Inside Lata Mangeshkar's little known mastery over regional music

Lata Mangeshkar has sung over 25000 songs in Hindi. Beyond her record of playback singing for over 70 years, she had quietly but sincerely delivered some unforgettable music in Assamese and Bengali . In present times of music streaming and digital releases Punjabi crossovers or any form of linguistic crossover becomes a marketing talk point. But for contemporary singers of Lata’s times , linguistic cross overs and cultural fusion was a natural extension of an artiste’s passion for music. In fifties and sixties, music flowed freely, without barriers of commercial priority or generalised conservatism. Bhupen Hazarika, the music legend of Assam, had returned from his studies at Columbia University, and a creatively fulfilling stint in New York and parts of Europe. Lata Mangeshkar and Hazarika became friends, sharing a common passion for music and poetry. She embraced an opportunity to sing in Assamese, and adapted to Hazarika’s signature style of undulating scales. He made his first film, Era Baator Sur in 1956. Money was limited but the creative vision driving this project was ambitious. The film is dedicated to a musical journey through the landscape of unseen spots in Assam and North East India, in Hazarika’s words, an anthropological delight. Lata Mangeshkar has sung two songs for this film- Junakore Rati & Rod Puwabor Karone, a duet with the late Hemant Kumar. Imbued with touches of folk tunes, and melodies that grow on the listener, both songs remain popular till date. Hazarika collaborated with Mangeshkar to compose Godavari Noire Parore Pora, a tribute single to Assam. But their collaboration on Rudaali, a National Film Award winning film by Kalpana Lajmi, is the most recent and visible ditty that people remember. Adapted from Hazarika’s masterpiece Bistirnon Parore in Assamese, a test of pitch, tenor and proof of her unmatched range as singer. Mangeshkar and Hazarika remained friends over time, so much so that her family welcomed him; and Usha Mangeshkar, her sister has sung innumerable songs for Assamese cinema and Hazarika. Some time back, a controversial media statement by his ex-wife Priyambada Patel made rippled. She accused Mangeshkar and Hazarika of having an affair, basis on the fact that Lata would stay at his Kolkata residence sometimes. His long term companion Kalpana Lajmi denied this. But the story didn’t hold up. Even in an atmosphere were news that comes across slightly sensational grabs attention, it was hard to cast a shadow over a creative partnership that stems from sheer love for music and culture, and has given such unforgettable music. When Bhupen Hazarika passed away, an emotional Mangeshkar recalled making a phone call to his ailing self, stating that there won’t be another like him ever. In fact, Mangeshkar had found fondness and a love for Bengal and cultures of Eastern India, with her travels to Kolkata. In the Seventies, her relationship with Bengal flourished with popular numbers and melodies that still play at public functions. She sang for Salil Choudhary and Hemant Mukherjee (known as Hemant Kumar in Hindi film playback), notable songs like Gacher Pate Majhe Roder Jhikimiki (1975, Anurag) and Bujhbe Na Keu Bujhbe Na (1977 Kabita) amongst others. Mukherjee introduced her to Bengali music, training her in the language and making her feel at home with his family. Lata sang Tagore sangeet for him. Salil Choudhary used her voice for his difficult compositions, given her capacity to alter her voice to a song. Na Jeo Na (1959) was originally a Bengali song that he re-made in Hindi for the film Parakh (1960) as Na Jiya Lage Na. Lata Mangeshkar created a body of work in Marathi music with her brother Hridaynath Mangeshkar. She sang a Bengali song film song for composer Mrinal Bandopadhyay when she was 80. At seventy, she took hiatus from active playback singing, although she lent her voice to unforgettable songs in A R Rahman’s soundtracks (Ek Tu Hi Bharosa from Pukar; O Paalanhare from Lagaan; Luka Chuppi from Rang De Basanti) in this phase. We live in a time when music companies and digital revenue dictates the music that one makes, and therefore, people get to listen to. Lata Mangeshkar lived differently, experimenting with music and it’s creative power with different people. She sang for the love of music, and knew it’s capacity to break through all boundaries of language or culture.