World Photography Day: India’s most famous singer was a talented photographer

World Photography Day: India’s most famous singer was a talented photographer

Lata Mangeshkarwho was immortalized for her singing, was an outstanding photographer. In fact, there were exhibitions of her photographs when she was young and she loved her Rolleiflex camera so much that she took it everywhere.

She once told us with a laugh: “Mujhe photography ka bohot shauq tha. I took photos of my friends and family in unobserved moments. I think every photo tells a thousand stories.”

Lataji once shared her secret passion with us. “Yes, I loved photography. But I didn't like being photographed. My camera was always my constant companion. I took it to the studio and photographed my colleagues at work. At home, I photographed my parents, my sisters and my brother. I loved photographing nature,” Lataji fondly recalled.

She was so skilled and adept at photography that it was seen as an alternative career for her. “I don't know what I would have done if I hadn't been a singer. But photography was definitely a viable option. It's a shame that the art of photography has been replaced by digital photography. People now take all their pictures with their phones. The pure joy of taking pictures through the lens of an old-fashioned camera has been lost.”

Lataji had tons of self-taken photos at home. “It would take weeks, if not months, to go through my photos. Maybe someday.”

It is known that Lataji often took her favorite accessory (the Rolleiflex) with her into the recording studio and called in her music team in unobserved moments.

Lataji was also a keen student of painting. Her favourite painter was the Frenchman Claude Monet. In fact, she once pointed out Monet's influence on cinema to Sanjay Leela Bhansali, who, while admitting that Monet was a great influence on her, was amazed by the great singer's keen powers of observation.

No wonder Gulzar Saab called her a 'Sampoorn Kalaakar'. An absolute artist.

Lataji laughed, “Gulzar saab is a Sampoorn Kalaakar himself. He directs films, he writes poetry and song lyrics. He has written many books of prose and poetry. I believe every artist must be aware of the world outside his or her realm. Raj Kapoor saab and Raj Kapoor saab don't just direct films. They are interested in every aspect of their cinema. Bhansaliji even composes his own music.”