Lata Mangeshkar is a renowned Indian playback singer. She was born on September 28, 1929 in Indore to Deenanath Mangeshkar and Shudhhamati. Her father was a classical singer and theatre actor. Her younger brother Hridayanath Mangeshkar and younger sisters – Asha, Usha and Meena are also Indian singers and have sung for several Hindi and Marathi soundtracks. He father was her first music teacher. She started working as an actress in her father’s musical plays at the age of 5. Her father passed away in 1942. After the death of her father Vinayak Damodar Karnataki (Master Vinayak), a close friend of the Mangeshkar family took care of the children. Master Vinayak was the owner of Navyug Chitrapat Film Company and the father of Nanda, an Indian film actress. Lataji started her movie career by playing cameo roles in several Hindi and Marathi films. Her first film as an actress was Navyug Chitrapat's Marathi movie Pahili Mangalagaur (1942). She also sang a song in the same film. Her first Hindi song was Mata Ek Sapoot Ki Duniya Badal De Tu from the Marathi film Gajabhau (1943). She moved to Mumbai in 1945. She learnt Indian classical music from Ustad Amanat Ali Khan Bhendibazaarwale. Her first song in a Hindi film was “Paa Lagoon Kar Jori” from the film Aap Ki Seva Mein (1946). She also played a minor role along with her sister Asha Bhosle in the Hindi film Badi Maa (1945). She has also learnt classical music from Amanat Khan Devaswale and was also trained by Pandit Tulsidas Sharma. She was mentored by music director Ghulam Haider after Master Vinayak’s death in 1948. Ghaulam Haider gave her the first major break with the song “Dil Mera Toda” from the film Majboor (1948). Her first super hit song was “Aayega Aanewala” from the Hindi film Mahal (1949). The song made her popular in the film industry. She recorded songs for several major composers in 1950 including Anil Biswas, Shankar-Jaikishan, Naushad, S. D. Burman, C. Ramchandra, Sudhir Phadke, Hemant Kumar and Salil Chowdhury. She won her first Filmfare Best Female Playback Award for the song “Aaja Re Pardesi” from the Hindi film Madhumati (1958). Her songs like “Pyar Kiya To Darna Kya” from Mughal-E-Azam (1960) and “Ajeeb Dastaan Hai Yeh” from the film Dil Apna Aur Preet Parai (1960) were hits. She won her second Filmfare Award for the song “Kahin Deep Jale Kahin Dil” from the Hindi film Bees Saal Baad (1962). Lataji had sung the patriotic song “Ae Mere Watan Ke Logon” on June 27, 1963 in presence of Jawaharlal Nehru, then Prime Minister of India. She has recorded several hit songs with music director S. D. Burman including “Aaj Phir Jeene Ki Tamanna Hai” and “Piya Tose” from the film Guide (1965) and “Hothon Pe Aisi Baat” from the film Jewel Thief (1967). Some of her notable songs with music composer Madan Mohan includes Aap Ki Nazron Ne Samjha from the film Anpadh (1962), Lag Ja Gale and Naina Barse Rim Jhim from the film Woh Kaun Thi (1964) and Tu Jahan Jahan Chalega from the film Mera Saaya (1966). Lataji has sung for several Hindi films released in the period of 1970 to 1975 such as Prem Pujari (1970), Kati Patang (1970), Pakeezah (1971), Amar Prem (1971), Caravan (1971), Sharmeelee (1971), Abhimaan (1973), Chhoti Si Baat (1974), Aandhi (1975) etc. She had won the National Film Award for Best Female Playback Singer in 1973 and in 1975 for the song Beeti Na Bitai from the Hindi film Parichay (1972) and song Roothe Roothe Piya from the film Kora Kagaz (1974). Apart from Hindi she has also sung many songs for Marathi and Bengali films composed by notable music directors such as Hridaynath Mangeshkar, Vasant Prabhu, Srinivas Khale, Sudhir Phadke, Salil Chowdhury, Hemant Kumar etc. Lataji launched her own production house in 1990 and produced the film Lekin (1990). She won her third National Film Award for Best Female Playback Singer for her song “Yaara Sili Sili” from the same film. She has sang for several Yash Chopra films including Lamhe (1992), Darr (1993), Yeh Dillagi (1994), Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge (1995), Dil To Pagal Hai (1997), Mohabbatein (2000), Veer-Zaara (2004) etc. Lataji has also recorded several songs with well-known music composer A. R. Rahman including songs such as Jiya Jale from the film Dil Se (1998), Khamoshiyan Gungunane Lagin from the film One 2 Ka 4 (2001), O Paalanhaare from the film Lagaan (2001) etc. She was nominated as the member of the Rajya Sabha in 1999. Lata Eau De Parfum, a perfume brand named after her was launched in 1999. She released her own album Saadgi on June 21, 2007 which has songs written by well-known Bollywood lyricist Javed Akhtar. Lataji has also produced 4 films which are – Vaadal (1953), Jhaanjhar (1953), Kanchan (1955) and Lekin (1990). She had established the Master Deenanath Mangeshkar hospital in Pune in 2001 and had also designed the jewelry collection called Swaranjali in 2005. Lataji has won numerous awards and honors including Padma Bhushan (1969), Rajiv Gandhi Award (1997), Padma Vibhushan (1999), Dada Saheb Phalke Award (1989), Bharat Ratna (2001), Noorjehan Award (2001), Maharashtra Ratna (2001), three National Film Awards and 12 Bengal Film Journalists' Association Awards. She has also won four times the Filmfare Best Female Playback Awards. She was also awarded with Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award in 1993. Lataji was featured in the “Guinness Book of World Records” from 1974 to 1991 for "most recordings" in the world. She was honored with the Maharashtra State Government's Best Music Director Award for the Marathi film Sadhi Manase (1965). The state government of Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh instituted a Lata Mangeshkar Award in her honor in 1984 and 1992 respectively.