New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday spoke to India’s iconic singer Lata Mangeshkar, fondly called Lata Didi, on her 91st birthday.
He said that he is fortunate to have always received her affection and blessings.
“Spoke to respected Lata Didi and conveyed birthday greetings to her. Praying for her long and healthy life. Lata Didi is a household name across the nation. I consider myself fortunate to have always received her affection and blessings,” PM Modi tweeted.
Lata Mangeshkar, often known as Nightingale of India, is one of the best-known and most respected playback singers in the country.
She has recorded songs in over a thousand Hindi films and has sung songs in over thirty-six regional Indian languages and foreign languages, though primarily in Marathi, Hindi, Bengali and Assamese.
The Dadasaheb Phalke Award was bestowed on her in 1989 by the Government of India. In 2001, in recognition of her contributions to the nation, she was awarded the Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian honour and is only the second vocalist, after M. S. Subbulakshmi, to receive this honour. France conferred on her its highest civilian award, the Officer of the Legion of Honour, in 2007.
She is the recipient of three National Film Awards, 15 Bengal Film Journalists’ Association Awards, four Filmfare Best Female Playback Awards, two Filmfare Special Awards, Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award and many more. In 1974, she became the first Indian to perform in the Royal Albert Hall.
