Usha Mangeshkar: 'A loyal companion and faithful sibling to the singer, is now stranded alone'

Dear Ushaji,

All Lata Mangeshkar fans suffered a grievous injury when we lost the Goddess Of All Melodious Things. But none more so than you, Ushaji. Didi’s favourite sibling always in her shadows, though not in an invisible way. Although you chose to remain Didi’s faithful Laxman in her resonant Ramayan, you were, you ARE, a talent in your own right.

I remember Rajesh Roshan telling me that the Mangeshkar who suffered as a sibling to the formidable Lata Mangeshkar was not Asha Bhosle but you, Ushaji. Roshan gave you some big hits to sing like 'Main jo bolun haan toh haan' in Priyatama and 'Maine toh lakh jatan kar dala', a dishy duet with Didi in Jay Vijey where you stood your ground and the tangy hit 'Yeh jeena hai angoor ka daana'.

Rajesh Roshan’s crooning glory for you was 'Mungda' in Inkaar. Not even Didi could have sung that one with the heady mix of Maharashtrian verve and earthy sexiness that you did.

Then there were those immortal Bhajans in Jai Santoshi Maa that are played to this day in every Hindu household. Composer C Arjun insisted on your voice for all the Bhajans in Jai Santoshi Maa. Each one was a chartbuster. I must also mention two solos that you sang for the great Jaidev—'Hariyale mohe' in Jumbish and 'More kab se taras gaye naina' in Tumhare Liye…they prove you were no walkover.

And what about that unreleased R D Burman gem: 'Khushi ke saath chale nakhushi ke saath chale /Jo saath chal ne saaka hum ussike saath chale'. The lyrics seem to echo what you must be feeling at the moment.

I remember at a live concert you accompanied Didi in the song 'Ni main yaar manana ni' although it wasn’t even your duet with Didi. Whenever I met Didi you would be there, quietly observing, humming a song, or just sitting quietly. I would try to make polite conversation with you. You would reply and then slide back into your silence. There was no confusion in your mind about who the star of the show was, and whom we were all there for.

I once asked you if you think about what your singing career would have been, had you not been Lata Mangeshkar’s faithful sibling. You had replied in your measured tone. “Maine kabhi isske baare mein socha hi nahin. Didi hain to hum hain.”

Now she is gone. All her fans have families and other support systems to fall back on. You never married, because you were busy looking after Didi. Today she is gone. Others close to her have returned to their spouses, children and work.

You, Ushaji, are left stranded in the middle of that road which we all journey through. There are no signposts to guide you ahead. That’s the thing about life. It catches you unawares, unprepared. Saira Banuji who devoted 45 years of her life looking after Dilip Kumar saab today finds herself bereft. Her days are now unstructured, numbed, aimless.

She looked after one national treasure. You looked after another. But who will look after you now?

The writer is a Patna-based journalist. He's been writing about Bollywood for long enough to know the industry inside out.

Read all the Latest News, Trending News, Cricket News, Bollywood News, India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.