SINGER Lata Mangeshkar once recalled how her first meeting with actor Dilip Kumar compelled her to improve her Urdu diction. It was an innocent remark that the actor had made during their first meeting, in 1947 that made her introspect, and ultimately resulted in some timeless numbers such as Pyaar Kiya Toh Darna Kya from the classic film Mughal-i-Azam, starring Dilip Kumar.

She recalled the story in Kumar’s 2014 autobiography, The Substance and the Shadow.

Mangeshkar was introduced to Kumar by composer Anil Biswas aboard a local train. When the actor asked where she is from, Biswas told him her full name.

She recalled: “The remark that Yousuf Bhai made when he found out that I am a Maharashtrian is something that I cherish because it made me seek the perfection I then lacked in my Urdu diction.

“He said very truthfully that singers who were not conversant with the Urdu language invariably tripped in the pronunciation of words derived from the language and that jarred and spoiled the listening pleasure for those who enjoyed the lyric as much as the melody.”

She was saddened at first, but resolved to improve her diction. For that, she consulted a family friend who introduced her to a Maulana.

“A learned maulana was arranged by Shafi Imam, our family friend who was like an elder brother to me. As I continued my Urdu lessons, I found myself being appreciated and admired more and more,” the singer said.

The rest was history. She developed a close friendship with Dilip Kumar. “We did not meet too often those days. However, whenever there was a recording of a song at Mehboob Studios and Yousuf Bhai was shooting there, I never missed the opportunity to call on him.

“He was a superstar and I was rising on the horizon as a playback singer, but when we met, he held me close to his heart like an elder brother and gave me the love and respect that only someone as pure as he could,” she said.

Published in Dawn, February 7th, 2022