My Tribute to Lataji

 

Today (February 6, 2022) is a sad day in my life when I woke up to this news of our dear Lataji leaving us. Something that I had not even imagined or thought about, I suppose I just took it for granted that Lataji will be there with us forever…Just last evening I was listening to her songs in Roti Kapda aur Makaan, Shor and Kranti….

I am too small and insignificant to write about an iconic singer like Lata Mangeshkar but I will still share my thoughts and emotions.

I remember the first time I came to know Lataji’s melodious voice as a child was when I heard the songs of Rocky and Love Story, the launch vehicles of Sanjay Dutt and Kumar Gaurav respectively. Songs like Kya Yeh Pyaar Hai, Hum tumse mile, Yaad aa rahi hai, Dekho maine dekha hai ye ek sapna…. I asked my parents the name of the singer…Her voice grew on me as I listened to these songs again and again…

Then I started to follow her songs religiously, through countless songs in movies like Lovers, Shakti, Romance, Utsav, Pyar Jhukta Nahi, Alag Alag, Faasle, Saagar, Aakhir Kyon, Ram Teri Ganga Maili, Chandni right upto her later ones in Dushman, Dil To Paagal Hai, 1942 A Love Story and Veer Zaara.

There are many songs of hers, which I used to love as a child (and still do), like “Saagar Kinare…”, “Zindagi Har Kadam...”, “Zindagi Pyar Ka Geet Hai…” “Dushman Na Kare…”, “Woh Teri Duniya Nahi…”, “Dil Mein Aag Lagaye…”, “Sun Sahiba Sun…” to name a few. Reading her name on an audio cassette was enough for me to buy the cassette of a new release.

I had some favourite audio cassettes which had her song and I would wait for the other songs to get over and her song to come on… My all-time favourites are the ones she has sung for R D Burman, I felt he brought out the best in her. Rocky, Love Story, Teri Kasam, Lovers, Romance, Dacait, Lava, Saagar, Libaas, Kudrat, Jawaani, Jawaani Deewani and many more. I also love her duets with S P Balasubramaniam from 1989 to 1994.

Her voice has the magical touch which was unparalleled, once she sang a song it became hers only. Nobody could sing it better than her. Even when Anuradha Paudwal attempted the same songs by cover versions on T-Series, they did not have the same feel that Lataji had put in the original song.

I remember one particular song “Jind Le Gaya, Woh Dil Ka…” which had Lataji’s voice in the movie but unfortunately on the cassette the voice was of another singer and I was so enraged ! More infuriating was that the cassette mentioned Lataji’s name, which I consider as cheating.

Lataji has sung with almost all the male singers of her time like Mohd Rafi, Mukesh, Kishore Kumar. The iconic song where Lataji came together with Mukesh, Mohd Rafi and Kishore Kumar is my favourite ..”Humko tumse ho gaya hai pyar….” In Amar Akbar Anthony.

When she sang with singers junior to her like Amit Kumar, Shabbir Kumar, Mohd Aziz, Kumar Sanu and Udit Narayan; in no way did she sound aged, she matched them well. Her voice suited heroines like Nargis, Meena Kumari, Nutan and also later younger ones like Sridevi, Jaya Prada, Juhi, Madhuri, Kajol.

Lataji has entertained generations with her voice, she is immortal, her voice and songs will always be with us. As a radio channel correctly said “1929 to forever…” Rest in peace, Lataji. We will remember you forever….

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