Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, which organises and gives out Oscars, forgot to mention the late thespian Dilip Kumar as well in the In Memoriam section. Both Lata and Dilip had significantly contributed to Indian cinema by giving us timeless works of film and music, something the fans said the organisation ignored.
It was particularly noticeable because earlier, the Academy had featured Irrfan Khan, Bhanu Athaiya, Sushant Singh Rajput and Rishi Kapoor in its In Memoriam section.
The career of Lata, who died on February 6, 2022, began as a playback singer and spanned more than 70 years, and straddled almost entire history of independent India. She has left behind a treasure trove of songs vocalised in her mellifluous voice.
Her fans are livid on social media sites. One wrote on Twitter, “lata mangeshkar wasn’t in the tribute? disappointed but not surprised. #GRAMMYs.”
One other wrote, “Such a shame @RecordingAcad failed to recognize Indian legendary singer Lata Mangeshkar who passed away last year. #GRAMMYs.”
One tweeted, “So both the Oscars and the Grammys failed to honor the late great Lata Mangeshkar in their respective memoriam segments? That’s a shame. #GrammyAwards #Oscars.”
Lata was the recipient of Bharat Ratna, Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and the Dadasaheb Phalke Award. Her solos and immortal duets with Mohammed Rafi, Kishore Kumar and Mukesh, along with a legion of other prominent Indian singers, are among Hindi cinemas most memorable songs.
Lata Mangeshkar recorded her last song ‘Saugandh Mujhe Is Mitti Ki’, which was composed by Mayuresh Pai, as a tribute to the Indian Army and nation. It was released on March 30, 2019.
