Legendary singer Lata Mangeshkar, 92, breathed her last on Sunday morning. Fondly known as the nightingale of India, Lata was hospitalised for the last couple of weeks. While it is a well-known fact that the veteran singer had over 30,000 songs to her credit across various Indian languages, little has been written about her other interests.
The great singer was a fan of cricket. Yes, you read that correctly. The singer had expressed his interest in the sport on several occasions. Such was her passion for the sport that when India won the World Cup in 1983, the iconic singer organized a free concert dedicated to the victorious Indian cricket team.
Tribute to Lata Mangeshkar ji
Singing the Glory of '83
"I saw the final at Lord's. I couldn't believe we beat two-time champions West Indies to win the World Cup. Naturally, as an Indian, I felt very proud of this achievement,” Lata had told Hindustan Times in an earlier interview.
After the victory in 1983, Latha, who witnessed the historic match in London, personally congratulated the Indian team.
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"I remember all the team members singing a song with me, specially composed by my brother Hridaynath. Sunil Gavaskar and Kapil Dev stood by me.'
The versatile singer had on several occasions lauded cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar. Latha shared a strong bond with Tendulkar, who held a deep respect for the legendary singer.
“All players are good but Sachin is my favourite. Sunil Gavaskar was considered better than that team as well as Kapil Dev. Well, all the cricketers listed below are good. Dravid can be good too. Sure, probably the most favorite is Sachin, there's a little question about it. Everybody likes Sachin so why should I be behind?" BBC Hindi quoted Lata as saying.
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| Lata Mangeshkar in a fram with Kapil Dev sometime after the 1983 World Cup |
The veteran singer had also expressed her grief when Tendulkar announced his retirement in 2013.
"I can't tell you how bad I felt when I first heard that he had decided to retire. It was a terrible feeling. But with time I have come to terms with it. No one continues forever. Can't live as great as Sachin. I thought he could have played a little better but it's totally his decision. If he thinks it's the best time then I will respect his decision and be with him Will go. But yes, I feel very bad thinking that he will not play cricket again.'