Legendary singer Lata Mangeshkar’s life is an example for all and it reflects that respect can’t be earned with money. Despite her stardom, her modest and simple living, as well as affectionate relationship with all in the film industry, demonstrates the humble side of Lata Mangeshkar. Beyond the Hindi film industry, she had a good relationship with many people across the states.
Her love for sarees is known to all and over the years she had developed a strong bonding with the saree weavers and traders of Varanasi.
Arman Ahmad, a sareer trader of Varanasi, performed a Rudhrabhishek, on January 20, at Kashi Vishwanath temple for the well-being of Lata Mangeshkar, who was then undergoing treatment at Mumbai’s Breach Candy hospital. After learning of her death, on February 6 morning, he and his family were in shock. “Her death is a personal loss for our family,” Rizwan Ahmad, brother of Arman, said speaking to the Times of India.
It was in May 2015 that they met Lata Mangeshkar when her brother Hridayanath Mangeshkar and others came to Ahmad Brothers’ shop in Varanasi to buy her sarees. Following the conversation with Lata Mangeshkar on the phone, Arman travelled to Mumbai with some beautiful Banarasi sarees. After that meeting, they formed an emotional connection, and she became a motherly figure to them.
Arman Ahmad and his brother Rizwan Ahmad said that she was like a mother to them, and they used to call her ‘Maa’ whenever they met or spoke to her.
Though Lata Mangeshkar never visited their house, it was frequent for Arman and Rizwan to visit her Mumbai residence. They used to talk on the phone with her quite frequently. The brothers said that they have kept all the gifts and cheques sent by her and will cherish them forever in the memory of the singer.
Lata Mangeshkar was hospitalised in early January after being diagnosed with Covid-19 and pneumonia. She died of multi-organ failure, after nearly a month in the hospital. She was cremated after full state honours at the Shivaji Park grounds in Mumbai.
