Page 15 - Seniorstoday February 2022 Issue

She is ageless, timeless. Over seven decades
she has given us the most sublime and
enchanting music. We are indeed fortunate
to have lived when Lataji’s melodious voice
resonated on the planet. The days when
Lataji would come home are amongst the
special memories for us as a family. Lataji
was like a member of our family and we
often saw her at home. She was the ‘rakhi’
sister to my father and mother and her
charming soft demeanour and affection
touched our hearts. It was with my mother
that Lataji had a close bond at the time
and they had their own space discussing
families, sarees and common friends. What
stood out for me was that, here was the
supreme singing diva of our generation and
yet she was like any normal person talking
plain simple things that people talk, in the
most down to earth manner imaginable.
Success did not alter her. She was humble,
extremely curious and had a child-like
innocence. Unlike all artistes who have
a peak to their career, Lataji remained in
her prime all through. I have had the good
fortune of listening to her sing absolutely
raw in our living room, devoid of the
trappings of a studio and recording gear.
I recall the time she sang a few lines from
“Aayega aane walaa”. It was a ‘raungtey
khade ho gaye’ moment. Simply magical
and unforgettable. For the world she was
the numero uno voice, but for us she was,
is and will forever be Lata Didi. Like all
true Mumbaikars she had a deep passion
for cricket. She would discuss the nuances
of the game with me, whether it was a Test
match or an IPL game. My connection with
her grew because of our music company
HMV. She knew every member of the staff
at the HMV office and it was always a treat
for them when she visited the office. She
never forgot a festive occasion, whether a
SENIORS TODAY | ISSUE #32 | FEBRUARY 2022
birthday or a wedding, and we would get
beautiful gifts from her. Just two months
back, I spoke with to Lataji on the phone for
half an hour. Her voice was still very fresh
and she still had the same enthusiasm.
Of course she lamented that she could
not move. But we discussed cricket and
strangely, some politics. She had a lot of
praise for PM Narendra Modi and spoke of
their mutual affection. One of her proudest
achievements was how she created the
Deenanath Mangeshkar hospital in Pune.
She was committed to that hospital. Her
melody is immortal and will continue
to sing to each one of us. Whether it is
a love ballad or a grieving requiem or a
galvanising anthem, that one single voice,
the unmistakable sound of the nightingale
of our times will always ring through the
heart of India.
Dearest Lata didi,
Tere bina zindagi se koi,
shikwa to nahi
Tere bina zindagi bhi lekin,
zindagi to nahi.
The heavens will sound sweeter from
today.
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