Lata Mangeshkar hospitalised; family says she is recovering

File image of Lata Mangeshkar. Image sourced from mid-day online

Legendary singer Lata Mangeshkar was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit of the Breach Candy hospital in the early hours of Monday after she complained of breathing difficulties, hospital sources said. The singer, who turned 90 on September 28, is in a critical condition, they said.

"She was brought to hospital at about 2 am. She is critical and in ICU," a hospital insider told PTI.

Mangeshkar's niece Rachana Shah said the singer is recovering. "She was down with a viral infection. She is on path to recovery," Shah told PTI. In a career spanning over seven decades, the Indore-born Mangeshkar has lent her voice to thousands of songs in over 1,000 Hindi films as well as in various regional and foreign languages.

The indefatigable Mangeshkar recorded her last song this year. "Saugandh mujhe is mitti ki" was released on March 30 as a tribute to the Indian Army. Her last full album in 2004 was "Veer-Zaara" when she was 75. She started her journey as a playback singer in 1942 with Vasant Joglekar's Marathi movie "Kiti Hasaal".

Her first song to release was "Natali chaitraachi navalaai" from "Pahili Mangalaa-gaur". She also acted in the movie. Mangeshkar was awarded the Bharat Ratna, the highest civilian honour in the country, in 2001. She was given the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 1989.

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