The Secret Shutterbug: Lata Mangeshkar
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The doyenne of Hindi cinema soundtracks, Lata Mangeshkar, was passionate about music till her last breath.
Yet, her involvement with film didn't stop at her playback singing – she was passionate about film photography.
Speaking fondly about her Rolleiflex camera she carried everywhere, she said: "My camera used to be my constant companion everywhere. I’d take it with me to the studio and take pictures of my colleagues at work. I’d click my parents, my sisters, and brother at home. I loved photographing the outdoors.”
Her prized possession would also accompany her to her studio sessions, and she would take candid shots of her team of musicians as they worked on a song.
One of the sessions she caught on camera was when the 'Mozart of Madras', A.R. Rahman, and singer Prasoon Joshi were recording the hit 'Rang de Basanti'.
Fellow playback singer Chinmayi Sripaada recollected, “I don’t think too many people know now that she loved photography. She’s said to have had a pretty fantastic collection of professional cameras and on this particular day she was talking about a new camera purchase too.”
Mangeshkar sometimes regretted that her stellar musical career overshadowed her passion for photography, stating that if she were not a singer, she would have pursued photography professionally.
Yet, her involvement with film didn't stop at her playback singing – she was passionate about film photography.
Her prized possession would also accompany her to her studio sessions, and she would take candid shots of her team of musicians as they worked on a song.
Mangeshkar sometimes regretted that her stellar musical career overshadowed her passion for photography, stating that if she were not a singer, she would have pursued photography professionally.
Regardless, her large collection of photos taken over the years are a testament to her artistic nature and creativity that live on even after her demise.
Source: In Search of Lata Mangeshkar by Harish Bhimani
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