LATA Mangeshkar Turns 90: PM Modi Leads Nation in Wishing Her Longer Life

PRIME Minister  Narendra Modi  and  other distinguished  personalities  have  wished Indore born Lata Mangeshkar,  Bharat Ratna and India’s  cultural ambassador, on her  90^th  birth day.    The legendary singer residing in Mumbai is noted for her distinctive voice and a vocal range that extended over more than three octaves. In close to six decades, she is credited for recording songs for more than 2,000 Indian films in multiple languages and remains rooted to Indian traditions, humble and grounded. Responding to PM Modi’s birth day wishes, says “Your arrival has changed India’s image and it makes me very happy”.Lata Mangeshkar, who turned 90 on Saturday, was on a telephone call with Modi on his monthly radio broadcast “Mann Ki Baat”.In the phone-conversation, which was recorded before the Prime Minister left the country on a week-long trip to the US, Modi wished the singer for her birthday. “Pranaam, I called because I will be travelling on your birthday. I thought before leaving I should wish you and congratulate you. I wish you good health and may your blessings be on us. I pray,” he said.The nonagenarian asked Modi to bless her, but he said the singer was elder to him in age and work and she should bless him instead.”People get old with age. But it’s always good to get blessings from those who become big through their great work;” Modi said the conversation between him and the singer “was like a younger brother talking to his elder sister.” Incidentally, she is the eldest daughter among the five children of Dinanatha and Shevanti Mangeshkar who belonged to a Maharashtrian Brahmin family. Dinanath hailed from the town of Mangeshi in Goa and he changed his last name from Haridkar to Mangeshkar to identify himself and his children with his hometown. Her father Pandit Deenanath Mangeshkar was an accomplished classical singer and stage actor. Lata was initially named Hema when she was born, but later her father renamed her as Lata, inspired by a character in one of his plays. She had four siblings – three sisters, Meena, Asha and Usha- and Hridaynath, brother. All of them learned classical music from their father (edited by Chakravarty Pranab Kumar)