As I write this piece, all my social media accounts—be it Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or even LinkedIn—are overflowing with images of, and words on, Lata Mangeshkar. Even from distant shores and foreign cultures. Former president of Afghanistan, Hamid Karzai, tweeted that Lata Mangeshkar, with her voice, filled millions of hearts with joy. “Her melodies are universal and forever,” he wrote. So, individual playlists are proliferating too, tough as it is to pick up one or two or even a handful of songs from her mammoth body of work.But there was another side to Lata beyond the melodies that needs to be spotlighted, celebrated and critiqued as well. And it is not just to do with how much she loved diamonds, photography and cricket. It’s worth noting that Lata started out as a kid, a mere 13-year-old, in the industry and made her way to the very top. She was able to earn rare power and stature in a vastly exploitative space, known to be particularly unwelcoming for women.
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