Tales of Lata’s simplicity and instrumentality: Never applied lipstick to decorate, but had a deep attachment to diamonds

Swara Kokila Tala Mangeshkar was an example of simplicity. From the days of struggle to the pinnacle of success, his identity was the gentle nature, melodious voice and simple dress. Lata didi has always been winning the hearts of fans with her simple style. Nothing was pleasing to adorn except a white sari, small earrings in the ears and kajal in the eyes. Why Lata didi was so fond of white sari, it has been mentioned in her biography ‘Sur Gatha’.

Lata didi always kept distance from makeup. She only liked applying powder on her face and applying kajal to her eyes, but she did not like lipstick at all. Actually, Lata ji’s father did not like it at all that the women of the house put on lipstick, so Lata also always kept a distance from it. He never applied lipstick in his life.

I like the colours, but on others..
Lata didi always wore a white saree. Never seen her in green, pink, blue-yellow saree. In Yatindra Mishra’s book Sur Gatha, when Lata ji was asked why she always wears white saree, is there any reason behind it or she avoids colours? In response, she said, ‘I like colors and they look great in all saris, but on others…. I myself find it awkward to wear colorful clothes.

Lata didi had said that there is no particular reason behind this. If ever I wear red-yellow or orange saree, I feel as if Holi colors have been put on me, so I like white or sandalwood. The whiter the saree, the more happy my heart becomes. You must be thinking that what colors should be avoided, but what should I do, I do not like dark shade clothes.

Recordist interrupted and never wore a colorful sari
Lata ji shared an anecdote in the book, in which she told how the white sari came to be associated with her personality, it also became her identity. Once it was raining heavily in Mumbai. I don’t understand what to wear on a recording? I wore a crepe chiffon saree which was probably orange or yellow. Seeing me in that sari, the recordist asked, ‘What are you wearing?’ I replied, ‘I have come drenched in so much rain, water dries quickly on a crepe sari, but this is not the case in cotton, so I had to wear it, so she said, I do not feel good, you should wear the same thing as you always do. Do you wear You like us just like that, not in this dress.’

Lata didi said, that day I understood that it is no longer a matter of my choice. Now others also express their dislike for me. Then I also felt that if common people do not like me in colorful clothes, then why should I wear it?’

Did not like silk and banarasi saree
Lata didi liked only cotton saris. Chanderi cotton or Lucknowi chicken saris were her favourite. She also liked sarees from Bengal and Maharashtra. Kanjeevaram sarees were also good, but she never liked Banarasi and silk sarees because they are heavy. This is also told in Lata Didi Sur Gatha.

That’s why she used to keep Pallu on her head.
Swara Nightingale had said, ‘Kolhapur has been ruled by Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, so there is always a pallu on the head of Maratha women. Once, to whom I used to call Baba, I asked him why this is the custom of pallu, then he explained that the dignity of a woman is achieved by wearing a pallu on her head. It should not be considered orthodox in any way, but should be seen with respect.
Baba’s words entered my mind, so I also started taking pallu. There was a lot of difficulty in taking pallu during recording because I had never done it since childhood, but after doing this for 20 years, I again stopped taking pallu, because recording started getting very difficult.

Lata used to wear diamond jewelry not gold
Lata Mangeshkar had no particular love for jewelry. She used to say, the less ornaments on the body, the more she finds peace. In the name of jewelry, Lata ji used to wear one or two bracelets, two or four bangles, small tops in her ears and anklets on her feet. He never liked gold ornaments. She loved diamond jewellery.

Lata used to wear gold anklets, Raj Kapoor also interrupted
Very few people know that Lata Mangeshkar never used to wear silver anklets on her feet. She always wore gold anklets. At the behest of the astrologer, she used to wear gold anklets on her feet, but once Raj Kapoor interrupted her after seeing gold anklets on her feet. Raj Kapoor told her that wearing gold below the waist is inauspicious. Gold is a sign of prosperity and should not be disrespected by wearing it on the feet, but Lata tells them that she does not know what is right and what is wrong, but she was asked by the astrologer to do so and she will not take it off.