Lata Mangeshkar, the Queen of Melody and tbe legendary Indian playback singer is considered the voice of the millennium. The charm of her voice has melted millions of hearts and her vocals speak for every soul who has been in love. But Lata herself never found love and the story behind this is truly heartbreaking.
While the whole world was enchanted by Lata’s songs, she herself lost her heart to the Pakistani legend of classical music, Ustad Salamat Ali Khan. Yes, the queen of music was in love with Ustad Salamat, who was considered the “Tan Sen” of his era. Their love was the intersection of melody and classical music which flourished beyond the limitations of the border. But like every evergreen legend of love, their story remained unfinished.
According to Riffat Salamat, daughter of Ustad Salamat, she, along with her mother and father went to India to meet Lata Mangeshkar but she couldn’t share details of what happened there as it was a personal matter.
If my father had married Lata, Perhaps I would be proud but at the same time, I would feel sad for my mother. It’s a complicated emotion just like their love story.
Their love began in the 1950s when both Lata and Ustad Salamat were reckoned as wonders of the music world. While Lata was a playback singer for Bollywood movies, Ustad Salamat was the master of classical music. The trance and truth of music brought them closer to each other. They fell in love and even decided to get married but unfortunately, never made it.
Lata Mangeshkar attending a concert of Ustad Salamat Ali
Ustad Salamat would frequently visit India on music tours with his elder brother Ustad Nazakat during the ’50s. During their time in Mumbai, they always stayed at Lata’s house. One time, when the brothers were staying, Lata had canceled all her recordings so she could spend more time with Ustad Salamat.
Lata’s absence halted the production of movies and the whole film industry was affected. When Lata even stopped taking their calls, the producers used the influence of the Mumbai underworld to threaten Ustad Salamat. Raj Kapoor had to intervene to avoid escalation of the situation and he convinced the brothers to leave India after their final concert.
Indian cinema was saved, but this incident revealed the severity of their relationship to both Lata and Ustad Salamat. When Ustad was asked why he refused to marry Lata, he gave a reply which reflects the turbulent relations of India and Pakistan.
Lata is no ordinary singer, she is a goddess of Indian society. It was not easy for me and her to get married. If I had married her, Lata and I would be killed and it is the least that would happen. It could even start a war between India and Pakistan.
During an interview with Pakistani media, Lata expressed her desire to visit Pakistan and said that she would fly to Lahore if she had wings. Lata’s love for him was everlasting even though Ustad Salamat was married to Razia Begum. According to their close friend, Badal Chaudhry, Lata was even willing to be Salamat’s second wife and suggested him to spend six months in Pakistan with his first wife and remaining with her in India.
But the classical romance of Classics of music was butchered by the traditional rivalry of the two neighboring countries. They couldn’t get married but always had deep regard for each other. When Ustad Salamat’s grandson Shujat Ali Khan visited Mumbai, Lata greeted and treated him like he was her own grandson.
In 1978, Ustad Salamat was in London for a performance when he had a stroke. According to a relative of him, Lata kept visiting him in the hospital for days.
Lata used to spend hours looking for Salamat everywhere. After the stroke, he was hospitalized in London and all of his medical bills were paid by Lata.
Ustad Salamat promised Lata that he would take her to Lahore but couldn’t fulfill his promise. Sakhawat Ali Khan, who is Ustad Salamat Ali’s son, regrets that Lata could never visit Pakistan.
“My father couldn’t fulfill his promise but we should not lose hope and let love flourish in our hearts. But it is also a truth that Lata is now 91 years old and perhaps will never sing in Lahore, Pakistan. It is not Lata’s but certainly our loss.”
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