As the iconic Lata Mangeshkar turns 90 on September 28, we start the celebrations early. We present beautiful features on the songstress published on Rediff.com through the years.
That Lata Mangeshkar is one of the most celebrated playback singers of Hindi cinema is known to all.
But do you know her original name? Do you know her first song?
As the Nightingale of India celebrates her birthday on September 28, we list down amazing facts about her that everyone should know!
The singing doyen was born Hema but was rechristened Lata after the famous character Latika from her father's play Bhaaw Bandhan.
In 1942, Lataji recorded her first song for the Marathi film Kiti Hasaal but unfortunately, the song was edited out.
Between 1942 to 1948, Lata Mangeshkar acted in over eight films and saw little success.
Lata Mangeshkar won her first Filmfare award for the song Aaja Re Pardesi for the 1958 movie Madhumati.
In 1973, she won her first National Film Award for the song Beeti Na Bitai Raina, which featured in the Jaya Bachchan and Sanjeev Kumar starrer Parichay.
In 1990, the legendary singer launched her own production house with Lekin, directed by Gulzar. She sang Yaara seeli seeli in the film, which fetched her another National Award.
In 1974, the Guinness Book of Records declared Lata Mangeshkar as the most recorded artist in history. But in 2011, her younger sister Asha Bhosle replaced her.
This special was first published in September 2016.