Some of you may know that Lata-ji composed music for 5 Marathi films---Sadhi Manase, Mohityanchi Manjula, Ram Ram Phahune, Maratha Tituka Melavava and Tambdi Maati--- under the name "Anandaghan". How and why did she decide to compose music? Why did she decide to compose under some other name? And why "Anandaghan"? Why did she give up?
Years back I read an article written by her in a Marathi newspaper in which she narrated her brief experience as music composer and answered many of the questions that we had in our minds for years. Recently I came across the translation of that article and I thought of sharing the "Anandaghan" part with you....
I was going to post this in the other topic that I started on Usha Khanna (and female music directors) but thought a separate topic will give this a better visibility --
ANANDAGHAN
Anandghan is a small corner in my long journey through the world of music……I never felt that I should compose music….. actually once Hrishida had asked me at the time of 'Anand'. Once Shantaram bapu had also asked me regarding composing music. But everytime I denied the offer. I always felt that I should be away from composing, sitting there, seeing the lyrics etc. But once what happened, ……. Bhalji Pendharkar was making the film, ' Mohityanchi Manjula'. He asked a couple of music directors. But they were busy. And Bhalji was in a hurry. He called up and told me about his problem. He told me the name of a composer and asked me to talk to him regarding the new film. I told him that I doubted that person's ability to give music to a historical movie. He asked me to suggest some other name. I immediately said that I would do the composing. He said that it would not be right. He felt that my name was very big, I was very famous and if the music of his historical movie did not click, the name of Lata Mangeshkar would be spoilt. He said that if the print media would speak ill of me, he would not like it.
As a solution to that I told him that I would compose music with a different name. He suggested the name 'Jatashankar'. But I did not like it. Just then I had finished recording 'Anandavan Bhuvani' of Shri Ramdas. I used to like it a lot. So I suggested the name 'ANANDAGHAN'. He agreed. And I accepted the movie. I sang out the tune of the song 'Neelya aabhali, Katarveli' to Bhalji Pendharkar on the telephone itself. He liked it a lot. But he said that in his movie there was not much importance to music. All his stress was on the story, the dialogues, and Shivaji Maharaj. I said okay, as you wish. He sent two songs. I gave them tunes. I do not compose tunes without lyrics. Around that time, I wanted the help of Hridaynath. But he was in Hyderabad and thus unavailable. I could not wait. So I called Datta Davjekar. I told him the tune. I also laid down a condition, that no body would come to knowtaht I had given the music to those songs. He agreed. He told everyone that there was a young man who had composed the music and that he could not come to the recording as he was working.
After the movie was done, C. Ramchandra, O.P. Nayyar etc had come to Kolhapur to attend my sister's wedding ceremony. C. Ramchandra asked me, "Lata, tell me one thing, who is this musician 'Anandaghan'?" I replied, "May be someone, I do not know." He then said, "Do not speak a lie, okay." I said, "Why don't you ask Datta Davjekar. He would tell you" I tried to avoid. But he kept on asking me. He said , "On listening to those compositions, I feel that someone who understands music well has done that work. It is not possible for any common person." I said, "May be the person understands music. May be Bhalji Pendharkar knows about him." Saying this, I slipped away from there.
After 'Mohityanchi manjula', I gave music for 'Maratha tituka melavava', but still my name was a secret. But after the release of 'Saadhi manasa', this secret came out. That movie was awarded around 8 state government awards. Director, story, music etc. The song 'Airanichya deva tula' got the song award. I accepted it. Then the award for music was declared, but I kept sitting. But someone had told the announcers that I myself had given the music. And the announcer requested that I should accept the award, but still I kept sitting. Then they announced that Latabai should come on to the stage, and Anandaghan was none other than Lata. Then I went and received the award. ……. I gave music for Bhalji Pendharkar's 'Tambdi maati'. That was my last music direction. I never had the interest in giving music to songs, but still once I had thought that myself and Hridaynath should together give music together, similar to Shankar-Jaikishan, I thought we could give it as 'Lata-Hridaynath'. But Hridaynath would not have liked it, so I just dropped the idea…. But I had felt that way.
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