Remembering Lata Mangeshkar: 'Queen of Melody' shared a special bond with Dilip Kumar

Mangeshkar, who died on Sunday, considered Dilip Kumar to be like a brother

Lata Mangeshkar, who passed away on Sunday, and the late Bollywood thespian Dilip Kumar are inarguably two of Indian cinema's biggest names. 'Didi' added depth to several compositions with her flawless voice, helping them attain cult status. 'Saab', on the other hand, redefined the tenets of acting with his velvety dialogue delivery and nuanced performances.

The ace singer often lent her voice to the Tragedy King's leading ladies, which helped her strengthen her association with him. Their bond, however, went beyond work as Mangeshkar considered the original 'King Khan' to be her elder brother.

Also Read | RIP Lata Mangeshkar: The 'Nightingale of India' inspired generations with her golden voice

She frequently tied the 'rakhi' to Dilip Kumar, showering sisterly love on him. The Devdas star once shared a throwback photo on Twitter in which he was seen spending some precious moments with her.

“Precious evening with my sister @mangeshkarlata. Tears of joy as we reflected on God's immeasurable blessings upon us (sic),” he had captioned the image.

Mangeshkar was one of the first celebrities to offer condolences to Dilip Kumar's family after he passed away last year at the age of 98. In an emotional tweet, she mentioned that his demise marked the end of an era. The 'Queen of Melody' went on to praise Saira Bainu for looking after 'Yusuf Bhai' till his last breath.

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Mangeshkar's death is a huge loss for the Indian film industry as she was one of the last links to the 'Golden Age'. Bollywood 'Megastar' Amitabh Bachchan paid tribute to her by calling her the "voice of a million centuries." The nightingale's popularity knew no limits, as she carved a niche for herself in Telugu, Tamil and Bengali cinema.

Chiranjeevi, the star of cult Telugu movies such as Gang Leader and Indra, said that "she will exist till music exists."

Mangeshkar, who was an integral part of Hindi cinema for nearly six decades, will live on through her melodies. She is survived by her sisters Asha Bhosle, Usha Mangeshkar and Meena Khadikar. Marathi musician Hridaynath Mangeshkar, who won the National Award for 'Best Music Direction' for Lekin, is her brother.