INSPIRATION
Lata Mangeshkar – Divinity Personified By Sanjay Bhandari
Sanjay Bhandari is a section editor of the Young Generation section of Jain Digest. He is an international Ambassador with Jains Got Talent team of JAINA and has held various positions at Jain Society of Greater Detroit. He has two master’s degrees MBA and MCA. He works as an Integration Manager at Marathon Petroleum. Sanjay enjoys traveling, music, movies, cricket, singing, socializing, and writing movie reviews on social platforms.
February 6, 2022. The fateful day when the Nightingale of India, Lata Mangeshkar’s soul left the body. I will remember this day forever. The media, kept playing this song while covering her funeral: Naam Gum Jayega Chehra Yeh Badal Jayega Meri Awaj hee Pehchaan Hai Gar Yaad Rahe
(Name may be lost, face may change, but my voice will show my identity, if you remember it)
This heart-wrenching song brings tears to my eyes every time I listen to it as I feel the void left in me since her passing. I am comforted knowing that Lataji’s voice will remain immortal. And I am sure many of you feel the same way. Rahul Deodhar in a blog written in 2014, gives his interpretation of the deeper meaning of this song. (http://rahul-deodhar.blogspot.com/2014/07/songanalysis-naam-gum-jayega-film.html) He says, “If you interpret the song in the context of the movie you will end up with a simple meaning (as shown above) and
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it will remain with you. Who we love, their face, their name and such superficial things are immaterial; it is their voice that we remember. Here voice has broader meaning – expression, genuine acts from their hearts, etc. It is that “voice” that you will know from within your heart. But only if these acts, expressions really touched you, you will remember them. Not if they are superficial.“ Such an amazing insight! Lataji’s voice was manifestation of the many virtues she possessed in abundance. Her voice and personality was an amalgamation of divinity, compassion, humility, devotion, generosity, etc. She had an ability to unite people through her voice. There is much more to the life of this Indian icon, who was referred to as Ma Saraswati. This article is an attempt to explore some of such important aspects of her life that we must remember – every time we listen to her songs.
Taking Responsibility After her father’s death, while Lataji was just 13, she took on the responsibility of her entire family, as the eldest of all the siblings. She worked hard and sacrificed a lot to give a better life to her family members. This early struggle ingrained a sense of discipline in her and a guarded approach towards the world. About her struggles, Lataji says, “Nothing affects me. I’ve been through so much; I have faced so many hurdles in life. At an age when other girls played with dolls, I was out of the house trying to find work as a singer. I learnt at a very young age that work is the only thing that matters.”
Determination, Persistence, and Striving for Perfection Lataji was determined and was always ready to take on any challenge. When producer Sashadhar Mukherjee called her voice too thin, she worked on her timbre. When Dilip Kumar offhandedly remarked that her voice smelt of dal bhaat, she made sure that she got the nuances of Urdu right. The song “Bekas Pe Karam Kijiye”, from the movie Mughal-e-Azam, is a testimony to her command over the Urdu language.
