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[Sharmila-Sweet]

Lata’s fav’s
Prithwish Ganguly
Monday, November 17, 2008 23:59 IST

Amol Kamble / DNA






Lata Mangeshkar has compiled a five-CD-set of her favourite tunes

Lata Mangeshkar—the nightingale of India—is arguably one of the most loved and acclaimed singer. People might adore her songs but do they know who her favourite singers are? Lata has now handpicked some of her favourite tracks sung by some legendary crooners of the industry which are being compiled in a record titled Pasand Meri, Geet Sathiyon Ke.

Confirming the news Lata Mangeshkar says, “I have always liked to hear some of my colleagues like Manna Dey, Mohammed Rafi and also, amongst the new generation singers, I like to listen to Udit Narayan, Alka Yagnik and Kavita Krishnamurthy.�

The album which is being released by Saregama is a collection of five CD’s. The collection will also have her father Master Dinanath Mangeshkar’s Nain So Nain Milaye. Lata has also chosen some other stalwarts like K.L. Saigal, Noor Jehan, Ghulam Ali, Mukesh, S.D. Burman, Jagjit Singh, Mohammed Rafi, Geeta Dutt, Kishore Kumar, Hemant Kumar and Talat Mahmood.

Lata has also picked singers like Manna Dey, her sisters Asha Bhosle and Usha Mangeshkar, Udit Narayan, Kavita Krishnamurthy, Sonu Niigaam and Shankar Mahadevan as her favourites.

[Sharmila-Sweet]

Kishoreda, please let me sing: Lata
3 May 2009, 1605 hrs IST


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“When we were recording together, we did nothing but laugh.� Lata Mangeshkar and Kishore Kumar


NMK: And Kishore Kumar? Was he an extraordinary personality as widely believed?

LM: Where do I start? When we were recording together, we did nothing but laugh. He never stopped. He sometimes even danced at the recording session. One day he told me a story: Dadamoni [Ashok Kumar] and his family lived in Khandwa, Madhya Pradesh. In those days, marriages were arranged, and their mother was going to see a girl for Dadamoni. Kishoreda told his mother he wanted to go with her to see his future sister-in-law. His mother was reluctant but he insisted.

He poured so much oil in his hair that it was dripping down his face. [laughs]. Off he went with his mother to the girl’s place, looking hideous.

Kishoreda then told me what happened next: ‘My parents were talking in the drawing room and I decided to go inside to see the girl because I thought I might be offered rasgullas. When I went inside, the bride-to-be asked about me and was told — I am the boy’s brother. She looked at me and shrieked: ‘O Ma, he’s so dark-skinned and ghastly. If this is how he is, what must his brother look like?’

He told us that they brought the girl out and Kishoreda’s mother asked if she could sing. The girl’s father said yes and then a harmonium was produced. And the girl began to sing. Kishoreda paused, turned to me and said: ‘Lata! Do you know what she sang?’ He then proceeded to imitate the poor girl and sang Vande Mataram completely out of tune. [Both laugh]

NMK: Did he make you laugh when you were actually recording?

LM: Oh yes! Sometimes I arrived late for a recording and he would be sitting there quietly. He would look at me and say: ‘Lata, you’re here! Come, sit down.’ As soon as the music director started to rehearse the song, Kishoreda would look at me, raise his eyebrows and say under his breath: ‘What do you think?’ Meaning the song was no good. He just looked at me and I would burst out laughing. The music director never understood why I was laughing. Kishoreda did all sorts of things. Many times I had to stop him and say: ‘Kishoreda, please let me sing. Otherwise my voice will go from laughing.’

NMK: And Mukeshji. What did you like about his voice?

LM: The reason I liked his singing was because he liked K.L. Saigal. Mukesh Bhaiya had even met him and the first song he sang Dil jalta hai to jalne de, composed by Anilda from Paheli Nazar was a carbon copy of K.L. Saigal’s singing style. [Smiles] Whenever Mukesh Bhaiya and I met, we would talk endlessly about Saigal Sahib — in fact, he was the proud owner of Saigal Sahib’s harmonium which he looked after carefully.

We initially shared an admiration for this great singer but as time passed, I got to know Mukeshji better. He was a very good man. He was very fond of me and I considered him like a brother. In 1951, when he produced Malhar, I sang all the songs. But he lost a lot of money in the film. He later composed the music for Anuraag, and asked me to sing the songs, including a Kabir doha which was used in the title credits.
Jako rakhe saayian maar sake na koi. Baal na baanka kar sake jo jag bairi hoi (No one can ever slay a man under God’s protection. Nor a hair on his head be touched even if the world opposes him).

I still remember singing the doha and suddenly his eyes filled with tears. asked: ‘Mukesh Bhaiya, what is worrying you?’ He said: ‘Didi, when people are faced with problems, only true friends go out of their way to help. Seeing you here today makes me realise just how close you are to me.’
He accompanied me when I went on tour to America. He stood by me in every way. We were like family. In fact, I have been close to very few people in the film industry and Mukeshji was one of them.