Lata Mangeshkar ...in Her Own Voice
{{short description|2009 book by Nasreen Munni Kabir}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2021}}
{{Use Indian English|date=June 2021}}
{{Infobox book
| name = Lata Mangeshkar ...in Her Own Voice
| image = Lata Mangeshkar ...in Her Own Voice.jpg
| caption =
| author = Nasreen Munni Kabir
| country = India
| language = English
| series =
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| subject = Lata Mangeshkar
| genre = Biography
| set_in =
| publisher = Niyogi Books
| published = 15 May 2009
| media_type = Print
| pages = 268
| isbn = 978-81-89738-41-9
| isbn_note =
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}}
Lata Mangeshkar ...in Her Own Voice is a biography by the British author and television documentary producer Nasreen Munni Kabir, detailing the life and career of the Indian playback singer Lata Mangeshkar. The book contains their extensive conversations from May 2008 to March 2009. Published by Niyogi Books on. 15 May 2009, it was well received by literary critics.
Development and writing
The book was Nasreen Munni Kabir's second work on the playback singer Lata Mangeshkar, after a documentary titled Lata in Her Own Voice that aired on Channel 4 in 1991.{{cite web |url=https://www.rediff.com/movies/slide-show/slide-show-1-nasreen-munni-kabir-on-lata-mangeshkar/20090923.htm |title='Lataji is a very humble person' |date=23 September 2009 |work=Rediff.com |last=N. |first=Patcy |access-date=30 July 2021 |archive-date=28 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210728064806/https://www.rediff.com/movies/slide-show/slide-show-1-nasreen-munni-kabir-on-lata-mangeshkar/20090923.htm |url-status=live }} According to Kabir, Mangeshkar agreed to be involved in the project since she liked her previous documentary, In Search of Guru Dutt (1989), about the filmmaker Guru Dutt. The conversations were done with twenty sessions through phone calls, taking place between May and August 2008 when Kabir was in London. After she arriving in Mumbai in October, they continued their conversations until March the next year.{{cite news |url=https://www.outlookindia.com/magazine/story/nasreen-munni-kabir/240452 |title=Nasreen Munni Kabir |date=18 May 2009 |work=Outlook |last=Khubchandani |first=Lata |access-date=30 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180114020512/https://www.outlookindia.com/magazine/story/nasreen-munni-kabir/240452 |archive-date=14 January 2018 |url-status=dead }} Kabir spoke of her experience in an interview to The Hindu, "It was not very challenging. Lataji has such a fabulous memory. She is an engaging conversationalist. Very intelligent, she does not suffer inane questions. She is very polite. You have to find newer ways to ask her the same things. You have to think a lot. You cannot approach her with a pre-planned list of questions and you simply cannot manipulate her answers."{{cite news |url=https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-fridayreview/Her-voice…what-a-voice/article15938417.ece |title=Her voice...what a voice! |date=29 May 2009 |work=The Hindu |last=Salam |first=Ziya Us |author-link=Ziya Us Salam |access-date=30 July 2021 |archive-date=30 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210730071458/https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-fridayreview/Her-voice%E2%80%A6what-a-voice/article15938417.ece |url-status=live }}{{cite news |url=https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-sundaymagazine/Thank-you-for-the-music/article15941426.ece |title=Thank you for the music |date=24 May 2009 |work=The Hindu |last=Kulkarni |first=Reshma S. |access-date=30 July 2021 |archive-date=30 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210730071458/https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-sundaymagazine/Thank-you-for-the-music/article15941426.ece |url-status=live }}
Release and reception
Lata Mangeshkar ...in Her Own Voice was released on 15 May 2009 by Niyogi Books.{{cite web |url=http://movies.rediff.com/look/2009/may/18/book-on-lata-mangeshkar.htm |title=Now, a book on Lata Mangeshkar |date=18 May 2009 |work=Rediff.com |author=Press Trust of India |access-date=30 July 2021 |archive-date=28 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210728113420/http://movies.rediff.com/look/2009/may/18/book-on-lata-mangeshkar.htm |url-status=live }} The writer from the entertainment portal Bollywood Hungama wrote that it is "an extremely heavy (reading wise) text book on the living legend and her work. A kind of book that could be a reference material for many a students, of the lady who doesn't have any parallel."{{cite web |url=https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/news/features/book-review-lata-mangeshkar-in-her-own-voice/ |title=Book Review: Lata Mangeshkar...in her own voice |date=29 September 2009 |website=Bollywood Hungama |access-date=29 July 2021 |archive-date=28 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210728123402/https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/news/features/book-review-lata-mangeshkar-in-her-own-voice/ |url-status=live }} Business Standard{{'s}} Kishore Singh described the book as "the closest you'll come to probably knowing Lata Mangeshkar",{{cite web |url=https://www.rediff.com/movies/report/lata-mangeshkar-in-her-own-voice-review/20090519.htm |title=When Lata Mangeshkar went without food or water |date=19 May 2009 |work=Rediff.com |last=Singh |first=Kishore |access-date=29 July 2021 |archive-date=28 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210728113012/https://www.rediff.com/movies/report/lata-mangeshkar-in-her-own-voice-review/20090519.htm |url-status=live }} and Kaveree Bamzai of India Today added: "The book speaks of an era where music and lyrics meant something more than a marketing tool ... In the course of conversations over several months, Nasreen Munni Kabir draws out Mangeshkar on the subject of her music directors, her early difficulties, her supposed rivalry with her sister, even her disappointment, if any, for never marrying."{{cite news |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/leisure/story/20090511-the-eternal-soundtrack-739663-2009-05-01 |title=The eternal soundtrack |date=1 May 2009 |work=India Today |last=Bamzai |first=Kaveree |access-date=29 July 2021 |archive-date=28 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210728085856/https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/leisure/story/20090511-the-eternal-soundtrack-739663-2009-05-01 |url-status=live }}
The Tribune commented, "It is a priceless collector's item with pictures of her from childhood to the present day with innumerable celebrities who came into her life."{{cite news |url=https://www.tribuneindia.com/2009/20090606/saturday/above.htm |title=Lata's tribute to the Gurus |date=6 June 2009 |work=The Tribune |last=Singh |first=Khushwant |author-link=Khushwant Singh |access-date=30 July 2021 |archive-date=11 February 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210211011352/https://www.tribuneindia.com/2009/20090606/saturday/above.htm |url-status=live }} Shubhra Gupta from The Indian Express described it as "that kind of book", opining, "The book reveals, with great affection and abiding respect, and with the liberal use of lovely rare black-and-white photographs, the making of an Indian icon."{{cite news |url=http://archive.indianexpress.com/news/macro-phone/464394/0 |title=Macro Phone |date=24 May 2009 |work=The Indian Express |last=Gupta |first=Shubhra |access-date=30 July 2021 |archive-date=30 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210730071451/https://www.facebook.com/v2.0/plugins/like.php?action=recommend&app_id=&channel=https%3A%2F%2Fstaticxx.facebook.com%2Fx%2Fconnect%2Fxd_arbiter%2F%3Fversion%3D46%23cb%3Df97f0dd983c8f4%26domain%3Darchive.indianexpress.com%26origin%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Farchive.indianexpress.com%252Fff94faa2765464%26relation%3Dparent.parent&container_width=660&href=http%3A%2F%2Farchive.indianexpress.com%2Fnews%2Fmacro-phone%2F464394%2F0&locale=en_US&sdk=joey&send=false&show_faces=false&width=500 |url-status=live }} The Hindu{{'s}} R. Krithika summarised, "There is much information for Lata’s fans here and also for those interested in the dynamics of the early Hindi film industry. Think of all that was done without all the musical technology that we take for granted today ... The tone is conversational and easy, and the text is laid out in an easy-on-the-eye manner with excellent photographs placed strategically."{{cite news |url=https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-sundaymagazine/Behind-the-voice/article15941472.ece |title=Behind the voice |date=7 June 2009 |work=The Hindu |last=Krithika |first=R. |access-date=30 July 2021 |archive-date=30 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210730071449/https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-sundaymagazine/Behind-the-voice/article15941472.ece |url-status=live }}
References
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