Tracing back Lata Mangeshkar’s inextricable bond and possible cross-border friendship with Noor Jehan-Entertainment News , Firstpost

Lata Mangeshkar left behind a complicated legacy. On the one hand, she is worshipped as the goddess of music. On the other hand, she is reviled as a woman who engaged in cutthroat competition, and sabotaged the careers of other singers. How do we respond to these extreme views? Is one false, and the other true? Do we have to cherry-pick?

One approach is to say: what we see is what we get. We weave our own patchwork quilts of perception based on what we read, hear, imagine, and choose to believe. We filter out quite conveniently those pieces that stick out as inconvenient or implausible. Is this a disservice to the person who has died, or to our own intellect? We need to answer this for ourselves.

Critics of the “nightingale of India” often compare her to Noor Jehan, and say that Lata Mangeshkar lucked out because Noor Jehan – the reigning diva – migrated to Pakistan at the time of Partition. Is this mischievous propaganda or a well-informed assessment of their music? 

Is it necessary to assume that talented and successful women are likely to get into a catfight? Can they not feel secure in their own space, have a healthy respect for each other? Is it not possible that they wish to think of each other as colleagues rather than arch rivals?

In the book A Journey down Melody Lane [2010], journalist Raju Bharatan writes, “Malka-e-Tarannum Noorjehan’s own mentor, Master Ghulam Haider, had singled out Lata Mangeshkar, by mid-1947, as the voice destined to rule India by the sheer power of her vocal magnetism. Earlier, ruling Hindustani songdom, as Lata cut through, was another Ghulam Haider find – Shamshad Begum.” Haider composed music for Indian and Pakistani films.  

Lata Mangeshkar recounts her first meeting with Noor Jehan in an interview with Dawn News, which is archived on Inaam Nadeem’s YouTube channel. Lata Mangeshkar was 14 or 15 years old when they met in 1944. She says, “I used to work with a film company called Praful Pictures in Kolhapur. They were making a film called Badi Maa, in which Noor Hehan was acting. She was called to Kolhapur, and two songs were shot there. Her son Akbar and her husband also joined her.”

Arrangements for Noor Jehan’s accommodation were made at the studio itself. Lata Mangeshkar used to be there every day, from 9:30 AM to 5:30 PM. One day, the producer introduced her to Noor Jehan, and said that Lata Mangeshkar sang well. Noor Jehan, who was only three years older than Lata Mangeshkar, said, “Sunaao beta” [Sing, child]. Lata Mangeshkar sang a Hindustani classical song. Noor Jehan listened carefully, and said, “Achhha, koi film ka sunaao.” [Now sing something from a film.]

Lata Mangeshkar did as she was instructed. Noor Jehan liked her singing, and said, “Tum bahut achchha gati ho beta par koshish karo ki tum classical seekho aur riyaaz karo. Riyaaz karna bahut zaroori hai.” [You sing very well, my child, but try to learn classical music and practise. Practice is essential.] This incident had a lasting impression on Lata Mangeshkar’s mind and career. 

The song ‘Tod Diya Dil Mera’ from Mehboob Khan’s film Andaz [1949] is often cited as evidence of this influence. In an article titled The singer, the star and the chorus [2009] written for Seminar, a cinema studies scholar Shikha Jhingan writes, “Lata sings at a much lower pitch in ‘Tod Diya Dil Mera,’ which made critics comment that she was greatly influenced by Noor Jehan in the early part of her career till she developed her own style. She started singing at a much higher pitch in later films with composers like Shankar-Jaikishan and Lakshmikant-Pyarelal.”

Lata Mangeshkar has a slightly different explanation to offer. In the interview for Dawn News mentioned earlier, she recalls that Naushad – the music director who worked on that song with her – said, “Zara aap apni saheli ko yaad karke gaaiye.” [Try to think of your friend as you sing.] At first, Lata Mangeshkar was not sure what he meant but she eventually realised that Naushad wanted her to sing like Noor Jehan. Lata Mangeshkar admits humbly that she is not sure if she did a good job with it.

Lata Mangeshkar has fond recollections of the time when she and Noor Jehan used to talk over the phone after the latter moved from Bombay [later Mumbai] to Karachi. Haider, who had mentored both of them, was unwell. Lata Mangeshkar used to call Noor Jehan to enquire about his well-being.

Another anecdote shared by Lata Mangeshkar has to do with an occasion when Noor Jehan was offering namaaz, and Lata Mangeshkar was seated in the same room. This incident probably took place in Bombay.

Lata Mangeshkar says, “Woh namaaz padhte padhte rone lagi. Khatm hone ke baad maine poochha ki Bhagwan ke saamne ro kyun rahi thi. Unhone kahaa, main Allah se maafi mang rahi thi agar ko gunaah hua ho toh. Woh mujhe kehne lagi aisa hota hai, karna chahiye. Unhone bohot samjhaaya. Main bohot chhoti thi. Haan haan kar ke bhag gayi.” 

[She was crying while offering namaaz. When she finished, I asked why she was crying in front of Bhagwan. She told me that she was asking Allah to forgive her for her misdeeds. She explained that one must do these things. I was young. I kept saying yes-yes, then ran away.]

Noor Jehan too had kind things to say about Lata Mangeshkar. In an interview with Eastern TV News archived on the YouTube channel of Naqi Khan Studio, she says, “Lataji bahut achchha gaati hain. Kaun karega itna Lataji jaisa achchha kaam? Bahut kam log karenge. Meri toh bahut izzat karti hain. Allah unhe khush rakhe. Mujhe unse bahut mohabbat hai. Woh shaayad isliye bhi ki woh mujhse mohabbat karti hain. Bohot soch samajhkar gaane wali ladki hai.”

[Lataji sings very well. Who else will do so much and such wonderful work? Very few people will. She has great respect for me. May Allah keep her happy. I love her a lot. This is perhaps also because she loves me a lot. She is measured and thoughtful about her music.]

One of the common threads observed in their work is that both Lata Mangeshkar and Noor Jehan sang nationalistic and patriotic songs for their respective countries, especially to encourage soldiers. Lata Mangeshkar sang ‘Vande Mataram,’ ‘Ae Mere Watan Ke Logon,’ and ‘Mera Rang De Basanti Chola.’ Noor Jehan sang ‘Ae Watan Ke Sajeele Jawaano’ and ‘Ae Putar Hatan Te Naeen Vikde.’

This did not diminish Lata Mangeshkar’s affection for Noor Jehan, and vice-versa. In the Dawn News interview, Lata Mangeshkar says, “Apne desh ke liye gaana ho toh mujhe lagta hai ki har singer ka farz banta hai.” [It is every singer’s right to sing for their country]. How was it possible for these women to stay true to their friendship and their duty? Perhaps it is not as messy as it seems. People are able to negotiate life on their terms. They do not necessarily think that being of service means having to cut off personal ties. 

Noor Jehan used to think along similar lines. In the interview with Eastern TV News, her voice is filled with warmth and longing when she calls herself “hypersensitive,” and speaks of her childhood and youth in pre-Partition India, especially in Bombay and Calcutta [later Kolkata].  

In his book Noorjehan: The Melody Queen [2010], film critic Aijaz Gul notes that Noor Jehan’s first visit to India after the Partition was in 1982. She was given a grand welcome by then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, and friends Lata Mangeshkar and Dilip Kumar. 

Socialist Sanjay Srivastava believes that “the gradual development of Lata’s singing voice” was tied up with the “the process of purifying – Hinduising and gentrifying – the figure of the ideal’ Indian woman of post-coloniality,” which meant getting rid of Noor Jehan’s influence on her. Her explores this argument at length in his article “Voice, Gender and Space in Time of Five-Year Plans: The Idea of Lata Mangeshkar” [2004] for Economic and Political Weekly.

There have been strong reactions to this argument. Whether one agrees with him or not, it is an argument worth engaging with. It is helpful to read it alongside Majhya Jeevanachi Sargam [The Symphony of My Life], an autobiography by C Ramchandra who was a music director, producer, and occasional playback singer. His book tells the story of the emotional reunion between Lata Mangeshkar and Noor Jehan on the no-man’s land between India and Pakistan.

Ramchandra was working on the film Jhanjhar at that time. He was in Amritsar, and Lata Mangeshkar had accompanied him. She made a phone call to Noor Jehan. Ramchandra tried to guess what the conversation was about based on what Lata Mangeshkar was saying. She seemed deeply engrossed in the conversation. After they had enquired about each other’s well-being, and finished catching up on personal news, the two women ran out of words to say to each other.

They began to sing. Ramchandra describes this jugalbandi as a give-and-take between two gandharva kanyas. Back then, one had to request telephone operators to make the call.  Ramchandra was amused that nobody dared to ask Lata Mangeshkar to conclude the conversation. Why would they when they had got the rare opportunity to eavesdrop on Lata Mangeshkar and Noor Jehan?

Ramchandra found it fascinating to see how the Partition, which had created rifts between generations of Hindus and Muslims, had failed to touch the carefree hearts of these legendary artistes. Soon after this phone call, Lata Mangeshkar told Ramchandra that both of them would have to leave for Lahore because Noor Jehan had invited them for a feast. He was bewildered. 

These women had decided to bypass the requirement for visas by plotting a picnic on the patch of land that cannot be claimed either by India or Pakistan. Noor Jehan came with her husband and some relatives. Lata Mangeshkar went with Ramchandra. Lata Mangeshkar and Noor Jehan hugged each other tightly, and cried tears of joy. They fed each other sweets that they had brought.

Ramchandra writes, “Dharm, desh, jati, pant, yaanpaiki konalach tya anandkshanat pravesh nhavta.” [Religion, country, caste, sect… none of these were invited to that blissful moment]. Security personnel from India and Pakistan had tears in their eyes when they saw this sight, and so did Ramchandra. It was one of the most memorable experiences of his life. If reading about it can give us gooseflesh, how amazing it must have been to stand there and just watch!

Chintan Girish Modi is a freelance writer, journalist, and book reviewer.