In spite of frail health , Amiabh Bachchan was present on April 24 to be the awarded Lata Deenanath Mangeshkar Puraskar.The award was given to Mr Bachchan by Lataji’s siblings Pandit Hridaynath Mangeshkar, and Usha Mangeshkar who also honoured AR Rahman, Randeep Hooda, Roopkumar Rathod, Padmini Kolhapure, Ashok Saraf with Master Deenanath Mangeshkar Awards
The 82nd Memorial Day Anniversary ceremony of the late Master Deenanath Mangeshkar, held at Deenanath Mangeshkar Natyagruha in Mumbai, saw the Master Deenanath Mangeshkar Smruti Pratishthan, Pune, honoring eminent personalities from various fields.
Recipients were lauded for their contributions to music, drama, art, medicine, and social work, in homage to Master Deenanathji’s cultural legacy in Maharashtra.
The event featured the presentation of various Master Deenanath Mangeshkar Puraskars across diverse domains, culminating in a musical tribute to Bharat Ratna Lata Mangeshkar presented by Pt Hridaynath Mangeshkar and singer Vibhavari Apte-Joshi, with accompanying musicians.
These awards are a testament to Master Deenanathji’s enduring influence on Maharashtra and India’s cultural heritage. The programme was jointly organised by Deenanath Mangeshkar Smruti Pratishthan and Hridayesh Arts.
Significantly, Mr Bachchan is a huge admirer of Lataji’s artistry. He once told me, “Lataji is beyond any description of praise. A phenomenon like her will never happen again.To even compare her stature with mine is blasphemous.”
Lataji was also a keen admirer of the Bachchan’s virtuosity. She once said to me, “When it comes to Bachchan Saab I don’t know where to start. I always marvel at the way he bounced back after those severe setbacks that he suffered financially. And his career too was going through a lean phase. Lekin jiss qadar woh zor se wapas aaye….amazing! He’s 110 percent a perfect artiste. Give him any role, and he slips into it effortlessly. I’ve never seen him repeat himself. If he was an emperor as a young man today he plays older men with the same majesty.”
