The eldest of five siblings, Lata started focusing on her singing career at age 13, when her father died. Talent and hard work helped her create an unparalleled reputation in Bollywood for playbacksinging and she held a position in the Guinness Book of World Records from 1974 to 1991 for making the most recordings -- reportedly 25,000 -- in the world. She is the second vocalist to receive the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian honour.

Asha's career started off after an unhappy marriage. Left to fend for her three children, she started off with small playback parts in the movies and moved her way up to a standing at par with sister Lata. Today, she is far more active in the music industry than her elder sister, having collaborated with a host of foreign artists and releasing non-movie albums. She became the first ever Indian singer to be nominated for the Grammy Award in 1997 and has even found the time to become a restaurateur -- she owns eateries named after her in Dubai and Kuwait.

Life lesson from the Mangeshkar sisters: