The magic of the Mangeshkars
Tuesday, October 31, 2006
Source: MovieTalkies.com
Image Source: MovieTalkies.com
hen Bharat Ratna Lata Mangeshkarwas 75 she was still singing like a 16 year old girl and singing for actresses who were 16 going on 17. she had then decided to cut down on her assignments and sometimes sang just one song in six months and that was only if it was a devotional song or if it was a song for a Yash Chopra film or one of the films made under Yash Raj films, Yash Chopra€™sbanner because she has always considered Yash as her younger brother and Yash firmly believes that no film of his or any of the films made by his company can be complete without a song sung by his €˜didi€™.
Yash says, €œI just cannot think about a film without atleast one song with Lataji. I sometimes feel life would be meaningless and empty without Lataji€. Lata kept herself busy spending most of her time in Pune, looking after the building of the massive state of the art hospital built by her in memory of her father, the Dinanath Mangeshkar Memorial Hospital and sometimes found time to make her presence felt in the Rajya Sabha.
Now, at 78 the Nightingale is busy singing all over again. And she is as busy as she was during her prime time. She is recording more songs that she used to once. She is singing for films made in Hindi, Marathi and only recently even sang some songs for Bhojpuri films. She is singing for all the new music directors who feel privileged to have her singing for them.
All the music directors are unanimous in saying that her voice is still as fresh as it was when she started. Age has failed to touch her ageless voice. Lata herself says, €œI have always believed my voice is a gift of God and then that I should use it to the best of my ability. I am very busy again but I am being very careful about the choice of songs I sing. Some of the new composers are very good and I love singing for them. I am also learning from them.€
And Lata€™s younger sister, Asha Bhonsle is only 76 but she is still as active as ever. She is singing for films. She is singing one two cha cha cha for MTV and other songs for other major music channels. She is also collaborating with some of the best music groups in the West. Her other passion is her efforts to keep the music of R D Burman, (Pancham to her) alive in every possible way. Her shows all over are a rage. On October 26, she conquered Thane, the neighbouring city of Mumbai when she sang all the best songs in Marathi during the last 80 years before a crowd of 30,000 people. Her three and a half hour performance blended with her wit and anecdotes thrilled the hearts of the people.
The only brother of the Mangeshkar sisters, Pandit Hridaynath Mangeshkar celebrated his 70th birthday on October 26 with a solo one and half hour performance at the packed Shanmukananada Hall in Mumbai. Lata Mangeshkar who was present at the concert called her younger brother €œthe driving force for both me and Asha.€ She said he was the most difficult composer she has ever worked with. And so the saga of the first family of music in India goes on and live on and on.
