Indore (Madhya Pradesh): Indian playback singer and music director Lata Mangeshkar was deeply connected to Indore but she didn’t perform and engaged in any social events in the city after one of her biggest concerts ever.
An incident that hurt the sensitive and loving heart of the singer had happened back in early 1990s.
Arjun Singh, Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh back then, had organised a program for help in building Abhay Prashal. Abhay Prashal is an indoor stadium in Indore that was built with the initiative of Abhay Chajjlani.
Maharaja Raj Singh Dungarpur was close friends with Lata Mangeshkar and a part of this initiative taken by CM and Chajjlani. Chajjlani later won Padma Shri in his life as well.
So, a concert was organised to gather enough funds to build the stadium. Lata had agreed on an invitation from the Maharaja to perform.
The event was to be held at Nehru stadium. It was Lata’s first ever concert in Indore.
A member of legislative assembly Suresh Seth, however, stood against the concert as it was taken ahead with his competition Chajjlani.
Lata was staying in Shreemaya that time. She was rehearsing before her concert.
Seth reached there with his supporters and launched a protest. His supporters and he shouted slogans against Lata at 4.30 pm.
Following which, the then CM Singh had used force to arrest Seth.
That evening, true to her word, Lata performed. Everyone, however, could see that Lata was depressed.
The incident was widely publicised. The environment was negative. So, Lata still performed but the pain of the incident stayed in her heart for a long time.
To please her and show admiration for her work, the then CM Arjun Singh announced the Lata Mangeshkar Alankar Award.
According to the announcement, the state culture ministry would award it every year. Every year, it was tried that Lata returned to felicitate young singers but it never happened.
The incident was so depressing. She never wanted to come back.
Mayor Kailash Vijaywargia went to meet her thrice to invite her. He wanted to make up for it. But she never returned. She came only twice but never got into a social program.
Once, when spend the day with Bhaiyyu Maharaj and another when she came for some personal reasons and left.
She glanced out the window of her car and always took the car to see her birth place. She was noticed by local residents doing this during both her visits to the city.
