Tag: news

Tribute to Lata Di

I’ll admit it — I’ve never been a big Lata Didi fan. Maybe it’s because I’m musically challenged, not just vertically challenged. That said my most favorite female singer is Shreya Ghoshal; an academic maestro of music, who calls Lata as Goddess herself. I will concur with the wisdom of SG.
Cut To: Indian Idol Season 16 aired on Feb 8th, I happened to tune on Sunday out of boredom to watch the incredible budding singers, only to see that there was another Tribute to Lata Didi. A little underwhelmed but still curious to listen to the young singers belch out Lata Di songs. A welcome change was seeing someone other than Aditya Narayan hosting the show. This time it was a new face — Manoj Muntashir (yes, I had to Google him). With the poetic ease he spoke, I soon felt a lump in my throat. Song after song, he unpacked Lata’s gestures, her grace, and the small acts of generosity that defined her — like charging one rupee less than Mukesh. The singers themselves faded into the background as I waited to hear what he would reveal next about her legacy. His lyrical narration of Lata’s kindness and camaraderie was mesmerizing and genuinely tear‑jerking.
However, I must confess why I remain a conflicted admirer. I am a fan of Veer-Zaara, a film that feels so raw it must be carved from a real story—perhaps inspired by the tragic, border-crossing love of Boota Singh. When the music plays and I visualize Shah Rukh Khan reaching out from that helicopter for Preity Zinta, I am right there with him, arm outstretched in a desperate search for connection. But then, she opens her mouth to sing, and I hear the voice of a 75-year-old Lata Mangeshkar. In that moment, the illusion shatters; my reaching hand recoils into a clinched fist, unable to reconcile the youthful face of Zaara with the aged, albeit legendary, timbre of the voice.

November 14th – Childrens Day

It seems to me that we are systematically eradicating the names of our first Prime Minister of India and the Father of the Nation. Nehru created the IITs and RECs. Although I am not part of that institution, my college from Karnataka University was the second top institution in Karnataka. The likes of my college and COEP(One of the greatest non IIT institutions) emulated the IIT curriculum, those institutions then were heavily govt aided and generated millions of engineers. Today, a new political party comes to power and dislikes the party the first PM is linked to and tries to eradicate the legacy built by these pioneers. Nehru had flaws in his governance (who does not have and I am least qualified to talk about it) but he was the chosen man then as opposed to Sardar Vallabhai Patel, although it is Patel who nominated Nehru to the top post for his ailing health. The flaws of Nehru is best narrated by one of the greatest legends JRD Tata and concludes with a statement he loved Nehru.
I will continue to felicitate them as long as I live. We grew up calling him Chacha Nehru, our parents never objected to it, but now we do not want to pass to our children. My children are growing up in America, who need not know these personalities unless they want to dig upon the roots of their parents. Democrats have governed USA for several terms not once have they said anything against George Washington and Abraham Lincoln which my children continue to felicitate and will hopefully pass it on to their children. Happy Birthday Chacha Nehru!