From Madhubala to Jaya Bhaduri, every actor owes a large part of their stardom to Lata Mangeshkar

It was Jaya Bachchan who famously said, “It was only when Lataji sang for a heroine that she felt she had arrived.” Not too many of our screen queens have understood let alone acknowledged what a hand the Goddess Of All Melodious Things played in their careers. What would Madhubala or Waheeda Rehman be without Pyar Kiya toh darna kya or Aaj phir jeene ki tamanna hai? Checklist of the Lata Mangeshkar melodies that define careers: 1.          Madhubala:

Aayega aanewala (Mahal), Pyar kiya toh darna Kya(Mughal-e-Azam), Mohe panghat pen nandlal (Mughal-e-Azam), Beqas pe karam kijiye (Mughal-e-Azam), Sapne mein sajan ke do baatein (Gateway Of India), Woh to chale gaye ae dil (Sangdil), Zindagi bhar nahin bhulegi (Barsaat Ki Raat) 2.          Nargis:

Uthaye jaa unke sitam(Andaz), Mujhe kisise pyar ho gaya(Barsaat, the other two chartbusters Hawa mein udta jaye and Jiya beqaraar hai in Barsaat were not filmed on Nargis) ,Ghar aaya mera pardesi(Awara) Unko yeh shikaayat hai (Adalat), Yun hasraton ke daagh(Adalat), Nagri nagri dware dware(Mother India), Aaja sanam madhur chandni mein hum (Chori Chori) , Rasik balma (Chori Chori), Awara ae mere dil (Raat Aur Din), Jago mohan pyare (Jagte Raho) 3.          Meena Kumari:

Mohe bhool gaye saawariya (Baiju Bawra), Ajeeb dastaan hai yeh(Dil Apna Aur Preet Parayi), Chalte chalte yuhi koi(Pakeezah), Inhi logon ne(Pakeezah),Thare rahiyo(Pakeezah), Jyoti kalash chhalke(Bhabhi Ki Chudiyan), Ruk ja raat(Dil Ek Mandir),Husn ki baharein liye(Benazir). 4.          Vyjanthimala:

Man dole mera tan dole (Nagin), Mere dil ke sahaare aaja(Nagin) ,Kaho ji tum kya kya kharido ge(Devdas), Aurat ne janam diya mardon ko(Sadhna),Aaje re pardesi(Madhumati), Aiso re paapi bichuwa(Madhumati), Jao re jogi tum jao re(Amrapali), Neel gagan ki chaon mein(Amrapali), Main ka karoom Ram mujhe Buddha mila gaya(Sangam), Hothon pe aisi baat (Jewel Thief),Do hanson ka joda(Ganga Jumna) 5.          Mala Sinha:

Ja re udd ja re panchi (Maya), Aap ki nazron ne samjha(Anpadh), Allah jaane kya hoga aage(Hariyali Aur Raasta), Meri aankhon se koi neend(Pooja Ke Phool),Kankariya maar ke jagaaya(Himalay Ki Gode mein), Neend kabhi rehti tthi aankhon mein(Aasra), Ghairon pe karam apnon pe sitam(Aankhen), Mera mitwa mere meet re(Geet), Meri tammanaon ki taqdeer(Holi Aaee Re), Jab jab tumhe bhulaya(Jahan Ara) 6.          Waheeda Rehman:

Aaj phir jeena ki tamanna hai (Guide), Piya tose nain lage re(Guide), Raat bhi hai kuch bheegi bheegi (Mujhe Jeene Do), Ek meethi si chubhan(Reshma Aur Shera), Tu chanda main chandni (Reshma Are Shera), O beqaraar dil (Kohra), Maare gaye gulfam (Teesri Kasam), Mujhe pyar karne ka haq nahin (Darpan), Ae mere aankhon ke pehle Sapne (Man Mandir). 7.          Nutan:

Man mohana Seema), Mora gora angg(Bandini), Chandan sa badan(Saraswatichandra),Tera jaana(Anari), Tum hi meri mandir(Khandaan),Sawan ka mahina(Milan), Chand phir nikla(Paying Guest), Sapnon mein agar mere(Dulhan Ek Raat Ki), Mor bole chakor bole(Gauri), Tera mera saath rahe(Saudagar),Zindagi har qadam(Meri Jung) 8.          Sadhana:

O sajna barkha bahaar aye(Parakh), Mere mann ke diye(Prem Patra), Mere mehboob tujhe meri mohabbat ki qasam(Mere Mehboob), Tu jahan jahan chalega(Mera Saaya), Aaja ayee bahaar(Rajkumar),Kaise rahun chup(Inteqaam), Suniye zara dekhiye na(Geeta Mera Naam), Tum mujhse door chale jaana na(Ishq Par Zor Nahin). 9.          Sharmila Tagore:

Raina beeti jaye(Amar Prem), Chalo sajna (Mere Humdam Mere Dost),Chanda hai tu mera suraj hai tu(Aradhana),Kuch dil ne kaha(Anupama), Jab bhi jee chahe(Daag), Abke sajan sawan mein(Chupke Chupke), Hum the jinke sahaare(Safar), Khayee hai re humne kasam(Talash), Gar tum bhoola na doge(Yakeen) 10.    Hema Malini:

ABCD chhodo(Raja Jani), Duniya ke mela(Raja jani), Sharaafat chhod di meine(Sharafat), Ho ghataa saawri(Abhinetri), Babul pyaare(Johnny Mera Naam),Do nainon mein aansoon bhare hain(Khushboo), Naam ghum jayega(Kinara), Jab tak hai jaan(Sholay),Aayegi zaroor chitthi(Dulhan), Yeh kaisa sur mandir hai(Premnagar), Prem ka rog bada bura(Dus Numbri), Chal sanyasi mandir mein(Sanyasi),Mere naseeb mein(Naseeb), Jaane kya pilaya tune(Jugnu), Kitne din aankhen tarsengi(Naya Zamana), Rama rama ghazab hui gawa re(Naya Zamana), Tuney oh rangeele(Kudrat), Ae dil-e-nadaan(Razia Sultan). 11.    Mumtaz:

Agar dilbar ki ruswai(Khilona), Jaise Radha ne mala japi (Tere Mere Sapne), Bindiya chamkegi (Do Raaste), Jai Jai shiv Shankar(Aap Ki Kasam), Do ghunt mujhe bhi pilade (Jheel Ke Uss Paar), Babul teri bagha di main bulbul(Jheel Ke Uss Paar), Main tere ishq mein marr na jaaon kahin (Loafer), Kya meri prem kahaani nadiya se bichhda paani (Prem Kahani), Paisa pheko tamasha dekho (Dushman), Kya soch raha re(Mela), Tik tiki tik(Humjoli), Yeh kaun aaj aaya(Bandhe Haath) 12.    Raakhee Gulzar: Kabhi kabhi mere dil mein (Kabhi Kabhi), Megha chayee aadhi raat (Sharmilee), Khilte hain gul yahan (Sharmilee), Jhilmil sitaron ka aangan hoga(Jeevan Mrityu), Naina mere rang bhare (Blackmail), Asha oh asha (Blackmail), Koi koi raat aisi hoti hai (Banarsi Babu), Sawan ke jhoole pade (Jurmana), Ae ri pawan(Bemisaal), Yeh kaun hansa(Mere Sajna), Bhor bhaye panchi dhun yeh sunaye(Aanchal), Kasme wade nibhayenge hum(Kasme Vade) 13. Jaya Bhaduri:

Baahon mein chale aao(Anamika), Din jaa rahe hain(Doosri Sita), Sooni re nagariya(Uphaar), Piya ka ghar hai yeh(Piya Ka Ghar), Piya bina piya bina(Abhimaan), Nadia kinare heraye aayee kangna(Abhimaan), Abb to hai tumse(Abhimaan), Beeti na beetayi raina(Parichay), Niss din niss din(Annadata), Raaton ke saaye ghane(Annadata), Chandni re jhoom(Naukar)

Subhash K Jha is a Patna-based film critic who has been writing about Bollywood for long enough to know the industry inside out. He tweets at @SubhashK_Jha.