Melody queen Lata Mangeshkar celebrated her 80th birthday away from the spotlight, with close family members at Peddar Road, Mumbai on Monday.
While many music companies have brought out special albums in honour of the singing legend to mark her birthday, she spent her special day accepting wishes from friends and fans worldwide.
Although she does not believe in lavish celebration Lata fondly recalls the sweets made by her mother for the occasion during her childhood.
"I don't like to cut cakes. When I was young, my mother would prepare sweets and put tilak on my forehead and I used to like it," Lata said. "My whole day will be spent attending to the well-wishers, who call me from the different parts of the world but there is nothing special planned for the birthday. It will be a usual affair with family members," the singer said.
The icon, who first broke onto the music scene with 'Aayega Aanewaala' in "Mahal" (1949), is considered the greatest playback singer in the Indian cinema with more than 50,000 songs to her credit.
Looking back at her glorious six decades in music, the singer said, "Anybody will feel good but now that I'm turning 80, I feel extremely great. It's always a charm to age gracefully."
Talking about her colossal achievements, Lata says she is completely satisfied with her life and career.
"Whatever I achieved is by God's grace. I'm completely satisfied and content with my life and career. I want to continue singing for the rest of my life," the legendary singer said.
President Pratibha Patil telephoned melody queen Lata Mangeshkar to wish her on her 80th birthday.
The President spoke to her and wished her a long life and said she had made India proud through her melodious voice, a Rashtrapati spokesperson said. Mangeshkar is credited with more than 25,000 songs in as many as 20 languages. PTI
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