Lata Mangeshkar’s death in early February left a great void in the Indian music industry, especially for the artistes who looked up to her and had worked with a musical legend. To celebrate her legacy and career, StarPlus’s special series Naam Reh Jaayega is bringing together 18 artistes to pay special tribute to the Nightingale of India.
Lata Mangeshkar (1929-2022): Exit, the Nightingale
The grand tribute will feature composers Pyarelal and Jatin Pandit and singers Sonu Nigam, Arijit Singh, Shankar Mahadevan, Nitin Mukesh, Neeti Mohan, Alka Yagnik, Sadhana Sargam, Udit Narayan, Shaan, Kumar Sanu, Amit Kumar, Javed Ali, Aishwarya Majmudar, Sneha Pant, Palak Muchhal and Anwesha to perform Mangeshkar’s most iconic songs.
At an online press conference, a few of the artistes who are part of the show such as Sonu Nigam, Shaan and Sadhana, gathered to honour Mangeshkar and speak about what she meant to them.
Singer Javed Ali, who joined in from his car, stated, “I consider everything that Lata Didi gave us as a prasad, as a blessing. [I, along with] everyone in the music industry have learnt so much from her. Everyone that loves music loves Lata Mangeshkarji and I’m honoured to pay tribute to her.”
Sadhana Sargam recalled meeting the veteran singer at an AR Rahman concert and remembered how she asked about her riyaz [practice system]. She said, “It feels as though life has come full circle for me. The government of Madhya Pradesh conferred the Lata Mangeshkar award on me and now I’m here to pay tribute and homage to the greatest singer to ever come from India.”
Nitin Mukesh, who has known the late singer all his life, remembered his interactions with her, even during the pandemic. “I have a lifetime of memories with Lata Mangeshkarji and received so much love from her. She knew my father since before I was born. I have travelled with her and learned so much from her. Her voice will always truly be God's divine blessing and it’s my honour to be part of Naam Reh Jaayega. Music starts with Lata Mangeshkar and ends with her and because music is immortal and so is she.”
Conceived and directed by Gajendra Singh of Saibaba Studios, the eight-episode series will be premiered on 1 May at 7 pm and will return for hour-long instalments every Sunday.