for more than five decades she has now slowed down. However, her

humility betrayed her frustration when she spoke about present day songs, singers and other artistes.

Her irritation was evident at the current crop of film songs and composers when she said: “Earlier even if the film was a bad one the film’s music used see to it that it was a hit.

“Even people used to like variety in emotions – sad, romantic, comedy, patriotic. Show me one example of even one good sad song in recent times.”

Lata, who once refused to sing “Mujhe Buddha Mil Gaya” for Raj Kapoor’s “Sangam” (1964) to Shankar-Jaikishen’s tunes for she considered them vulgar is aghast at what is heard today.

“Those upcoming girls and boys who dance to vulgar tunes and words and sing them. What is their identity?

“If people are looking for genuine talent, why are they singing our songs and compositions? Don’t they have anything new to offer?”

When told about the usual reasoning of “public demand”, Lata retorted: “If they are giving what the public wants why aren’t their songs lasting for more than two months. Don’t blame the public for your trash creativity.”