PM Imran, Maryam Nawaz Sharif condole Lata Mangeshkar's demise

Iconic Indian singer Lata Mangeshkar breathed her last on Sunday after battling Covid-19 for almost a month. The celebrated playback crooner was paid homage from prominent politicians, celebrities and fans from all over the world. Among many, Pakistani politicians too extended their condolences for India's nightingale. 

PM Imran Khan and Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz Vice President Maryam Nawaz Sharif joined others to pay tribute to Mangeshkar in heartfelt tweets. 

"With the death of Lata Mangeshkar, the subcontinent has lost one of the truly great singers the world has known. Listening to her songs has given so much pleasure to so many people all over the world," the premier shared on Twitter. 

Maryam Nawaz Sharif expressed sorrow over Mangeshkar's passing away, saying how there 'won't be another Lata.' "Rest in peace, Melody Queen, Lata Mangeshkar," the Vice President tweeted. "Your voice, songs and the emotions they evoked will never die. There never will be another Lata. Condolences to the family."

The brilliant Lata

In a country where film songs and their lyrics are seen by the masses as a channel to express happiness, frustrations, love problems, patriotism and anti-authoritarian ideas, the importance of a legendary singer like Lata Mangeshkar is immense, not least because of her monumental legacy. 

In a career spanning over seven decades, Mangeshkar sang over 25,000 songs in over 2,000 films in many Indian languages, most commonly Hindi, Marathi and Bengali.

Mangeshkar was born on September 28, 1929, to a family of singers in Indore, part of a state in what was then British India. Her father, Dinanath Mangeshkar, was a renowned classical musician and stage actor. Initially called "Hema," Lata Mangeshkar was given her new name by her father after his play "Latika." She was the eldest of five siblings, including Meena, Asha, Usha and Hridaynath, all of whom became respected singers in their own right.

Mangeshkar began singing at an early age, learning from her father. However, his early death, when she was only 13 years old, forced her into singing for work. She moved to Mumbai and trained under several maestros of classical music, finally landing opportunities in Indian films.

Critics initially dismissed her voice as being too thin (Mangeshkar could sing in three octaves), but by the late 1940s, she had established her name, singing songs for Hindi films.

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