THE LEGENDARY LATA MANGESHKAR
'Older films more heroine-centric'
BY ADIL RASHEED / 8 February 2005
Imagine! Anarkali having the voice of Lata Mangeshkar and the charms of Madhubala and still failing to make an impression on Emperor Akbar, the great patron of the arts. The celebrated song sequence from Mughal-e-Azam is the most willing suspension of disbelief in Bollywood history.
City
Times got a chance to ask some questions about this epic film from none
other but the living legend Lata Mangeshkar herself. The movie, in its
all-colour and digitally enhanced version is set for release in Dubai
soon.
Have you seen the new-look Mughal-e-Azam?
Unfortunately,
I have not been able to see the new version of the movie until now. But
I have been awestruck by the changes Naushad saab has so painstakingly
and so successfully made through the new digital recording. I have a
cassette of the newly treated music of the movie. It's splendid. The
quality of the music has been enhanced and in some places chorus has
been introduced. What is amazing is that my voice in the songs remains
the same. I did not have to go and record the songs again. What is also
remarkable is that the essential quality of the music has been retained.
In
fact, the whole exercise of reviving the movie with the help of modern
technology for a new generation of audience has proved to be very
successful. It has been extremely well-received and I have been hearing a
lot of praise from all quarters. It seems as if new life has been
breathed into this almost 50-year-old movie.
The
movie set a new benchmark in your illustrious career. Out of its 12
legendary songs you have sung nine. It's a remarkable feat considering
that other stalwarts as Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, Shamshad Begum and
Mohammed Rafi had just one or two songs in this epic.
The
credit definitely goes to the filmmakers and to Naushad saab. You see
in those days, directors used to make a lot of heroine-oriented films.
So, there were a lot of songs for the heroines. Mughal-e-Azam was no
exception. This is the reason why I had more songs than the male
singers.
Again,
Naushad saab wanted that all songs sung by Madhubala, who played
Anarkali in the movie, should be sung by one singer only in order to
give consistency to the voice. Earlier, music directors were very
particular about these things. Now-a-days, sometimes I sing a few songs
for a heroine in a film and others are sung by Alka (Yagnik), which is
fine. But earlier this was not the case. I guess, this is the reason why
I ended up singing so many songs in the movie.
Did you try to make your voice more sprightly and vivacious to suit Madhubala's character in the movie?
Yes,
it turned out well. A lot of people ask me if I change my voice in
order to match it to the personality and style of the actress playing
the part. I think I do not modulate my voice to an extreme. I, however,
keep in my mind who am I singing for. Before the recording of a song, I
make it a point to know who is the actress for whom I am singing and
what is the situation in the movie for which the song is being sung.
Sometimes a song is being sung in a serious tone, but the actor enacts
it in a cheerful manner. These are things one should be careful about.
Your
songs in Mughal-e-Azam have a lot of variety. You have the classical
Mohe Panghat Pe Nandlal, the Qawwali Teri Mehfil Mein Qismat Azma Kar,
the Naat Bekas Pe Karam and the daring Pyar Kiya to Darna Kya. There is a
lot of depth there.
Yes.
You see Naushad saab was very particular about the fact that the music
of the historical film should reflect its time and setting. Almost all
the songs of the film are based on classical raagas for example Mohe
Panghat Pe. Though in Pyaar Kiya to Darna Kya western instruments such
as violins have been used, they evoke a completely Indian and a
historical feeling. Similarly, Naushad saab used classical music for his
movie Baiju Bawra which was a big hit of its time.
A
lot of hard work used to go into the music of films in those days. I
remember, we used to rehearse for eight to ten days before the recording
of songs and Naushad saab used to explain to us the story of the movie
and the situation of the songs, until we all got it very clearly in our
minds.
There
are many singers in the Hindi film industry who have come and gone.
Many of them were very talented and even popular but they did not have
the profundity and longevity to match with your eminent status. What is
the secret of your everlasting appeal?
I
do not know. I can only say that I have been singing since I was five
years old, when my father used to teach me classical music. After he
passed away, I learnt music under Aman Ali Khan saab and then I started
singing for films. I can only say that I am an honest artiste. Some
people call it professionalism, others call it a single-minded approach,
but for me music is my only wealth. Of course I have such wonderful fan
following. But I never looked for anything in life beyond my music.
Do
you think the remix industry is popularising old songs for the new
generation or is it doing a disservice to the cause of Indian music?
I
think it is doing more of a disservice. They are destroying the beauty
of the old songs and promoting indecency. Upstart singers dancing in
skimpy clothes with little talent and training can hardly promote the
cause of Indian music. It is sad that the young generation is being
given a heavy dose of Western music by our media and the youth are
generally ignorant and uninterested in learning Indian music, especially
classical Indian music. The exponents of classical music are few and
are ageing and the danger is that this great heritage of our country may
not pass on to future generations.
Do you plan to come to Dubai for the premiere of Mughal-e-Azam?
I
am sorry I cannot come this time. There is a marriage in our family and
I have some commitments that I had set aside for the month. But, I
would like to come over to Dubai in the future.
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