Mekhela Sador – the beauty and elegance of Assam’s traditional attire for women – are unmatched. Even legendary singer Lata Mangeshkar, who passed away on Sunday (February 6, 2022), couldn’t ignore the magic of the mekhela sador.
Way back in 2018, the Queen of Melody took to Twitter (now X) to wish her fans and well-wishers a ‘Merry Christmas’ while wearing our very own mekhela sador, which was gifted to her by Assam director Samujjal Kashyap.
Reminiscing about gifting Assam’s mekhela sador to the iconic singer, Kashyap says, “She loved it… She WhatsApped pictures after wearing the mekhela sador. It was an honour for me to gift the Nightingale of India our mekhela sador.”
Kashyap directed and edited the music video Yahan Bhi Tu Wahan Bhi Tu by singer-composer Baiju Mangeshkar, the nephew of Lata Mangeshkar. It was Baiju’s first solo album as a singer and composer. Before its official release, Baiju had shown the video to Lata Mangeshkar, who liked Kashyap’s work.
“I share a warm relationship with Baiju Mangeshkar. He told me Lataji liked my work in the Yahan Bhi Tu Wahan Bhi Tu music video. It was such a huge compliment for me, and I wanted to celebrate the occasion. On my wife Sheetal’s insistence, I bought the mekhela sador from Guwahati and sent it to her through Baiju. A few days later, I received photos of her wearing the mekhela sador… It was an emotional moment for me,” adds Kashyap, known for Arranged.
The National Award-winning filmmaker laments that, due to prior work commitments, he had to skip a dinner invitation at Baiju’s Mumbai residence two months ago.
The photo of Lata Mangeshkar wearing the mekhela sador was shared on social media by several netizens, including Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar, while condoling the singer’s demise.
“I never met Lataji personally… but maybe I could have met her had I attended the dinner at Baiju’s house. I shall forever regret it. Lataji was invariably called Goddess Saraswati… no singer can ever replace her. Every singer in India wants to be like her, but there is only one Lata Mangeshkar,” says Kashyap.
Lata Mangeshkar passed away in Mumbai’s Breach Candy Hospital after battling Covid-19 pneumonia for around a month, leaving a pall of gloom behind.
Her extraordinary career spanned over seven decades, and she recorded thousands of songs in 36 languages and a few foreign languages, though primarily in Hindi and Marathi.
“The new generation of artists should learn humility and grace from Lataji. She handled her career, spanning more than half a century, with so much simplicity. Lataji is an institution. All artistes, irrespective of genres and fields, can learn something from how she led her life,” says Kashyap.
Lata Mangeshkar’s contribution to the Indian music industry earned her honorific titles such as the ‘Nightingale of India’, ‘Voice of the Millennium’, and ‘Queen of Melody’.
She also sang many songs in the Assamese language and developed a very good rapport with the ‘Bard of Brahmaputra’ Bhupen Hazarika. She sang her first Assamese song, Jonakore Raati for music maestro Hazarika’s Assamese movie, Era Bator Sur. She also sang popular Assamese songs such as Godavori Noire Parore Pora and Rod Puwabor Karone.
When asked about picking one song from Lata Mangeshkar’s treasure trove of classics, Kashyap says, “I love all her patriotic songs and also Luka Chuppi from Rang De Basanti. The song is heavily laden with emotion, and music by AR Rahman added magic to it. Lataji must have been in her late 70s when she sang it, but look at the tenderness of her voice.”
Born in 1929, Lata Mangeshkar belonged to a prominent musical family and was the eldest of five siblings. She received several accolades and honours throughout her career. In 1987, the Dadasaheb Phalke Award was bestowed on her by the Government of India.
In 2001, she was awarded the Bharat Ratna, India’s highest civilian honour, and is only the second female singer, after MS Subbulakshmi, to receive this honour.
She was the recipient of three National Film Awards, 15 Bengal Film Journalists’ Association Awards, four Filmfare Best Female Playback Awards, two Filmfare Special Awards, the Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award, and many more.
The mortal remains of the singer will be cremated at Shivaji Park in Mumbai on Sunday evening.
The article was first published on February 6, 2022.
