• Friday, March 29, 2024

INDIA

Lata Mangeshkar’s legacy lives on at superfan’s home musuem

Gaurav Sharma, a die-hard fan of late singer Lata Mangeshkar, shows a home museum he has curated in Meerut in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh and dedicated to her for the past 35 years. (ANI Photo)

By: Shubham Ghosh

SHE is no more among singing icon Lata Mangeshkar’s countless fans and admirers but several among them have made efforts in their own capacity to keep her memories alive.

One among them is Gaurav Sharma who has kept Mangeshkar’s legacy alive at his home museum in Meerut in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.

News of the legend’s passing away in Mumbai on February 6 at the age of 92 left Sharma devastated like millions of her other fans. Speaking to AFP, the 38-year-old recalled his meeting with Mangeshkar at her residence nearly a decade ago.

“When I saw her for the first time, I felt she had some kind of incandescent glow around her,” Sharma told AFP.

Lata Mangeshkar
Mortal remains of Lata Mangeshkar at Shivaji Park in Mumbai on February 6, 2022. (ANI Photo)

“She was so simple and down to earth. We talked for a long time. I got a lot of love from her,” he added.

Sharma maintains what could be the world’s biggest collection of Mangeshkar memorabilia at his house where he has catalogued thousands of items featuring the singer – compact discs, films and books.

The man, who is a teacher by profession, also has in his possession the late singer’s perfume, film posters and almost every article on Mangeshkar that has come out in print.

“I even have the recording from 1974 when she sang at London’s Royal Albert Hall,” he told the news outlet.

“She appeared in only one advertisement, which was for a cough syrup in the early days of her career, and I have that,” he added.

When Sharma came to learn about the singer’s demise, he could not contain his tears, he told AFP. The news cast a pall of gloom over his home.

But Sharma said he was taking heart from the fact that Mangeshkar would “continue to live amongst us” through the several thousands of songs she sang in her glorious career.

“Obviously I am devastated… But the show must go on,” Sharma said, adding, “The body has its limits. But she will remain with us until this universe exists.”

Mangeshkar was known as India’s nightingale who had sung 30,000 songs and they included playback singing in more than 1,000 films.

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