Voice of a million centuries has left us, Amitabh Bachchan said as he joined the nation in mourning the demise of singing legend Lata Mangeshkar on Sunday.
In a career spanning over seven decades, 92-year-old Mangeshkar sang in about 1,000 movies and sang an estimated 30,000 songs in 36 Indian languages. Besides Hindi, the iconic singer also sang in Marathi, Bengali and other regional languages. Mangeshkar’s last complete album was for the 2004 Bollywood release Veer-Zaara.
“She has left us… The voice of a million centuries has left us… her voice resounds now in the Heavens! Prayers for calm and peace …, ”Bachchan said in his personal blog.
Veteran actor Dharmendra took to Twitter handle and shared a picture of him with the legend. Along with the image, he tweeted, “The whole world is sad, Can’t believe you have left us !!! We will miss you Lata ji, pray for your soul to be in peace. ”
Actor Waheeda Rehman, who danced to Mangeshkar’s playback most memorably in “Guide” in “Aaj phir jeene ki tamanna hai”, and “Piya tose naina laage re”, said there was magic in her voice.
“We shared a very friendly and warm relationship. She had such a beautiful voice and her songs will be remembered for years to come… Behind this magic was a lot of hard work and determination, ”Rehman told news agency PTI.
Known as the Queen of Melody, Nightingale of India, and simply the legend, Mangeshkar started training in singing at the age of five. Her last song, presumed to be lost, was released last year in October, 79 years later. Mangeshkar’s unforgettable songs include ‘Lag Jaa Gale’, ‘Mohe Panghat Pe’, ‘Chalte Chalte’, ‘Satyam Shivam Sundaram’, ‘Ajeeb Daastaan Hai’, ‘Hothon mein aisi baat’, ‘Pyar kiya to darna kya’, ‘Neela asman so gaya ‘,’ Pani Pani Re ‘.
Mangeshkar began singing to support her family after the death of her father Pandit Deenanath Mangeshkar in 1942. He was a classical singer and theater actor. She had also worked as a supporting actor in some films.
Many, including some of the biggest musicians and actors, equated her voice with that of ‘goddess Saraswati’. “Some people call me ‘Saraswati’ or say that I have her blessings. I believe I have the blessings of my parents, our deity Mangesh, Sai baba and god, ”Mangeshkar told PTI in October last year.
Music composer AR Rahman, too, paid his tributes. “Love, respect and prayers,” he said, sharing an image of the two of them together.
“Lataji was not just a singer, not just an icon, but part of India’s consciousness, the Indianness, the Hindustani music, Urdu and Hindi poetry. She has sung in so many languages. ” “This void is going to remain forever for all of us,” he said.
Singer Alka Yagnik termed it “personal grief. “I’m out of the country presently. Also in no frame of mind to talk just yet about this. I am devastated. This is a personal grief for me. ”
