Shatrughan Sinha on Lata Mangeshkar: “The aan baan shaan of India sacrificed her marriage because of her family” – Exclusive! – Times of India

Sinha said that Lata ji was not just admired but literally revered. “Admired for what she did for her family. Revered for every song that she sang. She sacrificed her marriage for her family,” and then quickly added, “Well, that’s what we have been told.”

“Lataji was particularly close to Dharmendra, Raj Kapoor, Dilip Kumar and myself. She and I used to visit each other and our phone chats extended till 25-30 minutes. She used to be not just a great host if and when we went to her place but a great cook as well. She loved cooking,” he reminisced.

Sinha further went down the memory lane and said that he, Amitabh Bachchan, Subhash Ghai and Anil Dhawan used to be a small group in their struggle days. “I had a small car and whenever we were at each other’s house or in that car, we wondered at Lata ji’s success story and yearned to meet her.”

Lata ji continued to live in simplicity, Sinha underlines. “She would tell me and say she’s a fan of mine; she loves the way I say my dialogues. And how I can forget her love for the game of cricket? She was largely fond of Sunil Gavaskar and Sachin Tendulkar but she even went across to other cricketers and motivated them.”

Sinha says that one of the unforgettable moments he had with Lata ji was when he recorded the ‘Kaise jeete hain bhala’ song from ‘Dost’ with Mohd Rafi and her together. “I also had a few lines in that song. I remember she doing her portions and drinking chai with a biscuit in her hand but Rafi saab and I together had to do about 7-8 takes- and that’s maybe because I may have erred. I have collected almost all her songs in the form of records and stored them safely. I am amazed at the manner in which she modulated her voice to suit the younger heroines- the best modulation I think being her song ‘Didi tera devar deewana’ to suit Madhuri Dixit.”

Lata ji was always in touch with families whom she had an equation with, Sinha further revealed. “I remember when my son Kush got married, she sent clothes not just for my daughter-in-law but also for my wife Poonam and even for myself. How many people today follow traditions of olden times that had respect written all over them?”

“We say things like that, the show must go on and the show will go on. But how can the show go on without her? Mujhe to unki barabari karne wala door door tak nazar nahi aa raha. The aan baan shaan of India’s music has left us,” Sinha concluded, his voice quivering with emotion.