The last time I spoke to Lata Mangeshkar was on her birthday, which was in September. Her phone was obviously very busy. But I was keen to greet her. It took a while to get through. When I spoke to her, she was as sweet as ever. Just as I was going to hang up, she asked, “How are you?” and I asked her back, “How are you?” That was the last time we spoke.
I had directed a three-hour documentary about her in 1991 for Channel 4 TV in the UK. And out of the film, the biography, Lata Mangeshkar… In Her Own Voice, (Niyogi Books), came out. The book has a different value from a film. But it needs more information. I was in London then. We used to have an appointment every week for an hour or more. We would talk on the phone and that is how the book got completed.
When I came to Bombay, we went through the whole book together to make sure there were no factual errors or misinterpretations and so on. And that is how the book happened. It was honestly done on the phone and it was totally delightful. At one point, I told her I wanted to include the doha (couplet) from her song “Aayega aanewala”. And she sang “Khamosh hai zamana” on the phone. It was so moving. I was sitting in London in my flat and hearing her iconic voice on the phone gave me goosebumps. It marked me deeply. I still have not recovered from it.
This book was completed after conversations were held for more than a year. I was impressed by her discipline, concentration and focus. Whether you are making an omelette or singing the best song in the world or writing a letter, you must be in it. Now it is too easy to get distracted. But you have to listen very carefully. She would listen. She never talked over you or interrupted you. She listened as much as she opened up. She was able to become wide-visioned and tunnel-visioned at the same time. And these are great artistes who can do that. Because you need both, the big picture and the detail.
Kabir is a writer and documentary filmmaker.
As told to Sneha Bhura