Lata Mangeshkar has been one of the greatest and most influential singers in India. In a career span of over seven decades, she lent her melodious voice for over a thousand songs. She was honoured with prestigious awards like the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, National Film Award, Bharat Ratna and Filmfare award for her achievements in the field of music.
Lata was given titles such as The Nightingale of India, Voice of the Millennium and Queen of Melody. But did you know that Lata Mangeshkar wasn’t her real name?
Lata Mangeshkar Real Name: Her real name was Hema Hardikar. Her father, Deenanath adopted the surname Mangeshkar in order to identify his family with his native town of Mangeshi, Goa. A few years later, he renamed her Lata after he got heavily inspired by a female character called Latika from a theatre play called ‘Bhaav Bandhan’.
Lata Mangeshkar Biography: Lata was born on 28 September 1929 in Indore. Her father Deenanath Mangeshkar was a popular classical singer and theatre artist of his time. Lata was the eldest of four siblings- Meena, Asha, Usha and Hridaynath.
Lata started learning music at the age of five. Just like her father, she also used to act in theatre plays. When she was 13-years-old, her father passed away. She, being the eldest sibling took up the responsibility of the household. In order to earn bread for her family, she took up singing and acting as a career. Later, her family shifted to Mumbai in order to make a shining career in the Hindi music industry. And the rest is history! All the Mangeshkar siblings are accomplished singers and musicians.
Lata Mangeshkar Death: The legendary singer took her last breath on Feb 6, 2022, at the age of 92. She died due to multiple organ failure after battling Covid and pneumonia for a month.
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