Shreya Ghoshal’s tribute to Lata Didi moves Mumbai

Paying tribute to a legendary singer with an 80-year career spanning nearly 45,000 songs is no easy task. Yet, that is precisely what Shreya Ghoshal achieved at her concert Letters To Lata Didi held at Jio World Garden on Saturday night.

The evening was unlike the typical large-scale concert spectacle. There were no confetti bursts, fireworks or pyrotechnics; only pure music, delivered straight from the heart.

With no costume changes and no breaks, she sang non-stop through more than 50 songs, each unfolding like a musical letter to the timeless legacy of Lata Mangeshkar, whose voice defined generations of Indian cinema and music.“Aaj ki yeh shaam mere liye sabse khaas hai”She opened with a traditional Ganesh vandana, followed by the classic Aayega Aanewala.

Setting the emotional tone for the evening, Ghoshal addressed the audience.“Aaj ki yeh shaam mere liye sabse khaas, most important, sentimental and emotionally close to my heart evening hai. And main shayad kitni bhi tayaari kar loon, aaj ke din ki tayaari poori nahi hai. I think you will sense my vulnerability my emotion today. We are all here celebrating the legacy of Maa Saraswati, hamari pyari Lata Didi. This tribute is from all of us fans, from me and the musicians and isko sametne ke liye humne yeh ek zariya apnaya hai.

Didi ko hum itna upar rakhte hain, unka jo sthan bhagwanon ke jagah hai. Hum sab fans ke taraf se hai yeh show and iss legacy ko celebrate karne ke liye aap sab saath mein gaiyega zaroor. I am sure Didi is smiling upon us from the heavens.” Memories, music and ‘letters’The evening’s narrative unfolded through music interspersed with audio-visual segments featuring messages and memories from people who knew and worked closely with Lata Mangeshkar.

Tributes from Nitin Mukesh, Anandji Shah (Kalyanji-Anandji), Prasoon Joshi, Sachin Tendulkar and Prakash Peters added a deeply personal dimension to the concert. Shreya also shared memories of how Lata Mangeshkar’s voice shaped her own musical journey since childhood.“Uss choti si ladki ko zara bhi andaza nahi tha ke yehi woh awaaz hai jo uska haath thaamkar usse uske aane wale kal ki oor le jayegi. I was too young but Lata Ji ke awaaz ne mujhe iss tarah khincha ki maine music se pyaar karna shuru kar diya.

We formed a spiritual bond, that’s the asar of her voice. Karoro Bharatiyon ki tarah maine unhe sunne se zyada mehsoos kiya. Aur inn jazbaaton ko hum sabne jiya hai, lekin shayad unhe poori tarah jata nahi sakein.

Toh aaj ki yeh shaam unhi unkahi baaton ko inn khaton ke zariye aapko samarpit karte hain.” The first meeting with Lata DidiThe singer also recalled her first meeting with Lata Mangeshkar in 2005. “I was recording in her studio and she came there.

I ran down to meet her and when she saw me, unhone mujhse kaha, ‘Tum Shreya ho na?’ Main unhe kuch bhi nahi bol payi. I was so stunned, meri bolti bandh ho gayi. Uss din main unse mil nahi rahi thi, mujhe uss din Lata Didi ke darshan ho gaye the. Uss waqt kuch nahi sujha, main thank you bhi nahi bol payi. Aaj mujhe Didi ko thank you bolna hai, for the soul, music you were for me.

”Choosing from a legendary repertoireSelecting songs from Lata Mangeshkar’s vast repertoire proved to be one of the biggest challenges confessed Shreya.

“Today, we are trying to cover all the eras of Lata Didi’s blockbusters,” she said. “There are songs with so many composers including SD Burman, Laxmikant–Pyarelal, Kalyanji-Anandji and so many hit duets with the likes of Mohamad Rafi, Kishore Kumar. She worked with Laxmikant–Pyarelal for around 35 years and sang around 700 songs with just them.

There are so many eras of her songs, her repertoire is simply massive. Ek se ek behtareen gaane hain unke. Main kya chunu? Finally, we just had to pick chits of which ones to sing!”Introducing the song Aa Jaan-E-Jaan, she noted with a smile, “This was probably the only cabaret that Lata Didi ever sang.

If you listen to this song you will realise that even in a cabaret there can be so much divinity, spirituality and itna apnapan and pyaar, even though it is a seduction song.” The evening featured several Lata Mangeshkar duets performed with singers Javed Ali and Kinjal Chatterjee.A feminist inspirationSpeaking on the eve of International Women’s Day, Shreya highlighted Lata Mangeshkar’s enduring influence beyond music.

“Lata Didi has always inspired us. Woh sabse badi feminist hain and tomorrow we are celebrating Women’s Day. She has inspired us not just as a musician but also as a human being, living by her own terms. She gave us a sense of purpose. Aisi kitni auratein thi 40s, 50s and 60s ke daur mein jinhone kitna kuch iconic kiya.

”Music in its purest formMore than 40 musicians performed live on stage, including the UAE Philharmonic Orchestra and a choir, recreating the grand orchestral feel of the golden era of film music.

Praising the ensemble, Ghoshal said, “Aaj lag raha jaise Lata Didi ke recording studio mein sab kuch live hota tha, waise hi hum conductor ke haath pe tike hue hain. I feel all this energy is very much missing in today’s film music.”Among the distinguished guests present were members of the Mangeshkar family, Nitin Mukesh, Anandji Shah and Shantaben, Sonu Nigam, Prasoon Joshi, Kumarmangalam Birla, Dr Neerja Birla, Virender Sehwag and Anjali Tendulkar.After the concert, Usha Mangeshkar was invited on stage and blessed the singer. “Aaj mere samne sirf Didi dikh rahi hai aur uski awaaz aa rahi hai mere kaon mein. Bachpan se main Didi ke saath recordings mein jaati thi, aakhri gaane tak. Ek ek cheez yaad aa raha hai. Bahut accha gaya Shreya. Bhagwan aapko hamesha Didi ka ashirwad zaroor denge!”

A standing ovation for the finaleAs the evening drew to a close, Ghoshal performed songs such as Lukka Chuppi, Ae Mere Watan Ke Logon, Naam Gum Jayega and Rahein Na Rahein Hum. For the final song — which she described as “a hug from all of us to Lata Didi” — the audience switched on their phone flashlights as she sang the immortal Lag Jaa Gale. Overcome with emotion, Ghoshal teared up on stage as the crowd rose to its feet in a standing ovation.