During her lifetime of unique achievements, Lata Mangeshkar had many unprecedented ‘firsts’ to her credit. She was the only playback singer to have sung for two generations of actresses: Babita and her daughters Karisma and Kareena, Mala Sinha and her daughter Pratibha Sinha, Dimple Kapadia and her daughter Twinkle.
For Babita, Lataji sang hits like Rimjhim ke geet saawan gaye (Anjana), Akele chain chale aao (Raaz), Bekhudi main sanam (Haseena Maan Jayegi), Kab tak huzoor roothe rahoge (Aulad), Sheeshi bhari gulab ki (Jeet). For Karisma and Kareena, Lataji sang in Zubeida and Mujhse Dosti Karogi, respectively.
For Mala Sinha, Lataji sang numerous timeless hit. For her daughter Pratbiha she sang all the eight composition of Ram Laxman in Pratibha’s debut film Mehboob Mere Mehboob. For Dimple Kapadia, Lataji sang a mélange of memorabilia in Bobby, Lekin and Rudaali. For Dimple’s daughter Twinkle Lataji sang in Jab Pyar Kissise Hota Hai.
Sadly, Lataji once joked, the other legendary actresses she sang for did not have daughters or did not have daughters who became actresses for whom she could have sung.
There is only Bollywood family, which had the singular privilege of having Lataji sing for three generations. Lataji sang for Shobhna Samarth (in Narsimha Avtar in 1949 where she had two solos Charan tumhare phool hamare, Hari ko bisaro na), for Shobhna’s two daughters Nutan and Tanuja, and Tanuja’s daughter Kajol.
During one of our conversations I remember speaking about her vocal contribution to the Smarth family. Lataji agreed it was some kind of a record. “I don’t know if any other playback singer has sung for three generations of actresses. For Shobhnaji I sang a few songs only. But for Nutanji I sang almost all her songs. She was a singer herself and she emoted to my songs to perfection. In her film Seema I had sung a classical number Mann Mohana Bade jhoothe. Nutanji brought out all the intricacies of the composition on screen. She actually sang along on screen when I did her playback.For Nutanji’s sister Tanuja I did fewer songs than Nutanji. But I remember singing some really lovely songs in Bengali films, like Sachin Dev Burman’s Sham bhayee bin shyam in Chaitali.”
Kajol and Lataji got musically connected in Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge where Lataji sang the chartbusters Tujhe dekha toh ye jaana sanam and Mere khwabon mein jo aaye for Kajol.
The reference point that Aditya Chopra gave composers Jatin-Lalit for the song Mere khwabon mein jo aaye was Lataji’s Bhai battoor from Padosan. In Padosan, while singing Bhai battoor, Saira Banu throws a pillow across the room, stands on a sofa and dances…Kajol does all of that.
Recalling the recording of Mere khwabon mein jo aaye Lataji said, “I always asked who will be singing my song on screen. When I was told it was Kajol, I was instantly reminded of my long association with that family.”
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.
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