When Lata Mangeshkar featured in an ad

Music legend Lata Mangeshkar breathed her last on Sunday at Mumbai’s Breach Candy Hospital and was cremated with full state honours at Shivaji Park. She was 92. The country mourned the death of its beloved melody queen. Recalling her contribution in the ad world, the legendary singer had once featured in an advertisement for cough syrup- Glycodin. This was her first ad commercial.

Mangeshkar agreed to feature in the ad as the iconic singer could not afford to have a sore throat. She is revered as one of the most loved singers in the country and is often referred to as the 'Nightingale of India'. 

The Glycodin ad was shot by Govind Nihalani which was the first in a series on Great Masters. The others who come in from the cold include Bismillah Khan and Bhimsen Joshi. However, Mangeshkar was embarrassed by the attention she received after her first commercial. "This is the first and last commercial I do", she stated. As per media reports, when Mangeshkar was asked why she doesn't endorse brands, she humbly replied saying that endorsing brands would make her very commercial and she doesn't really feel like doing it.

The 92-year-old singer tested positive for Covid with mild symptoms and was admitted on January 8 to the hospital’s Intensive Care Unit (ICU) where she was being treated by Dr Pratit Samdani and his team of doctors. Earlier, her condition had improved and she was taken off the ventilator. However, her health suddenly deteriorated on Saturday and she had to be put back on life support.

Mangeshkar’s run of seven decades gave over 30,000 songs in various languages. She began her singing career at the age of 13 in 1942. The melody queen has received the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian honour, in 2001 and has also been the recipient of several other prestigious awards including Padma Bhushan, Padma Vibhushan, and Dada Saheb Phalke Award.