On the auspicious occasion of ‘Raksha Bandhan‘, Hridaynath Mangeshkar opens up about his sister, ‘Bharat Ratna’ Lata Mangeshar and his memories with her. He reveals how she was a father figure to the siblings, his opinion on her as a singer, how she could take up challenges amidst more. Excerpts:
What are your earliest memories of Lata Didi?
Of a father figure. When our father (Pandit Dinanath Mangeshkar) passed away, she looked after all us siblings like a father. She made sure all of us were fed before she ate. Every morsel that I eat, I am reminded of Didi’s sacrifices for us. There were times she would go hungry but she made sure we ate.
Did you attend her recordings?
Not frequently. I remember attending her recording of Main piya teri tu jaane ya jaane (Basant Bahar) and Kahin deep jalehahin dil (Bees Saal Baad). Before the recording of Kahin deep jale, she had some problems with her throat. The doctors said she may not be able to sing again. But she bounced back, and how! If you wanted Didi to do something , all you had to do was tell her she won’t be able to do it.
What’s your opinion of Lataji as a singer?
I grew up with her. I guess an artiste’s personality is bound to reflect in his or her art. LataMangeshkar is nota personality that comes along in every century, not even in two or three centuries. Her talent transcends time. It’s our good fortune that I as a composer and you as a journalist co-existed with her. Yeh bade bhagya ki baat hai.
I agree completely. She used to tell me she was scared of singing your tunes…
She was just being a humble artiste to honour her brother. Her command over the twelve notes without overdoing them was amazing. When she did a happy song she made us laugh. When she did a sad song she made us cry. She could convey all emotions through her voice. I’ve no words to describe her talent. A talent like her comes along once in a thousand years. Nobody has heard the mythic Tansen. But to our good fortune we have heard Lata Mangeshkar. She became a legend in her own lifetime. There are other good singers like Kishore Kumar, Mohd Rafi, Asha Bhosle and Anuradha Paudwal. But no one can equal Didi. I’ve been a practicing musician for seventy years. I’ve never encountered a singer like her. And I’m not saying this because she’s my sister.
Go on…
I could say the same about my other sisters Ashaji and Ushaji or about my guru Ustad Amir Khan. But I won’t. They are not as timeless as Lata Mangeshkar. There was only one Krishna in the Mahabharata. Likewise there’s only one Lata Mangeshkar.
