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Nov 2013: Lata Mangeshkar’s last visit to Pune when she endorsed Modi as PM
At a Pune programme where Modi inaugurated the new Deenanath Mangeshkar super-specialty hospital, the Mangeshkar formally endorsed him to head the country
PUNE That Lata Mangeshkar left her imprint on songs from various Indian languages is unquestionable. But, there were other areas where her voice proved crucial – it provided the impetus.
It was 2013, barely a few days after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had announced Narendra Modi, the then Gujarat chief minister, as its prime ministerial candidate. Modi was on a mission to seek wider acceptability across country, as many had not yet openly come out to endorse him… untill Latadidi did.
Speaking on November 1, 2013, at a Pune programme where Modi inaugurated the new Deenanath Mangeshkar super specialty hospital, the Mangeshkar formally endorsed him to head the country.
In her speech, Lata Mangeshkar, said, “I pray to God for what everyone wants – that Narendrabhai should become the prime minister of the country.”
Mangeshkar’s comments evoked huge applause from the audience to which she said, “Your response suggests you also want the same.”
Incidentally, that was Lata Mangeshkar’s last visit to Pune.
The endorsement for Modi from India’s “golden voice” came as major psychological boost for the BJP as it opened the door for others to follow suit. Modi replied saying, “I am fortunate that the Mangeshkar family has honoured me. I am thankful to them.” Modi further said, “Lata didi sent me a letter six months back. I consider it as one of the biggest gifts.”
After her demise on Sunday at the age of 92, Modi personally visited Mumbai to pay his last respects. He also attended her funeral at Shivaji Park in Dadar.
The hospital’s new building inaugurated by Modi during that programme was an extension of the medical facility that came up in 2001 for which the then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee had come to Pune. It was in 1989 the five Mangeshkar siblings, - Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhonsale, Usha Mangeshkar, Meena Khadikar and Hridaynath Mangeshkar constituted the Lata Mangeshkar Medical Foundation. The foundation later built a hospital near Mhatre bridge at Erandwane in the name of the father of the siblings – Deenanath Mangeshkar.
The singer was keenly involved in the hospital work, from design to other minor issues, and the vision of the family was to provide ethical medical services of the highest quality to patients at an affordable cost without discrimination.
Mangeshkar also had good equations with most politicians across the board including the late Balasaheb Thackeray, and Sharad Pawar and Raj Thackeray. When Atal Bihari Vajpayee passed away, Mageshkar said: “He was like my father. He called me beti. I called him dadda. I feel I’ve lost my father all over again”.
The legendry singer was in consonance with the ideological standing of her family, which shared close ties with the freedom fighter and Hindutva ideologue Veer Savarkar. Lata didi once revealed that Savarkar had even written a play for her father’s theatre company. Her father Pt Deenanath Mangeshkar was a renowned Marathi theatre actor and a classical vocalist.
In September 2019, Mangeshkar tweeted saying, “Veer Savarkar and my family have deep relations, and that is why he wrote a play “Sanyasta Khadag“ for my father’s theatre company. The play was first launched on September 18, 1931. The song featured in the play is very popular.”
