India’s eternal ‘Melody Queen’ Lata Mangeshkar, who passed away after a prolonged illness in Mumbai’s acclaimed Breach Candy Hospital on Sunday, has left behind a void that may never be filled in times to come

There was a myriad of textures to her voice – often melancholic, sometimes lyrically mischievous and flirtatious, at times passionate and emotionally intense… In the 30,000-odd songs that she recorded in studios over the past nearly eight decades, Lata Mangeshkar always delivered with verve.

Fondly referred to as India’s ‘Melody Queen’, occasionally also as the ‘Nightingale of India’ – a sobriquet previously accorded to late Indian poet Sarojini Naidu – Lata Mangeshkar, leaves behind a huge void in the music world, especially playback singing – the backbone of the Indian film industry where music drives the viewer into the cinema hall. She also held the distinction of being the first Indian singer to perform live at London’s Royal Albert Hall in 1974 – a performance par excellence during her heyday.

Having begun her long-standing career in singing way back in 1942, at the age of 13, Lata, the daughter of Pandit Deenanath Mangeshkar and Shevanti Mangeshkar, belonged to a musical family and was the eldest of five children. She had been initiated as a performing artiste by her father at a time when the profession was dominated by divas like Shamshad Begum and Noor Jehan and had to struggle to make her presence felt.

Her real break came in 1945 with the hit Hindi song – ‘Aayega Aanewala‘, from the film Mahal, starring Madhubala. From there, Lata’s career as a singer soared to the greatest of heights. Since then, she has lent her melodious voice for almost every female star in Bollywood, from Madhubala in the 1940s to Kajol in the 1990s, and alongside top male singers, including Mohammad Rafi and Kishore Kumar. She also worked with a range of Bollywood music directors, from C Ramchandra (of Aye Mere Watan Ke Logon fame) to Oscar-winning A R Rahman.

Having delivered evergreen solos, duets and chorus-backed renditions in around 36 languages, Lata, fondly known as ‘Didi‘ in the Indian film industry, had gained popularity also in neighbouring Pakistan, Bangladesh and even some western countries. Her fan following lies in countries across the globe and not a single day passes by without a few of her songs being aired on television and radio channels worldwide over the past 7-8 decades.

Known for her humble disposition, her soft-spoken nature, her signature white sarees and her hair done in two schoolgirl-like braids, Lata was also recipient of the ‘Bharat Ratna‘, India’s highest civilian honour in 2001. The government of France had also conferred on her its highest civilian award, ‘Officier de la Legion d’Honneur’, in 2007, besides numerous awards and accolades that came her way from countries around the word.

Lata was also known for her diverse taste in appreciating varied forms of music. She enjoyed listening to Mozart, Beethoven, Chopin, Nat King Cole, the Beatles, Barbra Streisand and Harry Belafonte. She also loved going to the movies – her favourite Hollywood film was The King and I, which she once admitted to have seen at least 15 times, besides Singing in the Rain. The James Bond films featuring Sean Connery and Roger Moore were also her favourites.

There were also many lesser-known sides to Didi. Cars were another passion and at various points in her life she owned a grey Hillman, a blue Chevrolet, a Chrysler and a Mercedes. She was also fond of pets and at one point owned nine dogs.

Lata’s siblings were also music icons in their own right, including her singing sisters Meena Khadikar, Asha Bhosle and Usha Mangeshkar and her music director brother Hridaynath Mangeshkar.