Hridaynath Mangeshkar is the only son of Deenanath Mangeshkar while his mother belonged to the Gomantak Maratha Samaj. He is a brother to four sisters, Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhosle, Meena Khadikar and Usha Mangeshkar, and youngest among them. He is married to Bharati Malvankar Mangeshkar, daughter of Marathi comedian Damuanna Malvankar. They have two sons Aadinath and Vaijnath and a daughter Radha. In 2009, Radha launched her debut albumNaav Maaza Shaami. She has been trained by Hridaynath and accompanies him in various stage shows.
Career
Hridaynath debuted his music career in 1955 with the Marathi filmAkash Ganga. Since then, he has composed for various Marathi films such as Sansar, Chaani, Ha Khel Savalyancha, Janaki, Jait Re Jait, Umbartha and Nivdung and a few Bollywood films; the most notable among them being Subah, Lekin... and Maya Memsaab. He has been very selective with his work. He has composed songs in Marathi and Hindi. His songs often have complex meters and require singers of great range and depth for enjoyable renditions. His composition of Vinayak Damodar Savarkar's poem Saagara Pran Talamalala is a case in point. His 1982 album Dnyaneshwar Mauli, featuring compositions from Jñāneśvar, one of the most famous poets in Marathi literature, set the standard for modern devotional music in Marathi. He also composed music for Doordarshan musical drama Phoolwanti. He has also composed folk songs. Staying true to the spirit, his Koli Geets reflect the traditional rhythms of the fishermen of Konkan. His music to the critically acclaimed movie Jait Re Jait is another example of his prowess in this genre. One of his most popular works is the composition for the Marathi film Nivdung. At one point, Hridaynath was a student of Ustad Amir Khan; however, he feels that his guru is not as timeless as his sister Lata. He has been the recipient of several awards throughout his career, such as the prestigious National Award at the hands of the President of India, the Lata Mangeshkar Award of Maharashtra state, and seven Maharashtra State Awards for Best Vocalist and Music Director/Composer. He was awarded the title panditby the people of Maharashtra at the hands of Bhimsen Joshi and Jasraj. The Shankaracharya has conferred upon him the title Bhaav Gandharva. He was awarded Padma Shri by the Government of India in 2009. Some of his most memorable Hindi film scores are Harishchandra Taramati, Prarthana, Chakra, Lekin..., Maya Memsaab, Lal Salaam, Yash Chopra's Mashaal, Dhanwan and Chaani, to name a few. He is also the first Indian composer to compose and release two entire albums featuring the poems and songs of the poet-saint Meera, titled Chala Vahi Des and Meera Bhajans. He has recently also composed and released an album titled Meera Soor Kabeera, featuring the works of Meera, Kabir and Surdas. He produced an album featuring the ghazals of Ghalib, titled Ghalib and sung by Lata Mangeshkar. He has also composed many songs for Asha Bhosle. His collaborations with noted Marathi poets such as Shanta Shelke and Suresh Bhat have produced many Marathi classic songs of unmatched popularity. He joined the political partyShiv Sena in 2009.
