HOW DID LATA MANGESHKAR GET HER FIRST CHARTBUSTER,

You have always been very critical of your own work. Is that true?

Yes, I have always been like that. Whenever I would sing a song, I always felt that I haven’t sung it as well as I should have and that I could have done better. In fact, whenever I used to go for recordings, I would leave immediately once it got over as I didn’t want to hear it. I was always apprehensive about how I had sung (smiles). A lot of times, music directors would ask me to listen to the recordings but I would tell them, ‘I am not able to muster enough courage (laughs). So, please don’t force me’.

When you started out and during your struggling days, did you ever imagine that you will achieve such fame and success?

No, I never thought so, and neither did I expect it. The only aim or motive I had in life was to sing and take care of my family. So, I never really paid attention to whether I was getting fame or not.

Of late, remixing the old hits has become a trend in films...

I haven’t heard [them], but if it’s happening, it’s not good. They should have their own mind to think of something new and fresh. If one keeps rebooting the same old work, there’s no point. The reason why I don’t find them good is because they aren’t able to do full justice to the original tracks. It is very important that you come up with something of your own that helps you make your name. Then, people can associate you with your songs. If you keep singing songs of Kishore da [Kishore Kumar], Hemant da [Hemant Kumar] or Mukesh Bhaiyya, what’s great about it?

Today, the perception is that the quality of music has dropped drastically. Do you agree?

I won’t say that the quality has gone down, but I feel most of the songs nowadays are dancebased songs, which are created with an aim to please people. I honestly don’t understand what’s special in those songs. But still, some songs turn out very well. I remember Jatin- Lalit would do good work. Anu Malik also, sometimes, comes up with nice songs. Even now, a few music composers create some good compositions. But honestly, I must admit that I don’t know the names of new music directors and so, have no idea about them (smiles).

Your first major chartbuster was ‘Aayega aanewaala’ from Mahal (1949). Tell us how did you get to sing the iconic song.

Someone had heard me sing at a recording and told Master Ghulam Haider that this new girl sings very well and that he should meet me. So, one day, he called me to a recording studio. When his recording got over in the evening, he called me in. I was aware that I was meeting a very big music director. When he asked me to sing a song, I sang one of his creations only but he asked me to sing something else.

What did you sing then?

I sang one of Noor Jehanji’s songs, ‘Bulbulon mat ro yahaan’, which was very popular at that time. I was a fan of Noor Jehan back then and even now. Haider sahab really liked it. At that time, he was working on Shaheed (1948) starring Yusuf bhai (Dilip Kumar) and Kamini Kaushal that was being produced by Filmistan. So, he made Filmistan’s owner, S Mukherjee hear my song but the latter felt that my voice wouldn’t suit his heroine.

And that made Master Ghulam Haider very angry. Right?

Yes, that made Haider sahab very angry and upset. He took me to Goregaon station and there itself, started playing a tune on a pack of cigarette and sang a few lines before asking me to sing too. I was a bit hesitant to sing at the station but still, I sang. Later, he took me to Bombay Talkies studio, wherein he was working on Majboor (1948) and rehearsed a song with me. Two days later, he recorded, ‘Dil mera toda’ for Majboor with me.

How did Khemchand Prakash (the music composer of Mahal) finally notice you?

I remember having recorded ‘Dil mera toda’ throughout the day — from morning till evening. There, Khemchand Prakashji heard me sing for the first time and offered me ‘Chanda re ja re ja re’ in a Bombay Talkies’ film, Ziddi (1948) starring Dev Anand and Kamini Kaushal that he was working on. Later, Anil Biswasji also heard me sing and I worked with him too. That’s how — although slowly — I started getting work.

When were you offered ‘Aayega aanewaala’?

A few weeks later (after Ziddi’s song), Khemchandji told me that he was doing a film called Mahal and had a song for me but it was quite a difficult and ‘situational’ song. He told me, ‘You have to do a lot of thinking before singing’. Since we used to call him Chahchaji, I said, ‘Chachaji, I will definitely try’. After that, he rehearsed the song with me quite a few times. But like always, once I recorded it, I rushed towards home as I had other commitments too.

Finally, do you remember the euphoria around the song?

I remember when the record of ‘Aayega aanewaala’ came out, it became a huge hit. But for me, what’s saddening was that Khemchandji passed away around the same time. Till date, I feel sad about it. If he had been there, things would have been even better. After that, great music directors such as Naushad saab and Shyam Sunderji called me for work. I sang ‘Bahaarein phir bhi aayengi’ in the latter’s film, Lahore (1949) that became a big hit. And then, one day, Raj Kapoor saab called me and that’s how I sang for a Raj Kapoor film for the first time in Barsaat (1949).

I won’t say that the quality has gone down, but I feel most of the songs nowadays, are dancebased songs, which are created with an aim to please people. I honestly don’t understand what’s special in those songs. LATA MANGESHKAR, SINGER