Amitabh Bachchan shares video when he performed on stage with Lata Mangeshkar, called her ‘avatar of Saraswati’. Watch

Actor Amitabh Bachchan on Monday shared a throwback video in which late singer Lata Mangeshkar called him a ‘great artist’ and also praised him. Taking to Instagram, Amitabh posted the clip from an award function, in which Amitabh lauded Lata and asserted that she is surely the ‘voice of the millennium’.

The video started with Amitabh Bachchan giving an introduction to Lata Mangeshkar. He said, “Main kaese parichay du us shaksiyat ka jinka naam khud apne aap m ek parichay hai. Main kaese parichay karun us wyakti ka jinki awaaz desh ki hi awaaz nahi, bal k saare vishwa ki awaaz hai (How do I introduce someone whose name in itself is an introduction? How do I introduce a person whose voice is not of the nation but also the voice of the world)?” said the actor. He also added in Hindi, “Without any doubt, such a voice should truly be called the voice of the millennium.”

Amitabh also recalled a conversation he had with a neighbouring country, seemingly Pakistan. “Humare padosi mulk ke log jab kabhi humse milte hai toh kaha karte hai ki ‘Humare paas woh sab kuch hai jo aapke paas Bharat me hai bus do cheezen nahi hai–Taj Mahal aur Lata Mangeshkar (When people from our neighbouring country meet me they say ‘We have everything that India has except for Taj Mahal and Lata Mangeshkar)’,” said the actor. He also addressed Lata as Goddess Saraswati while introducing her to everyone present at the event.

“I also believe that music and God have a very special connection. And if there is a string that connects a person’s soul with God, then it is Lata Mangeshkar. She is truly an avatar of Saraswati. I bow before her,” Amitabh said in Hindi. After that, he welcomed Lata on stage.

Standing with a mic, Lata revealed that she would perform a song that also features Amitabh. She added that when she recorded the particular song earlier she had sung solo. Lata further said in the video that she would be performing with the actor for the first time on stage.

The late singer also said in Hindi, “Amitabh is a great artist and I really respect him. It is possible that many people tell him that ‘Lata doesn’t like your acting’. But it is not true. For me, he’s a big artist. I respect him and also like his work. For the first time, he came with me to the US and it was his first stage performance. There he had sung and also performed with me in two shows before returning to India.” She then requested him to join her on the stage. As the video ended, Amitabh appeared on the platform with folded hands and smiling at her.

Sharing the clip, Amitabh captioned it, “She has left us .. the voice of a million centuries has left us .. she resounds now in the heavens .. (folded hand and red flag emojis).” Reacting to the post, Amitabh’s granddaughter Navya Naveli Nanda dropped red heart and folded hands emojis.

Also Read | Amitabh Bachchan mourns Lata Mangeshkar’s death, writes: ‘Her voice resounds now in the Heavens’

Regarded as one of Indian cinema’s greatest playback singers, Lata started her career in her teens in 1942 and sung over 25,000 songs in various Indian languages. She was a recipient of many honours including the Padam Vibhusan, Bharat Ratna and Dadasaheb Phalke awards.

Lata, who died on Sunday at the age of 92, was cremated in Mumbai’s Shivaji Park with full state honours. She died due to multiple organ failures at Mumbai’s Breach Candy hospital. She was admitted on January 8 after she was diagnosed with Covid-19 and pneumonia.