It is difficult to choose the best of a singer. Challenges include the mood, the filmmaker, the imaging, the star who brought it to the screen, the musical director the lyricist, the mood of the listener… The endless permutations and combinations make the challenge even more more difficult. As part of Lata Mangeshkar, the task is all the more difficult given the unparalleled repertoire and the safe from which to draw the precious treasures.

I’ve always believed that the best way to introduce an artist at a concert is to keep the details short and let the music take over and get the listener to get to know the artist. So should it be with homage. Not all awards and milestones honor some of the artist’s finest singing moments. With Lata, I decided to make two lists: her best of all time (as perceived by me) and her brilliant ones that missed the very popular chart.

His successful masterpieces

She announced her arrival with this haunting melody for Khemchand Prakash when great musicians were still visiting Noor Jahan and Suraiya. She was just finding her feet and testing the waters. Remember she wasn’t the giantess she is now. Depicted on the most beautiful of all and in an elusive introduction, Lata almost informs listeners of this genre that she will come back to haunt them forever: Mahal: Ayega Ayega Ayega Aane Wala Ayega.

In a film which boasted of the famous competition between Tansen and Baiju and the incredible number with Ustads Amir Khan and DV Palsukar, a combo of Lata with Shamshad Begum, in a film which won the first Filmfare award for music (Naushad ) Baiju Bawra helped Lata give us a soulful song about Meena Kumari: Mohe Bhool Gaye Sanwariya.

Lata Mangeshkar and Shanker Jaikishan made a legendary combination. Whether it was with the famous Nargis for RK or Saira Banu or the many faces over the years in the Shammi-Shashi films, the combination was a joy for the ears and a laugh for the bank. In the middle of this is another throwback from Meena Kumari star and a song that will show the class of actor and singer Dil Apna Aur Preet Parayi: Ajeeb Dastan Hai Yeh.

Rajshri Production which has long made low budget films whose second film has taken off with a bang. This Pradeep Kumar-Ashok Kumar triangle involving Meena Kumari allowed Roshan to set the trend of Rajshiri films setting high musical standards: Kabhi To Milegi Kahin To Milegi.

To this day, the haunting theme song of this Hindi adaptation of The Hound of the Baskervilles and loosely set to a novel by Hemender Kumar Roy is captivating. Although the film stars Waheeda Rehman, the song adds mystery to who sings this eternal melody created by Hemant Kumar. Bees Saal Baad presented a song that defies decades and will be remembered for centuries: Kahin Deep Jale Kahin Dil.

The same year, 1962, she gave another eternal melody, this time for a musical director who was still raw and not in the big leagues. Also, the movie wasn’t really a big budget movie. For melody, music and its synonym filmi Lata, it made no difference to the film Tower House: Aie Mere Dile Nadan.

Two years later, even by Madan Mohan-Lata standards, came the gem which, in every remix or adaptation, was a huge hit. Even those of the now and here generation (also heard), this thriller by Raj Khosla had this superb melody in Sadhana’s mouth: Lag Ja Gale Se.

The young musical director, extremely gifted and with music in his veins had beaten the famous Shaker Jaikishan at Camp Nasir Hussain – a film production house which made music its main stay and success its habit especially after the rare combo Shammi -RD (then) came up with a rare serious movie that had a color song in that movie that failed to make it to the box office but his songs were a big hit. Baharon Ke Sapne: Kya Janu Sajan Hoti Hai Kya.

Singing for his younger brother, the great Hridaynath Mangeshkar who didn’t get his rightful place in mainstream Hindi films, this film had the ethereal dimple in a Gulzar film. From the sands of the desert, this song haunts and has become a national award winning song. Listen to Lata in her sixties. NO indication of his age: Lekin: Yara Sili Sili.

There have been rumors about their relationship. Did he reserve the best for him? A debatable question. Two winners of the Dadasaheb Phalke Prize had to create magic. According to some, Lata had just passed her prime. That’s not true, shouted a huge informed group. The debate was settled with this Rudali winner: DilHoom Hoom Kare.

The box office and Friday events often define our cinema. When radio was popular, the musical countdown broadcast from Sri Lanka (then Ceylon) accompanied by the incomparable Ammen Sayani determined the success of the songs. Here are ten songs that were amazing but, for some inexplicable reason, slipped out of the box office or the hit chart.

In 1962, when SJ was dominating the roost with films like Sasural and Jis Desh mein, Naushad gave us Kohinoor and Mughal-e Azam, Ganga Jamuna. Here is a talented musical director of Marathi films Sudhir Phadke who gave us a brilliant classic song Lata in the film Bhabi ki Chudiyan based on raag Bhupali: Jyoti Kalash Chalke.

Again, it is a standout of Meena Kumari alongside Ashok Kumar and Pradeep Kumar. The Kidar Sharma-directed film has some memorable songs, including one of Rafi’s best. Exceptional was indeed this Lata number: Sansar Se Bhage Phirte Ho.

We can well make a list of 100 songs of the combination Lata -SJ. Lekh Tandon’s fashionable costume drama Vaishali’s courtesan Nagar Wadhu suffered a sketchy rejection at the box office. Bhanu Athaya’s costumes for Vyjayanthimala in the film made news. The main stay was some amazing Lata Mangeshkar songs. Lata is almost a trapeze artist with raag Bhimpalasi in this SJ presentation in Amrapali: Tadap Ye Din Raat Ki.

As the morning mist clears, our cinema’s glamorous doll offers us an image-changing performance. The song (Hemant Kumar-Khaifi Azmi) literally seems to come from the hills. In this black and white season, La Tagore slowly hums this Lata number that had the most popular Dheere Dheere Machal. Anupama: Kuch Dil Ne Kaha.

Adurthi Subbarao had delivered the hit Savitri, Jamuna, ANR in 1964. Every song in the KVMahadevan movie was a big hit. Notable was Maanu Makunu Kaanu. The filmmaker shortlisted Jamuna and cast Lakshmi Pyare for the Hindi remake Milan. Unnoticed among the hits of Mukesh, there was that of Lata: Aaj Dil Pe Koi Gair.

The sensitive lyricist left the Bimal da camp. This film about street violence had very little room for great music. However, it wasn’t avant-garde enough to rule out the songs. The film Gulzar-Salil da will be remembered among other things. Gulzar’s filmmaking debut, Kishore’s title track, and the magic of Meena Kumari’s sheer presence. Above all, the well-informed filmmaker will never forget the one excluded from the film who is undoubtedly at the publisher’s table: Roj Akeli Ayi Roj Akeli Jaayi.

The following year, the back-to-back melody of Lata-Salil da was by a Bengali director: Asit Sen. Pictured on the girl who made simplicity a fashion and glamor a dirty word – Jaya Badhuri. Annadata: Raton Kesaye.

The serious film directed by Gogi Anand in which Jaya Badhuri received a prison term received an unwarranted cold shoulder from the audience. While Pancham da owned two Asha acts, it’s Lata’s brilliant piece that is surely worth remembering for both its scope and its odd failure: Din Ja Rahe Hai.

Music director Jaidev has not received his due. The creator of Hum Dono surely deserved much more. An example of his genius which failed at the box office is the 1978 flop film Tumhare Liye directed by Basu Chatterjee starring Sanjeev Kumar and Vidya Sinha. The “revival” movie had an all-time great Lata number: Tumhe Dekhti Hoon Toh Lagta Hai Aise.

Given Gulzar’s sensibility and Shabana’s brilliance and also the magic of their combo in the talent multi-star Namkeen (1982), one would surely have expected some reception for the Naseer Shabana Libaaz (1988), the film also had the brilliant musical director RD Burman. The movie, however, didn’t even get a proper release in many cities. Lata’s unforgettable act in the middle of Asha’s performance for Pancham that should rightly have topped the list went unnoticed. It has Shabana, RD Burman, Gulzar and the queen of music Lata: Sili Hawa Choo Le.

There can be no gain in saying that Lata is almost synonymous with melody in Hindi film music. No one has ruled like her. It can be added safely: no one can, no one will. Some singers defy the moment. Lata defied the times. For me, a double regret would be that his career does not have a single OP Naiyyar number. While the two would believe that neither is poor anymore for this, the audience will be. The other will be a quote from one of Lata Mangeshkar’s early numbers from the movie Amar: Janawale Se Mulaqaat Na Ho Payi.

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