Meri chhoti behen aayi hai! Lata Mangeshkar's last meeting with Dilip Kumar, Saira Banu recalls
India Today
Saira Banu recalls the time when Lata Mangeshkar came over to meet Dilip Kumar at their home. She called the meeting 'magical'.
A pall of gloom descended over the whole of India and the world on February 6 as news of Lata Mangeshkar's demise trickled in. She was 92. Lata Mangeshkar's cremation at Shivaji Park in Dadar, Mumbai was attended by the likes of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray, Shah Rukh Khan, Ranbir Kapoor, Sachin Tendulkar and his wife Anjali, among others. Several celebrities have since spoken about the loss, and shared personal stories about the Nightingale of India. Saira Banu shared one very personal story about Lata Mangeshkar and Dilip Kumar's last meeting at their residence, back in 2013.
In an interview with ETimes, Saira Banu opened up about the time Lata Mangeshkar dropped in to meet Dilip Kumar at their residence. Back in 2013, Dilip Kumar had not been keeping well, and he would restrict himself to his room and personal study. He would go to bed early or be on rest. "Lata ji expressed a desire to come home and spend some time with Saheb and, needless to say, I was very thrilled. Now, she was visiting us after a long time and she was as anxious as I was since Saheb was not keeping good health and there were days when he slept early. She arrived and we hurried to Saheb’s exclusive sitting room. To my joy, Saheb was eagerly waiting for us- his arms open, his eyes smiling and his face glowing with happiness. Evidently one of the attendants had informed him that he had a surprise visitor," Saira Banu said.
"'Meri chhoti behen aayi hai,' he exclaimed and embraced her," Saira Banu added.
Saira Banu also revealed how, back in the days, Lata Mangeshkar would often come over to their house whenever she was passing through Bandra to meet Dilip Kumar. Dilip Kumar loved Lata Mangeshkar's company and she was also a favourite of Saira Banu's grandmother, Shamshad Begum Sahiba, the famous Hindustani classical vocalist. Even Lata Mangeshkar respected Shamshad Begum Sahiba a lot.
Saira Banu goes on, "When the tea and snacks arrived, Lata ji fed him [Dilip Kumar] like she always did and he was so happy to relive the happy times they had spent in the past - be it at our house or the studios." Saira Banu then adds how that meeting put Dilip Kumar in a good mood, and he didn't want to retire for the night.
Dilip Kumar passed away on July 7, 2021, in Mumbai. He was 98.
Lata Mangeshkar was cremated with full state honours at Shivaji Park, Mumbai on February 6. While India lost its most iconic voice, her legacy will live on forever.
