‘Something strange is going on here’: When Lata Mangeshkar thought Kishore Kumar was ‘following’ her

Lata Mangeshkar and Kishore Kumar had some of the best musical collaborations to their credit. However,  their first meeting began with a misunderstanding as she thought the singer was ‘following’ her.

In her book Lata Mangeshkar: In Her Own Voice, documentary maker and author Nasreen Munni Kabeer writes that the singing icon recalled with great amusement the first time she met Kishore Kumar on her way to the Bombay Talkies studio.

Lata had said she was working with Khemchand Prakash on 1949’s Ziddi when she crossed paths with Kishore Kumar. She had taken the local train to Malad, a suburb in Mumbai, where Bombay Talkies was situated. Kishore Kumar’s elder brother and actor Ashok Kumar was the owner of Bombay Talkies.

Kishore Kumar was also in the same compartment, seated close to Lata and also got down at the Malad Station and was virtually walking behind her till she reached the studio.

“I would take the train from Grant Road to Malad and one day Kishore da got on at the next stop. I thought he looked very familiar and wondered who he was. We both got off at Malad. Bombay Talkies studio was a long way from the station and that day I decided to take a taanga (carriage). And Kishore da hired one too,” Lata told the author for the book, published by Niyogi Books.

Lata thought Kishore was stalking her and complained to music composer Khemchand Prakash, the musician credited with discovering the singer, on reaching her destination.

“We rode along and finally we both entered the studio. I thought to myself, ‘something strange is going on here. This fellow is following me’,” she recalled. “I asked Khemchand ji: ‘Uncle, who is this boy? He’s following me.’”

Khemchand cleared her confusion, she said. “He laughed and said: ‘He’s Kishore. Ashok Kumar’s brother.’ That day we recorded our first duet Ye Kaun Aya Re Karke Sola Singar.”

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Lata and Kishore recorded their first song together Yeh Kaun Aaya Re for Ziddi, starring Dev Anand, Kamini Kaushal and Pran.

The singers went on to collaborate on memorable duets like Gaata Rahe Mere Dil from Guide (1965), Kora Kaagaz Tha Ye Mann Mera from Aradhna (1969), Hum Dono Do Premi from Ajanabee (1974), Tere Bina Zindagi Se from Aandhi (1975), and Dekha Ek Khwab from Silsila (1981), among many others.