Dharmendra on why he missed Lata Mangeshkar's funeral: 'I got ready thrice'

16 views | Feb 08, 2022, 05:49:26 PM | etimes.in
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Read full story: Dharmendra: "I got ready thrice to go for Lata Mangeshkar's last rites and then pulled myself back" - Exclusive! Like millions of fans across the globe, Bollywood legend Dharmendra was also heartbroken after hearing the news of Bharat Ratna Lata Mangeshkar's demise on February 6. Talking about the singing legend, in an exclusive interview with ETimes, Dharmendra said, "I was very uncomfortable and uneasy. I got ready not once but three times to go for Didi's last rites yesterday. But everytime, I pulled myself back. I didn't want to see her leaving us. I was feeling very uncomfortable and uneasy after hearing the news of Lata Mangeshkar's demise yesterday." Reminiscing about some fond memories with his Lata Didi, Dharmendra further added, "I also want to tell you that she would make it a point to occasionally even send gifts to me. She would send me quite a few motivating forwards and kept telling me 'Remain strong'. I remember I had once written a slightly gloomy post on Twitter and she immediately called up to ask if I was doing fine and spoke to me for 30 minutes to cheer me up. Often, we would chat for 25-30 minutes even until recently. She adored me." Recalling an incident Dharmendra continued, "Let me tell you one more incident, which will spell out how much she adored me. At an award function, she remembered that I had worn a beige coloured shirt when I'd first met her. I was surprised beyond words. Such a memory!" Expressing his grief over Lata ji's demise, Dharmendra also shared a picture on social media and wrote, 'Whole world is sad !!! Can’t believe lata ji have left us for ever. We will miss you Lata ji . I pray your soul be in peace'. Lata Mangeshkar passed away after battling pneumonia, Covid-19, and several other age-related issues. She was 92 years of age. Although it was reported that the singer recovered from Covid-19, she was kept on ventilator support. Her condition worsened later and breather her last after suffering multi organ failure. She was honoured with Dadasaheb Phalke Award and France's highest civilian award, Officer of the Legion of Honour, besides numerous national and international awards. In 1974, the Guinness Book of Records ranked her as the most recorded artiste in history. She had reportedly sung over 25,000 songs between 1948 and 1974. She became a recipient of India's highest civilian honour Bharat Ratna in 2001.

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