At 80, one hears she is often depressed, lonely. The recent death of long-time friend Raj Singh Dungarpur must have added to her loneliness. But she keeps herself aloof and rarely expresses emotion in public.
She remains elusive.. Someone known only for her work and not the person she really is. But that seems to be Lata Mangeshkar's destiny.
It is easy to spin stories around her because we know so little about her. But from her friends, one gathers she has a fine sense of humour. She isn't beyond taking potshots at and mimicking people. She loves food and is a fine cook. When abroad, she lets her hair down and even gets out of the saree to get into more comfortable trousers. But these are third person accounts and in a way, it's good we are not privy to this side of her.
By Lata Khubchandani
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