Lata Mangeshkar (born September 28, 1929, Indore, British India—died February 6, 2022, Mumbai [Bombay], India) was an iconic Indian playback singer who was lovingly called Swar Kokila (vocal nightingale). Her career spanned eight decades, and she recorded songs for the soundtracks of more than 2,000 Indian films.

Early life

Mangeshkar was born into a traditional Marathi family and was the eldest of five siblings. Her father, Dinanath Mangeshkar, was a famous Marathi stage personality often celebrated as Master Dinanath. Mangeshkar was trained from age five by her father, a disciple of the Gwalior gharana (a community of performers who share a distinctive musical style), and she was tutored by maestros such as Aman Ali Khan and Amanat Khan. She started her career at an early age owing to her father’s untimely death in 1942. Today she is honored as one of the most melodious voices India has ever produced, but her journey started not as a singer but as an actress. Mangeshkar played several small roles in Marathi movies. In her words: “I started out as an actress. But I never used to like acting.”