Songs Of Paradise is the story of a female achiever that needed to be told, just as her songs of love and longing deserve to be rediscovered and shared with music aficionados, observes Deepa Gahlot.
'Some time back, music was just noise.' 'Producers wrongly think item songs sell better.' 'Audiences are intelligent, they accept whatever you give, but that doesn't mean you can fool them.'
Manoj Kumar's musical imprints are as deep as his cinematic ones.
What we see in him today is not just stardom, but the reflection of his sincerity, humility, and an artist who carries the fragrance of his roots, asserts K R Nayar, who has known the Dadasaheb Phalke Award winner from their school and college days.
His favourite Lataji song is Luka Chuppi.
The all-party delegation -- led by the Shiv Sena MP from Kalyan -- visited the UAE, Liberia, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Sierra Leone and returned to New Delhi on June 4, 2025 after completing its Operation Sindoor diplomatic outreach.
'I would like to leave behind my small contribution for the historic day when the Ram temple will be consecrated.'
The song, he believes, that perfectly epitomises Lata Mangeshkar's spirit is Rahe Na Rahe Hum from the 1996 film, Mamta, that stars Dharmendra, Suchitra Sen and Ashok Kumar.
'My mother, who was a simple woman, retorted, "Aur main Indira Gandhi bol rahi hoon".' 'We had a good laugh over that one, you and I.' On her second death anniversary, February 6, Subhash K Jha remembers his beloved Lata Didi.
Where Shamshad Begum was charging Rs 900 for a song, Lata was prepared to settle for Rs 50 as she came on the scene. Raju Bharatan recalls yet another memorable incident from Lata Mangeshkar's incredible life.
Institutional investments in Indian real estate are estimated to decline 37 per cent to $3.06 billion during the first half of this year on global economic uncertainties, according to JLL. Real estate consultant JLL India data showed that institutional investments in Indian real estate are likely to fall to $3.06 million in the January-June period this year as compared to $4.89 billion in the year-ago period.
Dinesh Raheja looks back at Manoj Kumar's brilliant 1964 thriller Woh Kaun Thi, and explains just what made it an audio-visual treat.
'Bappi Lahiri was looking for a break so he and his father would meet me.' 'I told Director Bhisham Kohli about this promising young boy from Kolkata, and Bappi came over with his harmonium.' 'Bappi played this composition and Bhisham liked it immediately.' 'As we were discussing, I said I would give the words, and that's how I wrote this song.'
Sing your favourite Lata Mangeshkar song and send it to us.
Rajani Kagra sings for Lata Mangeshkar.
Sukanya Verma presents a playlist of 100 Lata Mangeshkar songs from different decades of Hindi films -- songs that make me sing, smile, sob and sigh.
'Hamara aur Rajsaab ka bahot gehra aur toot bandhan tha. Hum bahot ladte the (we used to fight a lot) but he could make me bend my rules for him.;
'Salilda and my brother Hridaynath would deliberately make my compositions tough.' 'Their logic was, "You can do it, so why should we not compose accordingly?",' Lata Mangeshkar, who would have turned 94 today, September 28, 2023, once told Subhash K Jha.
As India mourns Lata Mangeshkar's passing, Namrata Thakker takes a look at the Legend's life through these amazing pictures.
'It is very natural to connect to Lataji's songs whenever I am singing,' says Atul Bane.
She came like a whirlwind to wipe out, in one stroke, practically all female singing competition, recalls Raju Bharatan.
Playback singers enjoyed the challenge of being pitched against the finest voice God ever created, but they were also wary of Lata Mangeshkar's endless resourcefulness in rendition.
Because of Mukesh's much-hailed association with Raj Kapoor, it is often overlooked that the singer has also scored hits with almost all major heroes. On Mukesh's 102nd birth anniversary on July 22, Dinesh Raheja recalls some of his classic songs.
I spent almost all my life trying to figure out how anyone could express so many shades of human feeling in her voice, wonders Subhash K Jha.
'Madhubala in Kala Pani looks divine and yet, she's not just there for glamour.' 'In Do Raaste, the character of Neelambari (played by Bindu) isn't a heroine in the traditional sense but she has such a pivotal role.' 'That Raj Khosla gave a non-heroine such a central role, instead of the heroine, says a lot about how he valued female characters.'
Was this indeed the Lata who had started out with her, as a child star, in Badi Maa (1945)? Raju Bharatan recalls yet another memorable incident from Lata Mangeshkar's incredible life.
A former NCP leader from Pune, Rajendra Hagawane, and his son Sushil were arrested on Friday for their alleged involvement in a dowry harassment and abetment to suicide case involving Hagawane's daughter-in-law. The arrests came after the duo were expelled from the NCP by Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar. The victim, Vaishnavi, had allegedly hanged herself on May 16 at her in-laws' house. Her parents alleged that the Hagawane family had harassed her for dowry despite receiving a substantial amount of gold, silver, and an SUV at the time of her marriage.
Which is your favourite Lata Mangeshkar song?
The controversy deepened after a video surfaced showing Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar at the wedding, personally handing over a Fortuner SUV and making a remark widely interpreted as normalising dowry.
'I played five different versions of Woh Subah Kabhie Toh Aayegi for Raj Kapoor, only to be greeted with a totally blank reaction.' 'Thereafter, for 40 minutes, he disappeared, leaving us baffled.' 'But when he emerged, he couldn't stop appreciating our efforts!' 'He said Sahir Ludhianvi's writing was sheer poetry and since all my five tunes were equally wonderful, he would leave it to my discretion to chose the final tune.' 'What could be greater appreciation for an artiste?'
One could be anywhere -- huddled around a transistor radio at home in the evenings, walking past a neighbour's house, or waiting at a bus stop and Lata Mangeshkar's voice would reach us. Aseem Chhabra pays rich tribute to The Legend.
What's your favourite Lata song?
'Panchamda created an exclusive theme music for Gabbar Singh, which is used throughout the film every time the dacoit makes an appearance, and in both concept and sound, is so eerie and evil.'
Sukanya Verma celebrates The Legend's 25 distinctly different moods.
Sing your favourite Lata Mangeshkar song and send it to us.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday was honoured with the Lata Deenanath Mangeshkar award and remembered the iconic singer as an artiste who was an integral part of nation-building.
'K Asifsaab was very definite that 'woh Hindustan ka honewala Badshah hai -- woh gana nahin gayega.'
'The moment a movie was declared a hit, he would immediately start planning his next.'
'If you watch songs like Acha Ji Main Haari Chalo Maan Jao Na, Lag Ja Gale or Jhumka Gira Re, you'll notice they're not just a distraction. There's a story unfolding within them.'
"Those words stung me to such an extent that the following morning itself I started, seriously, learning Urdu with the sole idea of proving the great Dilip Kumar wrong."
