SOME AMAZING FACTS ABOUT LATAJI

Collected & Compiled By:-- SARASIJ MAJUMDER

The Nightingale of India Lata Mangeshkar remained single throughout her life. This was not accidental. This was, because she couldn’t marry the love of her life.

She fell in love with a fast-medium pace bowler from Rajasthan, Raj Singh Dungarpur, who later became President of RCCB, and the Manager of the Indian cricket team. Raj Singh Dungarpur was the youngest son of Raja Maharawal Lakshman Singhji, the ruler of Dungarpur, and had a royal background.

Raj Singh went to Mumbai to study law, and he was also a cricket player. Both Lata’s brother Hridaynath and Raj played cricket, which led to Raj’s entry into Lata’s house. Lata was an ardent cricket enthusiast, while Raj had a deep love for music. This brought them close to each other. And their initial friendship gradually blossomed into love.

After completing his study of LAW Raj returned to Dungarpur and expressed his desire to marry Lata. But the royal family did not consent, and Raj was not allowed to marry Lata.

Despite their love being not resulted in marriage, both Lata and Raj chose to remain single, immortalizing their love.

Raj Singh Dungarpur affectionately called Lata Mangeshkar ‘Mithu.’ It is said that upon Raj Singh’s death in 2009, Lata Mangeshkar secretly visited Dungarpur for a final farewell to him.

When Lata met Dilipkumar met for the first time, he commented that her speaking of Hindustani language has Marathi accent. Once Lata came to know this, she took tuitions from an Urdu specialist and mastered to pronounce Urdu words correctly. This proves that she took the criticism positively and improved upon her weaknesses. This is one of the qualities for which she became so great.

Raj Kapoor refused to give her the royalty for the songs that she sang for his FILMS. So, she refused to sing for his film Mera Naam Joker. The film was a big flop. Raj Kapoor surrendered and Lata sang for his next film Bobby on her own terms which Raj Kapoor agreed without murmur. Bobby was a big hit and Raj Kapoor recovered all the losses of Mera Naam Joker.

Initially Filmfare never gave awards to female playback singers. So, Lata refused to sing at the Filmfare award ceremony. Then Filmfare relented and started best female singer category in 1958 and of course first award went to Lata for the song - “Ajare Paradesi” in Madhumati. After winning four Filmfare awards she sidelined herself from race so that other singers got the chance to win this award.

K. L. Saigal was her favourite singer. When she started earning money, she purchased a radio set and first thing she heard on the radio was announcement of K.L. Saigal's death. She threw the radio set immediately.

SOURCE: Film Magazines