There won't be another Lata: Bollywood grieves Mangeshkar's passing away

Lata Mangeshkar, one of India's biggest cultural icons and a singer who defined music and melody for generations of her countrymen has died, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday.

She was 92 and is survived by her four siblings. The cause of Mangeshkar's death has not been announced. She was hospitalised on Jan. 11 after being infected with what a doctor told Reuters was Covid-19.

Mangeshkar's voice has rung out of television sets, on crackly airwaves and from movie theatres for most of independent India's three-quarters of a century, making hers the defining voice of many generations, and earning her the title of "the Nightingale".

Two days of national mourning will be observed with the national flag will flying at half-mast, ANI reported, citing government sources.

'A void remains'

Akshay Kumar wrote, "How can one forget such a voice! Deeply saddened by the passing away of Lata Mangeshkar Ji, my sincere condolences and prayers."

Abhishek Bachchan tweeted, "Today, we have lost the greatest of all time! We are all left heartbroken and speechless. An irreplaceable loss. Rest in glory Lata ji. Thank you for blessing us with your voice, talent and compassion. We are privileged to have lived in the times of the great Lata Mangeshkar (sic)."

Salman Khan shared a picture with the late crooner and wrote, "You will be missed, our nightingale. But your voice shall live with us forever." A R Rahman shared, "Love, respect and prayers."

Anil Kapoor said he was heartbroken but "blessed to have known and loved this incredible soul." Lata Mangeshkar had lent her voice under AR Rahman's music direction to Pukar, the Raj Kumar Santoshi film starring Anil Kapoor.

He added: "Lataji holds a place in our hearts that will never be taken by anyone else. That's how profoundly she has impacted our lives with her music. May she rest in peace and light up the heavens with her brightness."

Actor Jackie Shroff shared a post on Instagram, where he is seen holding a picture of the nonagenarian, and captioned it with a heartbreak emoji.

"An icon, a legend - words will always fall short. Thank you for your glorious voice, Lataji. It will resonate worldwide for generations to come. RIP," tweeted Shahid Kapoor.

Filmmaker Madhur Bhandarkar said on a personal note, "She has been a mother figure to me over the years, used to call her every fortnight and have conversations. It's a personal loss for me. Her presence will be immensely missed in my life. Love you Didi."

Rapper Badshah quoted a song sung by her. He wrote, "Rest in Peace, Lataji."

Nimrat Kaur said "India lost her voice today", and added: "There will never be another." Filmmaker Kunal Kohli said he had the honour of working with Lata Mangeshkar in his first film, Mujhse Dosti Karoge.

"Recording with you was a learning and fun experience. Can't forget how you pulled my leg by making me give 'sur'! Your life will always be celebrated. Lata Mangeshkar, a medley of your songs by you."

Actor Dia Mirza, who shared a vintage photograph of the late singer, said, "Lata Mangeshkarji's voice will always be India's voice. Our glorious nightingale of India. Our Bharat Ratna."

Esha Deol, whose father has acted in films featuring the songs of Lata Mangeshkar, said she was shocked and heartbroken by the news. "Her melodious voice will live in our hearts forever.

Lata, the legend

Born in 1929 in pre-independence India, Mangeshkar began singing in her teens, and in a career spanning 73 years sang more than an estimated 15,000 songs in 36 languages.

She enthralled music-mad Indians with her lilting voice and sheer range, singing everything from patriotic songs to romantic numbers, both in films and albums.

The world of Bollywood - where movies were unthinkable without at least six songs and where everything from romance to grief was narrated with the help of a ballad - was where Mangeshkar cut her teeth and later made her name.

Classically trained, Mangeshkar moulded her voice to the demands of singing for Bollywood movies, even voicing songs in her 60s for an actress who was in her 20s.

The only songs she refused to sing were cabaret numbers and songs that had bawdy or racy lyrics, saying in later interviews those did not fit with her personal values.

Mangeshkar nevertheless dominated the Hindi film industry for almost five decades until the 2000s, along with her younger sister Asha Bhosle.

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