LAya TAal of MI Life
षडजं वदति मयूर, | Shadjam vadati mayura, |
ऋषभं गाव एव च; | Rishabham gaava eva cha; |
अजा वदति गांधारं, | Aja vadati Gaandharam, |
क्रौन्चो वदति मध्यमं; | Krauncho vadat Madhyamam; |
वसंतकाले सम्प्राप्ते, | Vasantakaale sampraapte, |
पिकः कूजति पंचमं; | Pikaha koojati Panchamam; |
धैवतं ह्रेशते वाजी, | Dhaivatam hreshate vaaji, |
निषादं कुंजरः स्वरं। | Nishaadam kunjaraha swaram. |
The Sanskrit Sloka says that the seven musical notes Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Dha Ni originated from the calls and cries, chirps and chimes of various animals and birds. It is also said that the seven notes were traced in the Vedic literature particularly the Sama Veda. Imaginations of a few crazy minds (like mine) say that these notes emanated from the melodic ‘cries’ and melodious ‘laughter’ of the first girl child born to the renowned Marathi actor-singer Master Dinanath Mangeshkar and Mai. Sounds bold and blasphemous. But, imaginations often run amok and there’s no stopping them!
The Laya (harmony) and the Taal (rhythm) in which the cherubic one ‘cried’ and ‘laughed’ must have left the blessed parents bemused and baffled and posed a challenge to give an apt name to their melodious mulgi (a girl in Marathi). Possibly, after much deliberation, they christened their little one as लता (LATA) by blending the first letter ल (La) and ता (Ta) of the two musical words लय (LAya) and ताल (TAal) respectively. This fascinating story sounds real now but it must have been a moment surreal then!
Down the decades, the same little Lata came to be acclaimed and acknowledged as the Bharat Ratna Lata Mangeshkar… The Legendary Singer, The Incarnation of Goddess Saraswati, The Nightingale of India, The Melody Queen, The Tuneful Symbol of National Integration and many other epithets befitting her unparalleled achievements!
Circa 1947; Lata Mangeshkar made her playback debut with the song “Paa laagu kar jori re” in the film “Aap ki Seva Mein” with music by Datta Davjekar. She literally ‘prostrated with folded hands’ before some of the legendary maestros to give her an audition. And promised that she would sing ‘aap ki seva mein‘, ad infinitum, given the deserved break. The first step led to a few more strides and then to an interminable and unending odyssey stretching even beyond the insurmountable ethereal heights which others dread to even dream.
I too had a dream, certainly not of becoming a singer like Lataji. I dreamed of being blessed with the privilege of her gracious and melodious presence in a very exclusive Keep Alive music concert in her honour. I have been dreaming of this year after year from the time Keep Alive had earned a good amount of credibility and respectability. There was a time when the dream made me restless and didn’t let me sleep peacefully. But soon, as a defeated soldier, I too gave up; now, I neither dream (of this delightful ‘miss’ion) nor sleep (for different reasons)!
As a consolation, I marked and ‘celebrated’ Lataji’s 75th birthday with an innovative and interesting half page advertisement in the SCREEN (a prestigious film weekly) enlisting her 75 all time classic song gems (of my choice). These gems were gleaned out from the films of up to the late 50s, arguably, the best phase of her meritorious career.
I was delighted to know that the ‘ad’ or rather the ‘Birthday Greeting’ caught the attention of Lataji too but I never made an attempt to find her reaction. I had detached myself from all dreams and desires to be free from despair and disappointment. The ‘ad’ attracted a lot of response from the readers too because of its novelty and the ensemble of her rare song gems.
As a child I didn’t know ‘who’ and ‘what’ Lata Mangeshkar was. I only remember listening to her songs (and also of others) reverberating from an antique Murphy radio we had. I grew up entranced and fascinated by the Hindi films and film songs of yore: of the 40s, 50s, 60s. I got addicted to listening to Lataji, Rafi Sahab and other singers. Probably, this passion inspired the foundation of Keep Alive and then its offspring, LAya TAal, in the later years!
From an impressionable age, I was magnetised and mesmerised (who is not?) by the divine voice of Lataji and her honey-soaked dulcet ditties from musicals like ‘Anokha Pyar’ and ‘Arzoo’, ‘Ziddi’ and ‘Mahal’, ‘Andaz’ and ‘Dulari’, ‘Badi Bahan’ and ‘Afsana’, ‘Anarkali’ and ‘Yasmin’, ‘Aurat’ and ‘Poonam’, ‘Devdas’ and Munimji’, ‘Ashiana’ and ‘Baghi’, ‘Malhar’ and ‘Naubahar’ to name a few. I remember vividly hearing songs from these and other films in the Radio Ceylon’s “Ek Hi Film Ke Geet” programme which was broadcast at 6.30 a.m. and other programmes like “Ek aur Anek” and “Badalte Saathi”.
My beloved mother was and will always remain ‘the first and last woman in MI life’! Lata Mangeshkar is the ‘other woman’ in my life! There was a time when I did not see beyond Lataji. A soulful connection existed between us. Seeing my awe and admiration for her, my naive mother equated me with Meerabai and her reverence for Lord Krishna!. Even now, I feel her strong melodious ‘presence’ in my little home all the time. You drop in and, to your pleasant surprise, you will find ‘Lataji welcoming’ you; five digitally laminated sepia tone portraits of Lataji taken at various stages of her life and career from 17 to 71 find a niche in the modest size drawing room. However, her placement and positioning evoke mixed reactions!
Guests and visitors are treated to hot south Indian filter coffee and also to some additional hospitality in the form of light snacks or even lunch. But, ultimately, their ravenous appetite find satiation (and even salvation) through the melodious songs of Lataji playing in the LP records or cassettes or, in the later years, in the Farishta channel of World Space satellite radio or MP3 audio tracks. Many a times, the ‘unfortunate’ athithis were subjected to the ordeal of listening to Lataji in my pathetic voice!
Even this fetish for singing her songs unwittingly initiated long discussions on Lataji and her divine voice, her classic songs, her rendition, range, expression, breath control, singing techniques, accomplishments and everything that made her a living legend. This ritual and routine of listening to the Lata lore and lilts reduced with passage of time with professional commitments clamoring for attention.
Incredible but true, Lataji, as embodied and incarnated by the seven musical notes, has bound and held together music lovers in the last seven decades with the fine thread of her mellifluous vocal chords. If God had not dropped a clanger by sending his best ‘composition’ to mUSic lovers, there would have been a big void, a broad vacuum in the realm of never ending harmony. I thank God for (t)His ‘Melodious MISStake’!
Lataji,
रब ने तुझे बनाकर, भेज दिया धरती पर,
देख मैं कितना ख़ुश हूं, उसकी इस ग़लती पर।
And music lovers have been celebrating His ‘Divine Creation’ for the last eighty years i.e. from the time she came, she crooned, she conquered, she continued…. to reign supreme as the Melody Queen!
But God made a bigger mistake when He took back His most melodious ‘composition’, His matchless ‘creation’! Lataji’s condition was quite critical in the past several weeks; she was diagnosed with pneumonia and then tested positive for coronavirus before being put on the ventillator support for several days. Finally, she suffered multiple organ failure and then the Voice of the Country, the Voice of the Millennium that resonated and reverberated for eight decades was silenced for ever. The ageless Divine Diva and her timeless tuneful treasure merged with our supra consciousness on this ill fated and infelicitous day of February 06, 2022. It is a bereavement for everyone across the world for the ethereal voice and the endless enchantment is privy to the lives of each and everyone of us.
Incidentally, this February 06 marks the birth date of the Rashtra Kavi Pradeep and Lataji has breathed life in several songs penned by the poet; the two legends peaking the meridian with, arguably, the most popular patriotic song ‘Ae mere watan ke logo’. The poignant lyrics written by Pradeepji as a tribute to the soldiers who laid down their lives during the Indo~China war of 1962 and the melancholy filled rendering of Lataji brought tears to the eyes of India’s first Prime Minister Pandit Jawarlal Nehru.
Ae mere watan ke logo, celebrating the musical life and melodious legacy of the Melody Queen, I enlist Ninety Two all time evergreen song nuggets of the Nightingale in each of the two parts which are to bring back and keep alive the myriad memories of the golden times of her melodious odyssey!
Lataji, I am at loss of words to thank you for filling and fueling MI listless life with melody, harmony and rhythm of your evergreen and eternal nostalgic nuggets and keeping alive MI spirit to live and the splendor of life! All I can say is: Lataji, you were, you are and you will continue to be “The LAya TAal of MI Life” and IM to remain in musical debt ad infinitum!
May your melodious soul rest in eternal peace!
Lata Mangeshkar : Ninety Two Nuggets of the Nightingale – Part I (1947 – 1959)
Year | Film | Song | Music Director |
1947 | Aap Ki Seva Mein | Paa laagu kar jori re | Datta Davjekar |
1948 | Anokha Pyar | Mere liye woh gham-e-intzaar | Anil Biswas |
1948 | Gajre | Baras baras badli bhi bikhar gayi | Anil Biswas |
1948 | Majboor | Dil mera toda | Ghulam Haider |
1948 | Padmini | Bedard tere dard ko | Ghulam Haider |
1948 | Ziddi | Chanda jaa re jaa re | Khemchand Prakash |
1949 | Andaz | Uthaaye jaa unke sitam | Naushad |
1949 | Badi Behan | Chale jaana nahin nain milaake | Husanlal-Bhagatram |
1949 | Barsaat | Mujhe kisise pyar ho gaya | Shankar-Jaikishan |
1949 | Bazar | Saajan ki galiyan chhod chale | Shyam Sundar |
1949 | Dulari | Taqdeer jagaakar aayi hoon | Naushad |
1949 | Girls School | Tumhi kaho mera mann kyon rahe | Anil Biswas |
1949 | Jal Tarang | Lutt gayi umeedon ki duniya | Husanlal-Bhagatram |
1949 | Ladli | Tumhare bulaane ko ji chaahta hai | Anil Biswas |
1949 | Lahore | Bahaaren phir bhi aayengi | Shyam Sundar |
1949 | Mahal | Aayega aanewala | Khemchand Prakash |
1949 | Patanga | Dil se bhula do tum hamen | C Ramchandra |
1949 | Zevarat | Shikwa na karenge | Hansraj Behl |
1950 | Aadhi Raat | Dil hi to hai tadap gaya | Husanlal-Bhagatram |
1950 | Anmol Ratan | Taare wohi hai chand wohi hai | Vinod |
1950 | Arzoo | Kahan tak hum uthaayen gham | Anil Biswas |
1950 | Beqasoor | Aayi bhor suhani | Anil Biswas |
1950 | Khel | Jaate ho to jaao hum bhi yahan | Sajjad |
1950 | Maang | Ae dil-e-beqaraar | Ghulam Mohammed |
1950 | Nirala | Mehfil mein jal uthi shama | C Ramchandra |
1950 | Sangeeta | Naumeed hoke bhi duniya mein | C Ramchandra |
1951 | Ada | Preetam meri duniya mein | Madan Mohan |
1951 | Afsana | Kahan hai tu mere sapnon ke raja | Husanlal-Bhagatram |
1951 | Albela | Dheere se aaja ri ankhiyan mein | C Ramchandra |
1951 | Araam | Mil milke bichhad gaye nain | Anil Biswas |
1951 | Awara | Aa jao tadapte hain armaan | Shankar-Jaikishan |
1951 | Badi Bahu | Badli teri nazar to nazaare badal gaye | Anil Biswas |
1951 | Hulchul | Aaj mere naseeb ne mujhko rula 2 diya | Sajjad |
1951 | Kaali Ghata | Unke sitam ne loot liya | Shankar-Jaikishan |
1951 | Malti Madhav | Baandh preeti phul dor | Sudhir Phadke |
1951 | Nagina | Toone haaye mere zakhm-e-jigar ko | Shankar-Jaikishan |
1951 | Saiyyan | Kaali kaali raat re | Sajjad |
1951 | Sazaa | Tum na jaane kis jahan mein kho gaye | S D Burman |
1951 | Shokhiyan | Sapna ban saajan aaye | Jamal Sen |
1951 | Tarana | Beimaan tore nainva | Anil Biswas |
1952 | Ashiana | Mere piya se koyi jaake kehde | Madan Mohan |
1952 | Anhonee | Is dil ki haalat kya kahiye | Roshan |
1952 | Baiju Bawra | Mohe bhool gaye sanwariya | Naushad |
1952 | Diwana | Teer khaate jaayenge | Naushad |
1952 | Do Raha | Loota hai zamaane ne | Anil Biswas |
1952 | Kaafila | Aansoo ab tum kabhi na behna | Husanlal-Bhagatram |
1952 | Naubahar | Ae ri main to prem diwani | Roshan |
1952 | Nirmohi | Dukhiyare naina dhoondhe piya | Madan Mohan |
1952 | Parchhain | Katate hain dukh mein ye din | C Ramchandra |
1952 | Sangdil | Woh to chale gaye ae dil | Sajjad |
1952 | Shinshinaki Boobla Boo | Tum kya jaano tumhari yaad mien | C Ramchandra |
1953 | Aansoo | Judaayi ki khabar hoti agar | Husanlal-Bhagatram |
1953 | Akash | So gayi chandni, jaag uthi bekali | Anil Biswas |
1953 | Anarkali | Ye zindagi usiki hai | C Ramchandra |
1953 | Baaghi | Hamare baad ab mehfil mein | Madan Mohan |
1953 | Jhanjhar | Ae pyar teri duniya se hum | C Ramchandra |
1954 | Amar | Na milta gham to barbaadi ke afsane | Naushad |
1954 | Chandni Chowk | Aa jaaye jaanewale, laut aayin baharen | Roshan |
1954 | Maan | Mere pyar mein tujhe kya mila | Anil Biswas |
1954 | Mehbooba | Aa ek ab aata nahin dil ko qaraar | Roshan |
1954 | Naaz | Katati hai ab to zindagi | Anil Biswas |
1954 | Shabab | Jo main jaanti bichhdat hain saiyyan | Naushad |
1955 | Devdas | Jise tu qubool karle | S D Burman |
1955 | Garam Coat | Jogia se preet kiye dukh hohe | Amarnath |
1955 | House No. 44 | Phaili hui hain sapnon ki baahen | S D Burman |
1955 | Jhanak Jhanak Payal.. | Jo tum todo piya | Vasant Desai |
1955 | Kundan | Shikayat kya karoon | Ghulam Mohammed |
1955 | Munimji | Aankh khulte hi tum chhup gaye ho | S D Burman |
1955 | Naata | Matt samjho neer bahaati hoon | S Mohinder |
1955 | Oot Pataang | Meri ulfat soyi hai yahan | Vinod |
1955 | Railway Platform | Chand Madhham hai | Madan Mohan |
1955 | Rukhsana | Tera dard dil mein basaa liya | Sajjad |
1955 | Seema | Manmohana bade jhoothe | Shankar-Jaikishan |
1955 | Yasmin | Mujhpe ilzaam-e-bewafai hai | C Ramchandra |
1956 | Basant Bahar | Main piya teri tu maane ya na maane | Shankar-Jaikishan |
1956 | Chori Chori | Rasik balma | Shankar-Jaikishan |
1956 | Durgesh Nandini | Kahan le chale ho bataado musafir | Hemant Kumar |
1956 | Fifty Fifty | Chal diya dil mera todke | Madan Mohan |
1956 | New Delhi | Murli bairan bhayi | Shankar-Jaikishan |
1956 | Patrani | Chandrama madhbhara | Shankar-Jaikishan |
1957 | Anjali | Kis kisse deepak pyar kare | Jaidev |
1957 | Chengiz Khan | Jab raat nahin katati | Hansraj Behl |
1957 | Dekh Kabira Roya | Meri veena tum bin roye | Madan Mohan |
1957 | Gateway of India | Na hanso humpe zamaane ke hain | Madan Mohan |
1957 | Jalti Nishani | Rooth ke tum to chal diye | Madan Mohan |
1957 | Paying Guest | Chand phir nikla | S D Burman |
1958 | Adalat | Unko ye shikayat hai | Madan Mohan |
1958 | Madhumati | Aaja re pardesi | Salil Chowdhury |
1958 | Milan | Haaye jiya roye | Hansraj Behl |
1959 | Anadi | Tera jaana dil ke armaanon ka | Shankar-Jaikishan |
1959 | Char Dil Char Raahen | Intzaar aur abhi, aur abhi, aur abhi | Anil Biswas |
1959 | Goonj Uthi Shehnai | Tere surr aur mere geet | Vasant Desai |
Lata Mangeshkar : Ninety Two Nuggets of the Nightingale – Part II (1960 – 2000)
Year | Film | Song | Music Director |
1960 | Anuradha | Haaye re wo din kyon na aaye | Ravi Shankar |
1960 | Dil Apna Preet Parai | Ajeeb dastaan hai ye | Shankar-Jaikishan |
1960 | Ghoonghat | Laage na mora jiya | Ravi |
1960 | Jis Desh Mein Ganga.. | O basanti pawan pagal | Shankar-Jaikishan |
1960 | Mughal-e-Azam | Pyar kiya to darna kya | Naushad |
1960 | Parakh | O sajna barkha bahar aayi | Salil Chowdhury |
1961 | Bhabhi Ki Choodiyan | Jyoti kalash chhalke | Sudhir Phadke |
1961 | Chhote Nawab | Ghar aaja ghir aayi badra sanwariya | R D Burman |
1961 | Hum Dono | Allah tero naam | Jaidev |
1961 | Maya | Jaa re jaa re ud jaa re panchhi | Salil Chowdhury1962 |
1962 | Aarti | Kabhi to milegi kahin to milegi | Roshan |
1962 | Anpadh | Aap ki nazron ne samjha | Madan Mohan |
1962 | Asli Naqali | Tera mera pyar amar | Shankar-Jaikishan |
1962 | Bees Saal Baad | Kahin deep jale kahin dil | Hemant Kumar |
1963 | Akeli Matt Jaiyyo | Woh jo milte the kabhi | Madan Mohan |
1963 | Dil Ek Mandir | Ruk jaa raat thehar jaa re chanda | Shankar-Jaikishan |
1963 | Kinare Kinare | Aaj achanak too gayi | Jaidev |
1963 | Mujhe Jeene Do | Raat bhi hai kuch bheegi bheegi | Jaidev |
1963 | Rustam Sohrab | Ae dilruba nazren mila | Sajjad |
1963 | Taj Mahal | Jurm-e-ulfat pe hamen log sazaa | Roshan |
1964 | Aao Pyar Karen | Ek sunehri shaam thi | Usha Khanna |
1964 | Ghazal | Naghma-o-sher ki saughat | Madan Mohan |
1964 | Haqeeqat | Zara si aahat hoti hai | Madan Mohan |
1964 | Jahan Ara | Woh chup rahe to | Madan Mohan |
1964 | Sant Gyaneshwar | Khabar mori naa lee | Laxmikant-Pyarelal |
1964 | Sati Savitri | Jeevan dor tumhin sang baandhi | Laxmikant-Pyarelal |
1964 | Woh Kaun Thi | Lag jaa gale | Madan Mohan |
1965 | Akash Deep | Dil ka diya jalaake gaya | Chitragupta |
1965 | Arzoo | Bedardi balma tujhko | Shankar-Jaikishan |
1965 | Bhoot Bangla | O mere pyar aaja | R D Burman |
1965 | Guide | Piya tose naina laage re | S D Burman |
1965 | Himlay Ki Godmein | Ek tu na mila | Kalyanji-Anandji |
1965 | Jab Jab Phool Khile | Ye sama, sama hai ye pyar ka | Kalyanji-Anandji |
1965 | Khandaan | Tumhi mere mandir | Ravi |
1965 | Poonam Ki Raat | Tujh bin jiya udaas re | Salil Chowdhury |
1966 | Aakhri Khat | Bahaaro mera jeevan bhi sanwaaro | Khayyam |
1966 | Anupama | Kuch dil ne kaha | Hemant Kumar |
1966 | Aaye Din Bahar Ke | Suno sajna papeehe ne kaha sabse | Laxmikant-Pyarelal |
1966 | Dil Diya Dard Liya | Phir teri kahani yaad aayi | Naushad |
1966 | Dil Ne Phir Yaad Kiya | Aaja re pyar pukaare | Sonik-Omi |
1966 | Mamta | Rahen na rahen hum | Roshan |
1966 | Mera Saaya | Nainon mein badra chhaaye | Madan Mohan |
1967 | Anita | Kareeb aa ye nazar | Laxmikant-Pyarelal |
1967 | Baharon Ke Sapne | Kya jaanun sajan | R D Burman |
1967 | Bahu Begum | Duniya kare sawaal to hum | Roshan |
1967 | Chandan Ka Palna | Paar lagaade mere sapnon ki naiyya | R D Burman |
1967 | Jaal | Meri zindagi ke charagh ko | Laxmikant-Pyarelal |
1967 | Jewel Thief | Rulaake gaya sapna | S D Burman |
1967 | Noorjahan | Raat ki mehfil sooni sooni | Roshan |
1967 | Palki | Dil ki kashti bhanwar mein aayi hai | Naushad |
1967 | Raat aur Din | Awara ae mere dil | Shankar-Jaikishan |
1968 | Baharon Ki Manzil | Ye daaman ab na chhootega | Laxmikant-Pyarelal |
1968 | Mere Hamdam Mere Dost | Chalo sajna jahan tak ghata chale | Laxmikant-Pyarelal |
1968 | Padosan | Sharma aati hai magar | R D Burman |
1968 | Saraswati Chandra | Chhod de saari duniya kisike liye | Kalyanji-Anandji |
1969 | Khamoshi | Humne dekhi hai un ankhon ki | Hemant Kumar |
1970 | Abhinetri | Sajna o sajna, o sunn kya bole kangna | Laxmikant-Pyarelal |
1970 | Dastak | Hum hain mataa-e-koocha-o-bazar | Madan Mohan |
1970 | Heer Ranjha | Do dil toote do dil haare | Madan Mohan |
1970 | Jeevan Mrityu | Zamaane mein aji aise kayi nadaan | Laxmikant-Pyarelal |
1970 | Kati Patang | Na koyi umang hai | R D Burman |
1970 | Khilona | Sanam tu bewafa ke naam se | Laxmikant-Pyarelal |
1971 | Amar Prem | Raina beeti jaaye | R D Burman |
1971 | Mehboob Ki Mehndi | Jaane kyon log mohabbat kiya karte | Laxmikant-Pyarelal |
1971 | Pakeezah | Thaade rahiyo | Ghulam Mohammed |
1971 | Reshma aur Shera | Tu chanda main chandni | Jaidev |
1971 | Sharmeeli | Megha chhaaye aadhi raat | S D Burman |
1971 | Tere Mere Sapne | Radha ne mala japi Shyam ki | S D Burman |
1972 | Annadata | Raaton ke saaye ghane | Salil Chowdhury |
1972 | Ek Nazar | Hameen karen koyi surat | Laxmikant-Pyarelal |
1972 | Maan Jaaiye | O mitwa, badra chhaye re | Jaidev |
1972 | Mom Ki Gudiya | Bandhan toote na sanwariya | Laxmikant-Pyarelal |
1973 | Abhimaan | Piya bina piya bina baseeha | S D Burman |
1973 | Anamika | Baahon mein chale aao | R D Burman |
1973 | Bobby | Ankhiyon ko rehne de | Laxmikant-Pyarelal |
1973 | Chand Grahan | Main jaanun naahin | Madan Mohan |
1973 | Dil Ki Raahen | Rasm-e-ulfat ko nibhaayen | Madan Mohan |
1973 | Hanste Zakhm | Aaj socha to aansoo bhar aaye | Madan Mohan |
1973 | Prem Parbat | Ye dil aur unki nigaahon ke saaye | Jaidev |
1973 | Saudagar | Tera mera saath rahe | Ravindra Jain |
1975 | Mausam | Ruke ruke se kadam | Madan Mohan |
1977 | Shankar Hussain | Apne aap raaton mein | Khayyam |
1978 | Satyam Shivam Sundaram | Eashwar satya hai | Laxmikant-Pyarelal |
1978 | Tumhare Liye | Tumhen dekhti hoon | Jaidev |
1981 | Ek Duje Ke Liye | Solah baras ki baali umar ko salaam | Laxmikant-Pyarelal |
1981 | Harjaai | Tere liye palkon ki jhaalar bunoon | R D Burman |
1982 | Bazaar | Dikhaayi diye yoon | Khayyam |
1983 | Razia Sultan | Ae dil-e-nadaan | Khayyam |
1985 | Ram Teri Ganga Maili | Ek Radha ek Meera | Ravindra Jain |
1991 | Libaas | Seeli hawa chhoo gayi | R D Burman |
1998 | Dil Se | Jiya jale jaan jale | A R Rehman |
Excellent Manoharji Thanks for sending me the link
Wow ! What an amazing tribute to the great Lata Didi ! A comprehensive and painstaking account that meticulously oozes mastery and music all over !
Oôf, read in one shot… U shud be bestowed with Doctorate for ur research & presentation. So here goes, Dr. Manohar Iyerji….well done. We get to reap the fruits of ur labour by attending Ur well designed Keep Alive programs….. Thanks vv much.
A masterpiece , sensitively written from the depth of heart, giving vent to those unfulfilled dreams with a choice of delectable songs of one and only Lata Mangeshkar.
An Ode to a Nightingale !!
Rich in content and value.
Very painstakingly gathered information. A treat for vintage hindi film music lovers.
A perfect Birthday Gift to Lataji on her 88th Birthday – wish Lataji would go through the connoisseur’s labour, nay passion.