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Usha Mangeshkar Biography: Age, Career, Family and More

F4U Editorial Desk • Updated September 14, 2026 • 6 min read

Quick Info

Date of birth15 December 1935

Age88 Years

BirthplaceBombay, Bombay Presidency, British India (now Mumbai)

ProfessionSinger

NationalityIndian

Marital statusUnmarried

FamilyFather: Deenanath Mangeshkar; Mother: Shevanti Mangeshkar; Siblings: Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhosle, Meena Khadikar, Hridaynath Mangeshkar

Usha Mangeshkar Biography

Usha Mangeshkar is an Indian playback singer known for a career spanning more than six decades. The youngest of the Mangeshkar siblings, she gained wide公众认

Early life and background

Usha Mangeshkar was born on 15 December 1935 in Bombay (now Mumbai) in the Bombay Presidency of British India. She is the youngest child of Deenanath Mangeshkar, a Marathi theatre actor and Hindustani classical vocalist, and Shevanti Mangeshkar. Her family includes several notable musicians: sisters Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhosle and Meena Khadikar, and brother Hridaynath Mangeshkar. Usha grew up in Mumbai and developed an early interest in the arts, particularly singing and painting.

Her father died when she was six, and the family faced financial challenges thereafter. The household turned to music for support, and her eldest sister Lata began singing professionally to help the family. Usha followed her sisters into a musical career and began playback singing in the early 1950s.

Career

Usha Mangeshkar made her Hindi playback debut in the mid-1950s, with an early recording appearing in the 1954 film Subah Ka Tara. Over the decades she recorded songs in many Indian languages, including Marathi, Hindi, Gujarati, Bengali, Nepali, Bhojpuri, Kannada and Assamese. Her preference for folk music is reflected in much of her repertoire.

A defining moment in her career came with the devotional song "Mai to Aarti" from the 1975 film Jai Santoshi Maa, which brought her widespread recognition and made her a household name. She has also been associated with other popular film songs such as "Mungda," a chartbuster from the 1977 film Inkaar composed by Rajesh Roshan.

Beyond playback singing, Usha produced the musical drama Phoolwanti for Doordarshan in 1992, based on a story by Baba Sahib Purandare. She has also been credited as a producer for the Marathi film Jait Re Jait, which received the President’s Silver Medal for Best Feature Film in Marathi at the National Film Awards in 1977.

Awards and honours in her career include the Best Female Playback Singer award at the BFJA Awards for "Jai Santoshi Maa" (1975), a Filmfare nomination for the same film’s song, a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Mirchi Awards in 2020, and the Gan Samragni Lata Mangeshkar Award from Maharashtra’s cultural department for 2020–21. In 2019 she was conferred a Doctor of Philosophy degree at an event in Pune.

Public profile

Usha has maintained a public presence through performances and occasional collaborations. In 2017 she reunited with her sister Lata for the song "Ek Baar Bidaai De Do Maan" for the biopic Main Khudiram Bose Hun, marking one of their later joint recordings after decades apart.

She has spoken publicly against the practice of remixing classic songs, expressing that originals were created with sensitivity and care and should not be altered arbitrarily. That stance was noted when a 1977 hit she sang, "Mungda," was recreated in 2019 for a contemporary film, a remake that she and others publicly criticized.

Usha is also known for her interest in painting. Family members have praised her artistic skills—her brother Hridaynath has said she created many of his record covers based on lyrical and musical content—and she has received recognition for her painting, including a President award.

Personal life

Usha Mangeshkar is unmarried and has lived in Mumbai. She has described painting and music as closely related pursuits and has said she often sketches images inspired by songs. She is an animal lover and a keen follower of cricket, a passion she shares with her family.

Latest updates

In March 2020 she was felicitated at the Mising Youth Festival in Assam. During the COVID-19 lockdown period she stayed at home in Mumbai with her elder sister Lata and their brother Hridaynath and his family. In recent years she has remained active in cultural events and has continued to be recognized for her long contribution to Indian music.
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Recent Work

Ek Baar Bidaai De Do Maan

Song recorded with sister Lata Mangeshkar for the biopic Main Khudiram Bose Hun (2017).

2017
Phoolwanti

Musical drama produced for Doordarshan based on a story by Baba Sahib Purandare.

1992
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Career Highlights

  1. Playback debut with a Hindi song in Subah Ka Tara (1954)
  2. Became widely known for "Mai to Aarti" from Jai Santoshi Maa (1975)
  3. Best Female Playback Singer at BFJA Awards (1975)
  4. Producer of Marathi film Jait Re Jait, which won the President’s Silver Medal for Best Feature Film in Marathi (1977)
  5. Lifetime Achievement Award at Mirchi Awards (2020)
  6. Gan Samragni Lata Mangeshkar Award by Maharashtra government (2020–21)
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Frequently Asked Questions

When was Usha Mangeshkar born?

15 December 1935

What is Usha Mangeshkar known for?

Singer

What is Usha Mangeshkar’s marital status?

Unmarried