Singer Udit Narayan opens up an emotional note on the passing away of legendary Indian singer Lata Mangeshkar. The singer feels ‘fortunate’ to have worked with her.
Lata Mangeshkar, who was born on September 28, 1929, is widely regarded as one of India’s best playback singers. She comes from a family of talented musicians and singers, and she has performed in over 1,000 films in 36 languages. ‘Lata Didi,’ also known as the ‘Queen of Melody,’ has recorded songs in over 36 Indian and other languages.
Lata Mangeshkar, the legendary vocalist, died in the Breach Candy Hospital in Mumbai on Sunday, February 6, at the age of 92. Over the last three weeks, the Bharat Ratna awardee was battling with life as she was under treatment for COVID-19 and pneumonia.
As India mourns the death of the 92-year-old renowned vocalist, a number of music industry celebrities have expressed their sorrow. Udit Narayan, who recently opened up about Lata Mangeshkar’s death and dubbed the late singer ‘Kohinoor Heera,’ has joined the list.
On Sunday, singer Udit Narayan refused to believe that India’s Nightingale, Lata Mangeshkar, was no longer alive. Narayan feels himself “fortunate” to have worked with the late vocalist on songs like Tu Mere Saamne (Darr, 1993), Mehendi Laga Ke Rakhna (Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, 1995), and the title track of Dil To Pagal Hai (1997), among others.
The 66-year-old singer said “Main apne aap ko bhagyashali samajhta hoon. Jitna kaam mujhe Lata ji ke saath mila, mujhe nahin lagta [mere time ke] kisi aur singer ko mila hoga. I guess I am the only one who sang over 200 songs with Lata ji. And all of them were super hit. I also shared the stage with her around eight times (for live shows). She would say, ‘Udit, tumhari awaaz original hai.’ Lata Mangeshkar ji saying something like that was like Goddess Saraswati blessing me.”
When Narayan learned that the legend was no longer alive, he was saddened. Narayan gets emotional and says, “Ek hi Lata ji thi aur woh chali gayin,” calling it a sad news for “Bollywood, the music fraternity, and the entire world.”
Mangeshkar is an important part of India’s musical history, according to the singer, and she will live on. “The 6th of February, 2022, was a dark day. She treated and loved me like a younger brother and wished me well whenever we crossed paths. It is no coincidence that she passed away around the time of Basant Panchami. He signs off by saying, “It confirms she was Goddess Saraswati herself.”