MUMBAI: She is known as the ‘Nightingale of India’. India’s melody queen and unmatched singer Lata Mangeshkar launched her own music label over the weekend. And needless to say, Bollywood’s biggest stars showed up to support their favourite playback singer.
Bollywood’s Shehenshah: the ‘Angry Young Man’ of Indian cinema, Amitabh Bachchan turned up at the event, to support his long-time family friend Lataji. Looking positively regal in a white traditional outfit, with a colourful cashmere shawl wrapped around his broad, manly shoulders, Amitabh redefined grace and class at this event. We also spotted industrialist Mukesh Ambani’s gorgeous wife, Nita Ambani in a stunning red sari and pearl necklace, at this formal musical evening. Sridevi and Boney Kapoor were present, as was Pandit Jasraj, Sunidhi Chauhan and Madhur Bhandarkar.
It was interesting to see Rekha and Amitabh Bachchan come face-to-face at this event, something we haven’t quite seen in years. The duo was cordial to one another, and kept their distance.
The lady of the evening: Lata Mangeshkar chose a traditional Maharashtrian simple sari for the event. She looked elegant as she spoke to us about finally accomplishing her life-long cherished dream. The legendary playback singer was thrilled to have launched her own music label, LM Music that will release albums featuring besides herself, Asha Bhosle, Meena Khadilkar, Shankar Mahadevan and new talent that she will handpick personally.
Said the Queen of Playback singing: “For 70 years people have loved and blessed me. If they hadn’t I wouldn’t be what I am today. The music directors then composed beautiful songs which made singers like us famous. Now those composers and singers have gone and even I have almost stopped singing for films. The intention behind launching the label is to give back to the industry whatever I have learnt.”
Enlightening us on the line-up of six albums from the label, Lataji mentioned that while most of them are devotional, ‘Sachin Mi Honar’ is for the children and ‘Rang Swaranche’ comprises light music. A sufi album sung by Suresh Wadkar ‘Kabir’, even has an introduction by Amitabh Bachchan in his imitable baritone. “It was really sweet of him to do it for me,” smiles Lataji, who is already hard at work on the next album- ‘Ramdhun’.
