Millennials Reveal Why Lata Mangeshkar Inspires Them

The Nightingale of Bollywood, recipient of the prestigious Bharat Ratna, our very own, Lata Mangeshkar is turning 90 this 28th September. She is the most revered singer in India. Over a thousand Hindi films have songs sung by Lata Ji. And she has also sung songs in over 36 regional Indian languages and foreign languages.

She has been conferred with numerous awards, including the Highest Civilian Award of France, Officer of the Legion of Honour, in 2007. Her voice echoes the past and the present or this country, embodying all the diversity that it has to offer. It was summed up perfectly in her devotional classic Allah Tero Naam from Hum Dono (1961). The very catchy songs like Didi Tera Dewar Deewana from Hum Aapke Hain Koun (1994), makes all 90s kids nostalgic. Tere Liye from Veer Zaara (2004), is still in the playlist of many people's phones.

Read Also: Singer Jonita Gandhi On Why She Continues To Share Her Music

Why do millennials love her

For every child in India, songs sung by Lata are a big and inseparable part of their childhood. While Chanda Hai Tu from Aradhana (1969) a classic bedtime lullaby, Ichak Dana, Bichak Dana in Shree 420 (1955) and Chal Mere Ghode Tik Tik Tik from Chirag Kahan Roshni Kahan (1959) are some of the first songs we all learn to sing.

Sakshi Verma, a student of IP College for Women, recounts that her favourite Lata song is Luka Chhupi from Rang De Basanti. "She has never needed a man to reach where she is now. I believe that her songs are relevant for all moods and times in life, like when you need support and love, you can tune to her songs," says Sakshi.

Sakshi gets that right, as her songs are a constant source of hope and inspiration in our lives. Nidhi Agarwal, a graduate from the University of Delhi, finds Lata to be a real inspiration to millennials because of her humility and devotion to singing. Her favourite song is Aap ki Nazron Ne Samjha from the film Anpadh.

Her sense of humour never fails to amaze us. She is active occasionally on Twitter and puts up throwback pictures that go viral in no time. Her photo of her reading a book from her younger days, which was a selfie according to her, was clicked somewhere in the 1950's, an era where cameras were not even advanced.

Read Also: Lata Mangeshkar To Be Honoured As The “Daughter Of The Nation”

Her devotion to her art

Nasreen Munni Kabir's book, 'Lata Mangeshkar- In her own voice', shares an anecdote that illustrates how work has always been worship for Mangeshkar. "She never wears shoes when she sings. Singing is like praying for her. She even took off her footwear at the chilled Royal Albert Hall when she was performing there in 1974 and moved on stage in socks. "You will die of cold," remarked Dilip Kumar, who was introducing Mangeshkar. She giggled – and sang for hours.", he writes.

To celebrate Lata Mangeshkar's 90th birthday, a day-long celebration has been organized by Jeevangani. It will see the presentation of 91 Hindi-Marathi songs sung by Lata Ji, and the launch of a book 'Lata'. The event will begin at noon and will go on till midnight on 28th September.

Image- The Times of India

SaumyaRastogi is an intern with SheThePeople.Tv