Remembering Late Mangeshkar: 5 rare photos of her tying rakhi to Dilip Kumar, posing with little Bappi Lahiri in lap

Lata Mangeshkar continues to live among her millions of fans through her evergreen songs and precious memories. The Nightingale of India died in February this year. Remembering her on her 93rd birth anniversary, here are five very rare, precious pictures from various stages of her life. (Also read: When young Sunidhi Chauhan sang in front of Lata Mangeshkar)

This rare black and white picture shows a young Lata Mangeshkar combing her long, curly dark hair with a comb. She was named Hema at the time of birth but was later renamed by her parents after a female character, Latika, in one of her father’s plays, Bhav Bandhan.

Lata Mangeshkar considered Dilip Kumar her elder brother. The two had met for the first time in a train when Dilip said singers from Maharashtra are not so good at Urdu pronunciation. Lata was offended and didn’t talk to him for 13 years. They ended the fight with Lata tying a rakhi to Dilip in 1970. On his death last year, Lata said, “Yusuf Bhai has left his little sister. His demise feels like end of an era. I am not able to grasp this news. I am very sad and at a loss of words. He has left her with memories and words.”

Bappi Lahiri died at 69, a few days after Lata’s death in February this year. A rare photo shows a four-year-old Bappi sitting in Lata’s lap. Lata’s frequent collaborator Kishore Kumar was Bappi’s maternal uncle. He seems to have met Lata through Kishore Kumar at such a young age.

Lata Mangeshkar sang several songs for Meena Kumari including almost all Pakeezah songs such as Inhin Logon Ne, Chalo Dildar Chalo, Chalte Chalke Yun Hi Koi, along with Ajeeb Dastan Hai Ye, Kabhi To Milegi Kahin To Milegi, Aplam Chaplam and many others. A picture shows Meena Kumar staring at Lata as she records a song in a studio.

Lata once met George Harrison of the Beatles. The two legends probably met at Pandit Ravi Shankar’s studio. He also signed an autograph for her.