She is our country's nightingale. Her golden voice has featured in over 980 Bollywood films.
Yes, we're talking about a legend... Lata Mangeshkar.
She started her career in 1942 and sings in over twenty Indian languages.
In the recently-released Bollywood Melodies, by Ganesh Anantharaman, Mangeshkar discusses her inspirations, her so-called rivalry with younger sister, Asha Bhosle (an equally accomplished singer), and her favourite contemporary singers.
Saigal (Kundan Lal, Bollywood's first superstar) as inspiration
As a child, I heard Saigal's music before I heard anyone else, barring my father, who was himself a reputed musician. I used to learn classical music from my father at home, and he'd have the final say in what music we kids got to listen. Film music was banned at home, but fortunately for me, my father approved of Saigal and I could listen to his music without censure. I liked Saigal particularly for his diction. Coming from Punjab, he sang Hindi and Urdu without a trace of accent, unlike other singers from Bengal at that time, who sang well, but with a Bengali intonation.
Excerpted from Bollywood Memories, by Ganesh Anantharaman, published by Penguin Books India, with the publisher's permission, Rs 295.
To buy the book at the Rediff Shopping, click here!
Advertisement
