‘Nightingale’ of Indian cinema Lata Mangeshkar underwent a childhood that was packed with hardship, misery and struggle. At an age when children go to school, she had to work as ‘extra’ in Hindi and Marathi films after the demise of her father Pandit Deenanath Mangeshkar. Lata Mangeshkar was the eldest in the family hence she took the responsibility of her siblings Meena, Asha, Usha, and Hridaynath and did a verity of odd jobs like working small tit-bit roles, singing songs on stage and learning Hindustani classical music simultaneously all at the age of 13 years! She tasted success at the age of 20 years when Raj Kapoor‘s Barsaat film’s songs were hit and she became a star overnight. Today, she has everything but her only regret in life is that she could not go to school!!!
The Turning Point Of Lata Mangeshkar’s Life
Music director Naushad, who brought Lata Mangeshkar immense popularity, faced severe hardship himself. Naushad came to Mumbai young, from Uttar Pradesh, to pursue his dream of becoming a music director. With no godfather or relatives, he slept on a Dadar footpath opposite Broadway Cinema (now a mall). He spent his struggling days there, dreaming his movie would one day release in that theater. His dream came true 14 years later; his movie Baiju Bawra (1953) premiered there and celebrated its Silver Jubilee. Later, Naushad never looked back, delivering hit films like Mughal-E-Azam, Ram Aur Shyam, Mother India, Ganga Jumna, Kohinoor, etc. A true story of rags-to-riches story.
Jubilee star Rajendra Kumar initially humiliated the gorgeous and sexy Mumtaz for her peculiar nose. The film industry had written her off but by sheer determination and facing many such derogatory remarks the actress rose from the crowds of extras to becoming heroines in ‘B’ grade action thrillers and then gradually to ‘A’ grade movies by working as the heroine opposite Indian film Industries greatest star Dilip Kumar in Ram Aur Shyam. Later she ruled the ’70s working opposite superstar Rajesh Khanna, and may top stars like Feroz Khan, Dharmendra, Sanjeev Kumar, etc. until she aborted her blooming career by tying the nuptial knot.
Helen’s Beautiful Performances
Helen, the hot seductive dancer who took the audience by storm by her hot cabaret songs like Yeh Mera Dil Pyar Ka Deewana… (Don), Mungda Mungda Main Gud Ki Dali (Inkaar) had a tough life. As World War II devastated Burma, she faced much trouble, having been born there. Hence her family abandoned her home town and came to Mumbai. She lived on the footpaths of Mumbai along with her family. To make both ends meet she worked as an extra but later producer-director P. N. Arora saw the sparks of a great ‘dancer’ in the young struggler. He thus offered Helen and her family temporarily accommodation in his garage. He also gave her a break as a solo dancer in his movie.
Later Helen on her strength gave dancing, particularly cabaret dance, a new distinction thus registering her name in Golden letter as ‘Queen of Cabaret’ in the history books of Indian Cinema.
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