Mumbai: India's legendary singer and Rajya Sabha member Lata Mangeshkar, who has touched the hearts of millions with her melifluous voice in the last few decades, turned 75 on September 28. The nightingale celebrated her birthday with her family and friends at her South Mumbai residence ‘Prabhu Kunj’. A cultural programme has been organised in the evening at Andheri Sports Complex where Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani would felicitate her.

Several fans and friends greeted the melody queen on the occasion and thanked her for lending her golden voice over the decades to entertain people.

The white sari clad playback singer has lent her voice and expression to myriad emotions. It is not just Lata's golden voice but sheer determination that catapulted her to the top position.

She took her early lessons in music from her father Dinanath Mangeshkar. Unfortunately for her, he passed away when she had barely reached adolescence. At this tender age, Lata became the breadwinner for her mother and four younger siblings.

Lata acted in as many as eight Hindi and Marathi films in the 1940s while struggling to establish herself as a playback singer. Traveling by Mumbai's local trains, the scrawny but determined struggler won her first break as a playback singer with ‘Aap Ki Sewa Mein’(1947).

With established singers like Amirbai Karnataki, Shamshad Begum and Rajkumari around, Lata's thin voice was not noticed. However, she came to limelight after leading composer Ghulam Haider gave her songs in ‘Majboor’ and ‘Padmini’ (Bedard mere pyar ko).

Lata soared to heights in playback singing in the 1950s when she became the unanimous choice of most music directors. She became popular with her melodious numbers in Awara, Baiju Bawra, Anarkali, Nagin and Shri 420.

In-between recordings, Lata found time to compose music for Marathi film Ram Ram Pahune, under the name Anandghan. She even produced films like ‘Vaadal’, ‘Jhanjhar’ and ‘Kanchan’. In the 1960s, Lata rose to greater heights and teamed up with music directors Madan Mohan and Roshan. With her squeaky clean image, Lata was steadfast about choosing songs she wanted to render. If she sang the rare cabaret number like ‘Aa jaane jaana’, it was only to explore the limits of her versatility.

The then Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru was touched by Lata's rendition of the patriotic number ‘Aye Mere Watan Ke Logon’. Soon thereafter, she was awarded Padma Bhushan in 1969. In the seventies and early eighties, Lata retained her postition at the top with leading music directors Laxmikant Pyarelal, R D Burman and Kalyanji Anandji using her talent. In the disco era of the mid 1980s, Lata cut down on her workload though she did give an occasional hit like Ram Teri Ganga Maili.

Today, the recipient of prestigious ‘Dadasaheb Phalke Award’ is occupied with her pet project in Pune, the Master Dinanath Hospital. The diva is fond of watching cricket and is an avid photographer. Lata, who is a spinster, continues to be devoted to her art.

PTI