Hi Everyone!! This article will share The Melody Queen Questions & Answers.
Lata Mangeshkar – The Melody Queen is The Pride Of Indian Music Industry. I have also shared the questions and answers of The Wizard – Major Dhyan Chand and Dr. Anandibai Joshi so, you can check these posts as well.
The Melody Queen Questions & Answers
Question 1: When and where was Lata Mangeskar born?
Answer: Lata Mangeskar was born on September 28, 1929 in Indore, Madhya Pradesh.
Question 2: Who was her father?
Answer: Lata’sfather Deenanath Mangeshkar was a classical singer and a theatre artist who also took singing classes for students at his house.
Question 3: Who was Lata’s first music teacher?
Or
Who discovered singing talent in Lata?
Answer: Lata’s first music teacher was her father Deenanath Mangeshkar. He discovered her talent when she was around five when he heard her demonstrating the correct way of singing a song to his student.
Question 4: How did he discovered her talent?
Answer: One day, while teaching a student he went out of the room. Lata, who was around five years old, came in and sat down with the student and told him that he wasn’t singing right. She then began to sing the song that her father had been teaching the student. She wanted to demonstrate to himthe correct way of singing. At that moment, Deenanath walked in and heard her sing. He immediately recognized her immense talent and woke her up at 6 am, the next day for ‘riyaaz’.
Question 5: What tragedy struck Lata’s family and how did she cope with it?
Answer: Lata lost her father when she was just 13 years old. The responsibility of her four younger siblings fell on her. A close family friend helped her get started in a career in singing and acting. Since she had acted in her father’s plays, she got a few small roles in a few Marathi films.
Question 6: What did she yearn for and when did she start her singing career?
Answer: Lata’ heart always yearned for singing. She sang her first Marathi song for a Marathi film in 1942 and for a Hindi film in 1943. She moved to Mumbai in 1945.
The Melody Queen Questions & Answers
Question 7: Who were her prominent teachers?
Answer: Lata took lessons in Hindustani Classical music from Ustad Amanat Ali Khan in 1945. Following the partition of India in 1947, Ustad Amanat Ali Khan migrated to Pakistan so, Lata started taking lessons from Amanat Ali Daswale and Pandit Tulsidas Sharma.
Question 8: Who was Lata’s mentor?
Answer: Lata was mentored as a singer by music director Ghulam Haider who introduced her to other music directors so that she could get a chance to sing in their movies.
Question 9: Why was Lata initially rejected?
Answer: Lata’s voice was initially rejected as ‘too thin and feeble’ for singing in movies. This was because the then Indian film industry was ruled by nasal singers. She also bore criticism for her Marathi accent, as her mother tongue was Marathi and the songs were written in Hindi and Urdu.
Question 10: What did her mentor predict?
Answer: Ghulam Haider, who had recognized Lata’s potential, remarked that in years to come, music directors would plead with her to sing for them. He soon gave her a break in singing for a movie and Lata was thereafter offered more work.
Question 11: What were the two main challenges that Lata faced in her singing career?
Answer: When Lata first started her career,the then Indian film industry was ruled by nasal singers. Lata’s voice was rejected as ‘too thin and feeble’. She was also criticized for having a Marathi accent.
Question 12: How did Lata cope up with the challenges?
Answer: Lata took lessons in Urdu to improve on her accent and developed her own unique style of singing. She sand for many movies in 1950s.
Question 13: How did Lata rise to fame?
Answer: In 1962, Lata gave an overwhelming performance at the Ramlila Ground in New Delhi. Her heart-rending performance and presentation of the song “Ae mere Watan ke Logon” as a tribute to the Indian soldiers who lost their lives in the Indo-China war moved a huge audience. Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru, the then Prime Minister was overwhelmed with tears. Her powerful and soulful performance made the world realize her wonderful talent.
Question 14: Who is Javed Akhtar and what did he say about Lata Mangeshkar?
Answer: Javed Akhtar is a famous Indian Film writer and lyricist. He described the incomparable and legendary singer in the following words:
“The earth hath but one sun, one moon and one Lata.” Lata Mangeshkar is unparalleled in the world.
The Melody Queen Questions & Answers
Question 15: What are some of the prestigious awards, she has been bestowed with?
Answer: Lata Mangeshkar has received many awards such as:
- Filmfare Awards
- Lifetime Achievement Awards
- Knight of the Legion of Honour (French highest civilian award)
- Padma Bhushan
- Padma Vibhushan
- Bharat Ratna
Question 16: An artist’s inner beauty reflects in his/her work. Explain.
Or
How did Lata show her dedication towards her work?
Answer: Lata Mangeshkar is a self-made individual who fought all odds to emerge as a winner, yet she assumes a simple and humble attitude and attributes her success to her parents, her Gurus and the people in the music industry that she has worked with. Her extraordinary dedication to her work is evident from her style of singing. She attuned her song to the style of the actress she was singing for and takes off her slippers before entering the recording studio and bows down before the statue of Goddess Saraswati.
Question 17: Lata Mangeshkar is not just a great singer, but also a beautiful person. Quote two sentences from the chapter that talk about this aspect.
Answer: Before entering the recording studio, she would take off her slippers, she would bow down before the statue of Goddess Saraswati and then record her song. She would always attribute her success to her parents, her Gurus and the people in the music industry that she has worked with. These sentences highlight that she is not just a great singer, but also a beautiful person.
Question 18: Lata has always wanted to give her best to every song that she has sung. Pick out a sentence from the chapter that highlights her dedication towards her work.
Answer: Lata would always ask beforehand which heroine she was singing for and the age of the heroine so that she could attune her song to the style of the actress. This highlights her dedication towards her work.
Question 19: Describe Lata Mangeshkar’s fascinating career.
Answer: Lata Mangeshkar, the pride of Indian Music Industry, is 90 years old. Her awesome career spans almost seven decades. She has recorded songs for over a thousand Hindi films and has sung songs in 36 regional and foreign languages.
So, these were The Melody Queen Questions & Answers.