PUNE Lata Mangeshkar’s demise at the age of 92 brings back memories for Punekars. She lived the early years of her life in the city.
The Mangeshkar family had moved from Sangli to Pune in 1941 and lived in the Rajeevdekar chawl opposite Poona Guest house on Laxmi road.
Their finances were depleting with her father having invested in some film projects. The family held musical programmes to earn money.
According to senior film critic Sulbha Ternikar, though Lata Mangeshkar spent her early years in Pune, she was already making a name at a young age. “Starting on stage in her father Deenanath Mangeshkar’s Balwant Sangeet Academy’s Sangeet Natak at the age of 5, she acted in plays singing her father’s songs.”
Lata was around 11-years old when she took part in a singing competition that was held at what was then called The Globe - later known as the Shreenath Cinema hall in Pune.
She won the first prize, bringing home her prize - a medal and a ‘Dilruba’, a musical instrument.
According to Ternikar, her father had then said: “If Lata is to become more successful she should not be happy with just an instrument as a prize”.
{{/usCountry}}According to Ternikar, her father had then said: “If Lata is to become more successful she should not be happy with just an instrument as a prize”.
{{/usCountry}}She was just 12.5 years old when she lost her father in 1942, and the financial situation became worse. Lata being the oldest of five siblings had find work. “Latabai joined Master Vinayak’s company Navyug as an employee and sang her first recorded song for Pahili Mangalagaur,” said Ternikar.
She had sung her very first song for the film Kiti Haasal for film director Vasant Joglekar, but that song was never used in the film. Lata also acted as a child actor in the film and also sang the song Natali Chaitrachi Navlai in the film Paheli Mangala Gaur and her name on record was ‘Baby Lata’, said
Arun Kakatkar, a retired Doordarshan station manager who was later media manager for the Mangeshkar-owned Deenanath Mangeshkar Hospital.
“Lata didi recorded her first non-filmi song for music director Datta Davjekar, Tujha swapni pahile re in 1945. She had a fantastic grasp of musical notes and a very strong voice. It was unbelievable that she was just a child,” says Kakatkar.
Critics claim that Latabai has this distinct voice that even though she was only a teenager, there was a maturity, like a person singing classically after many years of training. “She knew almost 300 tukdas and could sing almost all kinds of songs at that young age,” said Ternikar.
Lata Mangeshkar left Pune in1943, following Master Vinayak to Kolhapur, working in his company, singing in films like Chimukhla Sansar, Majhe Baal, and Gajyabhau. She also sang and acted in a Hindi film Badhi Maa by Master Vinayak, for which Noor Jehan had travelled to Kolhapur for the recording.
According to Sudhir Gadgil, a master of ceremonies of her era, Lata Mangeshkar was a big foodie, although for she had little money for food as a young child. She loved trying new food and cooking.
“She was also a good photographer and often snapped her sisters. She would also mimic people, loved cricket and often went to watch matches at Wankhede stadium. When she was small, during her father’s sangeet natak, she would sit on the cash petti to guard the cash, such was her dedication. Later Latabai also opened a restaurant in Aundh, Sarjaa, which is still serving fantastic food. Before that, she would often come to Shreyas hotel on Apte road and also invite people home at Shree Mangesh near Sarasbaug.”
She also loved eating at Poona Guest House where she was often a visitor being old neighbours.
“Latabai loved Hridayanath Mangeshkar’s music not because he was her brother, but singing for him was most challenging, besides working with music directors Madan Mohan and Sajjad Husain in Hindi; while in Marathi she loved Shrinivas Khale and Datta Davjekar. She has also sung a bhavgeet for her sister Meena Khadikar’s debut as a music director,” said Gadgil.