Nightingale sings Amitabh Bachchan’s praises

On the 90th birthday of India’s Nightingale, Lata Mangeshkar, Amitabh Bachchan put out a video expressing his love and admiration for her in the most poetic and lucid language.

Reacting to the video, the singer says, “Bachchan sahab sent me the video, and it is one the finest gifts I’ve ever received. These are the words of a poet. Only the son of Shri Harivansh Rai Bachchan could have spoken such fine words. I humbly thank Bachchan sahab for his beautiful words.”

Recalling her long association with Bachchan, Lataji says, “I’ve known him and Jayaji for many years. They are both such fine actors, and I know they are both very fond of me. I had the chance to sing with Bachchan sahab in Silsila. The song was Yeh Kahan Aa Gaye Hum. Unfortunately, we couldn’t record the song together as he was out of the country. I sang my portions first, and he recited his portions later.”

In Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s Abhimaan, where Jaya Bachchan played a singer, the actress sought inspiration from Lataji. “She came and observed how I sang. Later when I saw the film, I was surprised to see she had copied my mannerisms,” the singer recalls. Lataji describes the Bachchans as a family of artists. “They are an extraordinarily talented family. I wish each one of them the very best in life,” she concludes.