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 Any book on a colossal figure can only do justice to the person if it is worthy of him or her. Tested on this touchstone, the coffee table volume on the finest female singer of the subcontinent Lata Mangeshkar... in her own voice - Conversations with Nasreen Munni Kabir is in keeping with the stature of the superstar of film music in the subcontinent. In so far as her popularity is concerned Lata is to South Asia what Umme Kulsoom was to the Arab world.
A London-based documentary filmmaker and author, Kabir has done some invaluable work both for the print medium (books and articles for prestigious journals) and television. The volume under review appeared many years after the much applauded six-part documentary that she made on Lata Mangeshkar in 1991 was aired by Channel 4 TV. In 2008 the writer decided to update her previous work by doing a book on the thrush-throated singer, with her participation, of course.
Title: Lata Mangeshkar...in her own voice - Conversations with Nasreen Munni Kabir Author: Nasreen Munni Kabir Publisher: Niyogi Books, New Delhi (April 22, 2009) Pages: 268 pages, Hardcover Price: PKR. 2890 ISBN-10: 8189738410 ISBN-13: 978-8189738419 The distance between Mumbai and London did not deter the enthusiasm of the two ladies. Long drawn telephone conversations followed. They were transcribed and read out in the following sessions. That Kabir is into film music was a big advantage but the bigger plus point was the interviewee's impeccable memory of people, events and the songs that she recorded in a highly illustrious career that has spanned more than half a century, not to speak of her mature views on people and trends. Lata Mangeshkar rose above all competition. The closest contender for the crown was her versatile and vivacious sister Asha Bhosle, but Lata remained the first choice for almost all composers, except in a few situations, as the one when a song was needed for a cabaret dancer. That's where the younger sister scored over her didi. Contrary to most present day film singers, who lay greater stress on tunes, Lataji (as she is fondly referred to by every one) gives greater priority to the lyrics, though they are in what can be called her second language. Says Kabir in the foreword "During our conversations, she repeatedly said that to her, lyrics were the most important aspect of a song. She has always preferred songs that say something about our inner feelings and are not just catchy tunes." This should serve as a beacon light to many of her fans who give credit to her and her composers but are hardly generous to the likes of Sahir Ludhianvi, Shailendra, Kaifi Azmi, Shakeel Badayuni, Rajendra Krishn, Anand Bakhshi, Gulzar and her family friend, the prolific Majrooh Sultanpuri. This stems largely from their inability to appreciate poetry. Lata has rendered all kinds of songs from devotional ditties (bhajans and naats included) to dance numbers, and from semi-classical to folk songs. This reviewer is particularly enchanted by the ghazals that composers like Madan Mohan assigned her and with her immaculate rendering and in her innate mellifluous voice they became all time favorites. One of the strong points of the book is the views expressed by several people - film composers, lyricists, singers, friends and family members. Let's sample some. Says Gulzar "We have been fortunate to hear her voice and live in the same era as her. I feel very sad for those who have died without ever hearing the voice of Lata Mangeshkar." Dilip Kumar, who recorded only one song for movies, a duet with Lata Mangeshkar for Salil Chaudhry (film: Musafir) comments, "The artiste's beautiful voice is imprinted on all hearts." Coincidentally, it was Dilip's doubts about her inability to sing Urdu songs, which she overheard, that she picked up the gauntlet. She studied Urdu and acquired impeccable pronunciation. Lata's friends and relatives dwell equally on her personal qualities and one of them - a niece - goes to the extent of saying that she is a better human being than a singer. The text of the book does show that the crooner is a warm person.  What is quite noticeable about Lata's own views is that she is no more critical of people that she had had differences with, mainly a couple of composers and an equally great contemporary, Mohammed Rafi. Perhaps with the passage of time the ‘wounds', if there were any, have healed. Also she has become more mature or perhaps more diplomatic. Let's not forget that she also had the advantage of listening to the answers that she dictated to Nasreen Munni Kabir and changing them on second and perhaps wiser thought. After all, as they say, discretion is the better part of valour.
She also shows her large-heartedness in going out of her way to praise Noor Jehan. Coincidentally, they were both given their first movie songs to sing by the great composer, Master Ghulam Haider. She quotes Mehboob Khan asking someone in the forties "Who is this new Noor Jehan?" The melody queens of the two neighboring countries were on best of terms. In her last days Noor Jehan often phoned her from her hospital in Karachi. Lata was very sad on hearing of her friend's demise. The book is also laced with some interesting anecdotes. One of which was about her recording duets with the tall Hemant Kumar. She had to stand on a stool so that their faces were ‘at par.' Those were the days when singers recording duets had to share one microphone. Lata Mangeshkar lent her voice to all actresses - from the most popular ones to those who couldn't make it to the front rank. With the expressiveness that she cultivated quite early in her career she helped many of them emote on the screen in the song situations. What makes the book worth its weight in gold is the profusion of outstanding photographs. We get to see Lata in her childhood, her teens, her youth and her middle age, alone and in the company of close relatives, friends, colleagues and people she admired from Pandit Nehru to Noor Jehan and George Harrison. Then there is a lovely landscape that she captured with her camera. In the absence of a reliable biography on Lata Mangeshkar, the joint effort by the singer and the writer amply fills the void.  Reviewed by Anis Zuberi Anis Zuberi has been interviewing people and reviewing books for newspapers and magazines in Pakistan for more than 20 years.
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