Lata Mangeshkar was 13 years old when she debuted as a Hindi playback singer. Her first song: “Ye Hum Jo Hijr Me Diwaro Dar Ko Dekhte Hai” in the Nargis starrer, Parda Nasheen. The year was 1942. Since then she has sung more than 5,400 Hindi film songs for over 200 heroines. The result is a staggering repertoire, which you can now explore.
Pick one, then the other, in any order.
Instructions
You can pick either a mood or a heroine first, but make sure you pick both. Then see which song pops up!
Pick a heroine — Lata sang for just about everyone, from the spirited Nargis to the gorgeous Madhubala to a tragic Meena Kumari, all the way down to Kajol. She even managed a sexy track for Helen.
Pick a mood — Do you feel playful, romantic or seductive? Do you feel like “fighting only to make up” or “it’s the time to disco?” These categories were inspired by Hindi Geetmala’s excellent database.
Source: Hindi Geetmala
Contributors: Anand Katakam and Aparna Alluri
Correction: An earlier version of this article incorrectly listed some actors as heroines. Agha, Gemini Ganesan, Kanwaljeet, Kiran Kumar, M K Radha, Pinchoo Kapoor, Satyen Kappu, and Sudhir are men.
