Legendary singer, Lata Mangeshkar is no longer with us. As the world mourns the passing of India’s nightingale we can’t help but look back at her legacy and cherish the beautiful songs she has given us. She, undoubtedly, is an icon for generations before us but millennials who are Bollywood fans have also grown up listening to her in every Bollywood classic like Hum Aapke Hain Kon, Muhabbatain, Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayein Gay & the list goes on.
What a voice! Words fall short when writing about her.
Lata Mangeshkar has lent her voice to Bollywood’s leading ladies spanning back 4 decades. Meena Kumari, Rekha, Madhuri Dixit, Ashwariya Rai, Kajol, and several others have had the honor to lip-sync Lata Ji’s voice.
To commemorate her legacy, we have listed down some of our favorite songs of Lata Mangeshkar picturized on the leading ladies of Bollywood.
These songs hold a special place in our hearts & we are ecstatic to share them with you today. Enjoy!
1. Aapki Nazaron Ne Samjha – Anpadh (1962)
Picturized on Mala Sinha & Dharmendra, the song is a vintage throwback to the good ‘ol days of B & W cinema – yes, that’s how many years of Lata jee we have lived and sung together!
2. Lag Jaa Gale – Wo Kaun Thi (1964)
Manoj Kumar & Sadhana give us a visual treat as Lata Mangeshkar croons to a composition that has become evergreen. Lag Jaa gale is as classic as they come!
3. Chalte Chalte Yun Hi Koi – Pakeezah (1972)
Chalte Chalte with Meena Kumari marked a moment when melody met lyrics met mood met an iconic song that went down in song history as one of a kind! Pakeeza is incomplete without the meeting of Meena Kumari and Lata Mangeshkar – always a dose of nostalgia there!
4. Bahon Mein Chale Aao – Anamika (1973)
A song she says she sang to add the “chatpatta” to her list! Bahon mein chale aao, picturized on the rarely seen Jaya Bahaduri & iconic Sanjeev Kumar is a hard one to match. The tone shifts from high to low and Lata jee adds just the right level of playful to this this evergreen number!
5. Salam-e-Ishq Meri Jaan – Muqaddar Ka Sikandar (1978)
The mood changed in the late 70’s and Lata Jee didn’t hold back as she lent her voice to this epic song for the epic cinematic experience as Rekha jee moved in sync to Salaam-e-Ishq with Amitabh sharing the frame. Lata Jee had the ability to switch from sad-tragic to light-playful in a matter of seconds. Her voice held a versatility that allowed us to listen to a range of musical moods and that’s why she was the most sought after voice for multiple decades!
6. Didi Tera Devar Deewana – Hum Aapke Hain Kon (1994)
If you haven’t sung this one on a 90’s wedding then where even were you? Now’s your chance for some vintage throwback as you relive Madhuri & Salman Khan’s ever popular Mehndi hit – Lata Mangeshkar has sung a song for every occasion! There’s no doubt that our playlist is complete with just her voice on repeat!
7. Tujhe Dekha Toh Yeh Jaana Sanam – Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayein Gaye (1995)
Tujhe Dekha was the song you hummed to for the longest time – Lata jee was 60+ when she sang this one but that didn’t stop her from singing her heart out to Dilwale Dulhania’s iconic song lyrics. Picturized on Kajol & Shahrukh Khan, this song is one the 70’s and 80’s born will relate to the most!
8. Are Re Are – Dil Toh Pagal Hai (1997)
Fast on the heels of Tujhe Dekha came another fab hit with Dil Toh Pagal Hai – Are Re Are Yeh Kya Hua! The 90’s saw a revolution of sorts in Dance choreography, hip sets and SRK-ish dance moves taking over the silver screen – but what stayed timeless was Lata Mangeshkar’s sublime vocals, she carried on giving us back to back hits with every successive song!
9. Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham – Title Track (2001)
Lata jee’s vocals added soul to a song that played throughout the movie, depicting happy, sad, nostalgic moments – her voice carried us through a range of emotions and oh how we fell in love with a sound track that will live on forever!
10. Do Pal – Veer-Zaara (2004)
A haunting melody in a soul stirring composition with Preity Zinta and Shahrukh Khan’s aka Veer Zara’s story unravelling in slo mo – who could do it better than Lata jee, and she did! Listen in to this one for a soothing moment of calmness that washes over you as her voice tells the story of lost & refound love!
Wow! That was quite a trip down memory lane. Lata Mangeshkar’s voice and Bollywood make perfect sense! We relate her voice with Bollywood and will continue to do so and we are sure others will too. Her songs will forever be loved and cherished. The world has truly lost a gem.
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Sources used in this article include Youtube
