KOCHI: When you really want something, the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it. The saying holds true for K Muraleedharan, administrative officer of Kerala Hindi Pracharasabha, Thiruvananthapuram.
Two decades ago, the veteran reached out to K J Yesudas as a fan and became an acquaintance of the ‘Ganagandharvan’. The friendship he shared with the Hindi music circle made him reach out to his all-time favourite singer, the nightingale and Bharat Ratna awardee Lata Mangeshkar through her nephew Rachana.
And through the music lover, Mangeshkar bonded with Yesudas and one wish of Muraleedharan came true. As Tuesday marks the 92nd birthday of veteran playback singer Latha Mangeshkar, Muraleedharan has taken on a new responsibility — to bestow the birthday wish of playback singer K S Chithra to Mangeshkar directly.
Chithra joined hands with Muraleedharan to come up with a video where she sings four lines of one of the evergreen melodies of Mangeshkar — Lag Ja Gale from the movie Woh Kaun Thi — along with a birthday message. “I shared the video with the music circle of Mangeshkar so that she will be able to watch it on her birthday today,” says Muraleedharan.
INTRODUCING THE LEGENDS
It was through Hindi Prachara Sabha Muraleedharan met Yesudas in 2000. “He, with the help of Sabha’s magazine editor Thankappan Nair, wrote a letter to Mangeshkar in 2010 about Yesudas. “Later in 2012, we received a handwritten reply from her. It was the most joyful moment for us,” he says.