Celebrities pay homage to the Nightingale of India

Lata Mangeshkar breathed her last on February 6, 2022. Several Bollywood celebrities and colleagues paid their heartfelt tributes to the late singer.

Gulzar, the poet-lyricist-writer, found himself searching for words to describe his loss at the death of his long-time collaborator.

"Lata Ji is a miracle in herself and this 'karishma' does not happen always and 'aaj ye karishma mukammal ho gaya', she is gone. She was a miraculous singer, with a miraculous voice. It is difficult to find adjectives for her. How much ever we talk about her, it is less. You cannot bind her in words. She is beyond words," he said.

Describing Lata Mangeshkar as 'the voice of million centuries', megastar Amitabh Bachchan paid homage to the singing legend by writing: "She has left us. The

voice of a million centuries has left us. Her voice resounds now in the Heavens!"

"Deeply saddened to hear that Lata Didi passed away! She was

Maa Saraswati for me and all the singers. She was a blessing to the music industry. Bhagwan unki atma ko shanti de," wrote singer Kumar Sanu.

Veteran actor Waheeda Rehman, who mourned the death of Lata Mangeshkar, said, "I have lost a friend, the most beautiful human being."

"It is truly a loss for everyone in many ways. For me, I do not know what to say. We may not be talking to each other every day, but we both enjoyed each other's company and we knew each other well. People would often think that she is a shy person, but I have seen her crack jokes. The time we spent together will always stay with me," she added.

Music composer Lalit Pandit of the famous duo Jatin-Lalit, who worked on most of Lata Mangeshkar's songs in the last two decades, said, "She was a jewel. There was no other Lata Mangeshkar, there is none and there would not be any. I will celebrate her life, today and always."

"What not many know is that she had a fantastic sense of humour and she would always remember things. Her memory was vivid. If she met you, she would remember you. If you shared something with her, there was no way she was forgetting it," he recalled.

Condoling the death of 'melody queen' Lata Mangeshkar, iconic music composer A R Rahman said he was very lucky to record songs and sing along with her and learnt the importance of practice from her.

"It is a very sad day for all of us," Rahman said.

He added, "Lataji was not just a singer, not just an icon, but part of India's consciousness, the Indianness, the Hindustani music, Urdu and Hindi poetry. She has sung in so many languages."

"This void is going to remain forever for all of us," he said.

Veteran actor Dharmendra tweeted, "The whole world is sad. I cannot believe you have left us! We will miss you, Lata Ji. I pray for your soul. Be in peace."

Calling Mangeshkar India's national treasure, Shabana Azmi said her voice 'lit up our lives, gave us solace when we were sad, gave strength when we were low'.

"She was a wonderful lady. I did not meet her often wanting to go and see her. I could not do it. I am feeling bad. She has sung so many hit songs for me. Our Saraswati is gone today. God bless her soul," said veteran actor Asha Parekh.

Music composer Ilaiyaraaja said, "Heartbroken, but blessed to have known her and for having worked with her. Loved this incredible voice and soul. Lata Ji holds a place in our hearts that is irreplaceable. That is how profoundly she has impacted our lives with her voice."

"I was privileged that I knew Lata Ji personally and she sang my songs as well. It is a rare artiste who achieves such excellence in his field that he cannot be compared with anyone else. Lata Ji was this person," said Javed Akhtar.

Sharmila Tagore, who revealed that her husband Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi and Lata Ji shared the same passions, said, "The late singer used to admire him a lot. She loved cars a lot and kept herself engaged with many other things apart from singing."

Anil Kapoor said, "Heartbroken but blessed to have known and loved this incredible soul. Lata Ji holds a place in our hearts that will never be taken by anyone else. That is how profoundly she has impacted our lives with her music. May she rest in peace and light up the heavens with her brightness."