Lata Mangeshkar’s love for cars
The legendary singer, who is passionate about automobiles, says she has owned several luxury vehicles over the years
It goes without saying that music has been and continues to remain Lata Mangeshkar’s passion. But the legendary singer has always been extremely fond of cars as well. “I’m still very fond of them,” says Mangeshkar, smiling, as she talks about her cars. “At first, I had bought a Chevrolet. At that time, all the cars that were available [to buy] were second-hand vehicles. So, I got this car from Indore. I loved that car and had it for many years. I had bought it in my mother’s name. Whatever I used to buy — be it a flat or a car — I used to buy it all on my mother’s name. I always felt that she was the rightful owner of everything (smiles),” she says. The next car that Mangeshkar owned was a Buick. “It belonged to the actor Rehman. It had been damaged in an accident, but was later repaired, so it was handed over to me in good condition. Then, I got a Mercedes from Delhi. I used to have a Chrysler as well. All the cars that I had bought initially had been used by someone else. But yes, I always liked cars (smiles),” says the singer.
The ‘Aayega aanewala’ (Mahal; 1949) singer reveals that she started using Indian cars “much later”, but then “stuck to them”. “The late Yash Chopraji used to call me his sister and loved me a lot. On the day the music of Veer-Zaara (2004) [which Chopra directed] was about to be released, he handed me the keys of a Mercedes and said that he was gifting me the car. I still have that car,” Mangeshkar says.
I got a Chevrolet car from Indore. I loved that car and had it for many years. I had bought it in my mother’s name. LATA MANGESHKAR, SINGER