At 81, Lata Mangeshkar sings for eight-year-old

While accepting the honour, the octogenarian singer Lata Mangeshkar said that a lifetime achievement award doesn’t mean retirement for her: “I am still young at 80 plus.”

India’s nightingale was recently presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Global Indian Music Awards. While accepting the honour, the octogenarian singer said that a lifetime achievement award doesn’t mean retirement for her: “I am still young at 80 plus.”

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True to her statement, within days, she was back at work, lending her voice to Vineet Khetrapal’s directorial debut Satrangee Parachute. And this time, she’ll be lending her voice to an eight-year-old.

Even though she’s selective about projects she lends her voice to, this time she agreed because Shamir Thadon was composing the music. She has previously worked with him on the songs, Kitne ajeeb... from Page 3 and Daata sun le the prayer... from Jail.

Says Tandon, “Lataji has always blessed me with her voice. When she heard the composition, she understood that I wanted her for the innocence in her tone.”

Producer-director Khetrapal, lyricist Rajiv Barnwal and music composer Tandon were very clear that if the song, titled Tere hansne se…, had to be recorded, it would be with Mangeshkar or they would drop it from the film.

Says Ketrapal, “We waited for three months for a date from Lataji, but true to her promise she came. She laughed when she was told that she is singing for an eight year old girl. She was surprised.” The filmmakers were clear that the innocence in Mangeshkar’s voice is still at its peak and this song was best suited to her voice.