The death of Lata Mangeshkar was not only mourned in India but also across the world, including Pakistan. The veteran singer was associated with numerous stories and incidents, and her singing career spanned nearly seven decades.
Here is an incident when Lata Mangeshkar was stopped at the Attari border on her way to meet her idol singer and friend, Noor Jehan.
When she first started singing in movies, Noor Jehan had a significant influence on Lata Mangeshkar.
Her singing was also appreciated by Noor Jehan, and she assisted Lata in her career growth. The friendship of the two melody queens was, however, lost after the partition of India and Pakistan.
While Lata Mangeshkar was awarded the title, Nightingale of India, Noor Jehan was honoured as Mallika-e-Tarannum in Pakistan.
After the partition, Noor Jehan was forced to leave her homeland, Mumbai, and relocate to Pakistan, and when Lata Mangeshkar wished to meet her, renowned composer C Ramchandra travelled to Attari with her for the meeting.
Unfortunately, they were stopped at the border as they didn’t have a visa or a passport. It was then decided that Noor Jehan would come to the Wagah-Attari border to meet her friend.
C Ramchandra wrote in his biography that upon meeting, the two friends hugged each other and cried, and the surrounding people were surprised to see their love for each other.
Noor Jehan also had a great fan following in Bollywood, and she also visited Mumbai after the partition. A few days ago, actor Dharmendra also posted a picture of him with Noor Jehan on his Instagram account.
Noor Jehan’s career spanned almost six decades, from the 1930s to the 1990s. She was known for being one of the greatest and most influential singers of all time, particularly in South Asia.
Madonna, the American pop icon, once stated that she can imitate any singer except Noor Jehan.
