Lata Mangeshkar loved Shah Rukh Khan, and must be in pain to see how her death is being politicised

The uproar over Shah Rukh Khan doing  dua  at Lataji’s funeral is so uncalled-for, so stupid and so crass it takes our collective breath away. Firstly, each one has the right to pay his respects the way he wishes to.  Who are you to question why Shah Rukh did it the Islamic way? Also, the last time I checked we were a democracy which means everyone is entitled to his self-expression as long as it doesn’t hurt anyone’s sentiments. Sentiments were hurt when SRK raised his hands in an Islamic gesture of respect.  I think the matter is between Shah Rukh and God, I mean Lataji. They were extremely fond of one another. Once at one of her live concerts SRK had said, “I wish she could sing for me.” Lataji had responded to SRK’s reverent affection with huge praise, “Dilip Kumar Sahab, whom Shah Rukh is compared with, also expressed this humbling desire. Even I wish I could sing for Shah Rukh. His expressions are so correct in the songs.” [caption id=“attachment_10354551” align=“alignnone” width=“640”]  Shah Rukh Khan and Sachin Tendulkar offered prayers for the late Lata Mangeshkar at Mumbai’s Shivaji Park on Sunday evening.[/caption] Lataji had then gone on to praise the actor’s work. “Mujhe Shah Rukh ka kaam bahot pasand hai. Maine unki sari filmein dekhi hai  (I like Shah Rukh’s work. I’ve watched all his films). I first saw Shah Rukh in a serial called  Fauji. There was something special about him. Then I saw him in a film called  Chamatkar. Later I saw Deewaana and  Baazigar  in which he played a negative character. It was quite evident that Shah Rukh could play any kind of role.” Lataji also enjoyed Shah Rukh’s dancing. “I remember him saying somewhere that he had no sense of rhythm and dance. But when I saw him in that song  Ruk ja o dil deewane  in  Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge. Ussmein itna sahi acting kiya tha unhone. Then I saw him dancing to  Chaiyyan chaiyyan  in  Dil Se.His popularity cuts across the religious divide. No one cares whether Dilip Saab and Shah Rukh are Muslim. Their reach is far beyond religion.” I know how pained Lataji would have been to hear the way her death is being attempted to be politicized. She was beyond all politics, though attempts to pull her in were constantly made.

Subhash K Jha is a Patna-based film critic who has been writing about Bollywood for long enough to know the industry inside out. He tweets at @SubhashK_Jha.