Lata Mangeshkar: My Favourites, Vol. 2

A history of Hindi film music recounted from a list of 50 of Lata Mangeshakar's songs that she chose as her favorites. Lata Mangeshkar, one of India's all-time most influential singers was known as "the Nightingale of India." For her album My Favourites, Vol. 2, Lata chooses 50 songs as her favourites among her own work, from a repository of over 5,000. This book covers an expanse of nearly forty years, connecting you to the real-life events behind the songs, going back to when music listening in India was limited to the radio, the 78 RPM shellac, the occasional visit to the cinema, and later, the vinyl records, cassettes, and the 30 minutes Chitrahaar on television every week.

Anirudha Bhattacharjee is a Distinguished Alumnus Awardee of IIT Kharagpur, India, a Business Consultant by profession and the author of R D Burman: The Man the Music (2011), which won the National Book Award for best book on cinema; Gaata Rahe Mera Dil (2015); S D Burman: The Prince-Musician (2018); Kishore Kumar: The Ultimate Biography (2022), and Basu Chatterji: And middle of the road cinema (2023).

Who is Lata Mangeshkar? Lata Mangeshkar and LP records - a story Documenting the album Nomenclature and sources used in the book. Getting started Music Director Lyricist 1. In the beginning Master Ghulam Haider - the melody queen maker Masterji - Khemchand Prakash Anil Biswas - the first star 2. The Trailblazers Shankar Jaikishan - the allrounders 3. The Classicists Naushad - the "Lucknavi" master Sachin Dev Burman - the Folkman from Bengal Roshan - ode to Hindustani classical Jaidev - the fakir 4. The Conventional Husnlal Bhagatram - Punjab celebrated Shyam Sundar - Pathos of Punjab Vasant Desai - soft and colourful 5. The Unconventional C Ramchandra - music is fun Salil Chowdhury - the genius Sajjad Hussain - the perfectionist 6. The Tearful Craving Madan Mohan -closest to the heart 7. The Trailblazers - II Rahul Dev Burman - the modernist Laxmikant Pyarelal - the born survivors 8. The Subdued Nuances Hemant Kumar - friendly notes Khayyam - poetic feel Rajesh Roshan - relaxed gait Ghulam Mohammed - Pure heart 9. The Less Spoken Chitragupta- the gentle soul S Mohinder - solitary reaper 10. The Lesser Heard Hridaynath Mangeshkar - family Fayyaz Shaukat & K Mahavir - lesser knowns 11. The Last Song Ravindra Jain - Raj Kapoor's last magnum opus 12. Summing Up Acknowledgements Index