Indore (Madhya Pradesh): Music director Uttam Singh and playback singer K S Chithra were honoured with the National Lata Mangeshkar Award by CM Mohan Yadav at Lata Mangeshkar Auditorium on Saturday.
Yadav remembered Lata Mangeshkar on this occasion, stating that "Lata Didi was guarantee for the success of any film." After honouring Uttam Singh and K S Chitra for their contributions to music, CM Yadav expressed gratitude and congratulated them.
He also directed the Madhya Pradesh Department of Folk Culture to organise even more grand events in the name of legendary singer Lata Mangeshkar in future as well. The CM also emphasized to have such programmes every year in memory of the voice of India – Lata Mangeshkar.
He added, “This beautiful auditorium has been built in her memory and the events held here should be as grand as her.” After receiving the award, Uttam Singh thanked everyone and recounted a story involving Lata Didi.
He said, "It was in 1986, during the making of the film 'Maine Pyar Kiya'. Everyone suggested that we should bring Lata Didi to sing the song but the Rajshri team said she wouldn’t agree, as she hasn’t sung for us in 17 years. After which I asked her and she agreed after a silence of five minutes on one condition.
She said, ‘You must come to pick me up and drop me back.’ I agreed, but I also put a condition: "Every day, you will have to eat with me which Didi immediately accepted." The programme began at 7 pm with CM Mohan Yadav garlanding the statue of nightingale Lata Mangeshkar and was followed by the award ceremony.
Ministers Dharmendra Singh Lodhi, Savitri Thakur, Kailash Vijayvargiya and Tulsiram Silawat were present in the programme.
The auditorium was filled with echoes of Lata Mangeshkar’s evergreen songs sung by K S Chithra. She sang melodies like Kehna hi kya, Yeh nain ek anjaan se jo mile, Aye zindagi gale laga le, Yeh haseen wadiya, Nasha abhi aankh se gaya nahi, Satyam Shivam Sundaram and many more. Her team also presented many songs, along with instrumental performances.
