As every FM and Channel is putting out Valaiosai song from Kamal film Sathya as part of tribute to Lataji's , I recollect an interesting backstory that was told to me by lyricist Vaali during an interview for SCREEN weekly. Illaiyaraaja had asked Vaali to give a peppy song for his album How to Name it. After some time passed , Raaja told him to simplify the lyrics and it was to suit Lataji who was to sing it for film Sathya. Raaja said that Kamal who heard the song wanted it for the film. To maintain a fast tempo, Vaali had used repetitive words and stacked one upon another. Vaali felt that instead of diluting the lyrics, it is better to write a new song. Kamal was adamant that the song tempo be kept as such and Vaali told Raaja that he had no great substitute lyrics. Finally, Lataji sang the song with SPB. The picturization and music clicked
.Vaali looking back at the song said that Lataji's pronunciation of Tamil letters la, lla and zha were like other North Indian singers , her weak points. Vaali remarked in a jocular way that Lataji never forgot the difficult lyrics of Valaiosai as she said it was not Tamil that was the problem but matching to Raaja's standards since he does not okay till he gets a near perfect pronunciation. Vaali was referring to Lata's speech at the felicitation held for Raaja getting PadmaShri
Lataji often figured in my meetings with Sivaji Ganesan ( who was fondly called Anna by her). In Sivaji's words - " As I was producing Anand, I wanted Lata to sing in my film. Raaja was the music director. She agreed and it was a lullaby ( Aararo). She had difficulty in pronouncing but voice covered it up. Her sister did a portrait of me as they think that I look just like their father Dinanath. Our family ties are vey strong." , The lyrics was written by Raaja's brother Gangai Amaran.
After this she sang for R Sundarajan film En Jeevan Paduthu the song Engirintho Azhaikkum Un Geetham , Here Illaiyaraaja himself took the job of writing the lyrics. The song was sung solo and as a duet with Mano. Raaja himself also sang this as a solo number..
Yet another interesting info I recalled now is that the popular song Jiya Jale in Dil Se.was sung in Tamil by S Janaki. while Lata sang it in Hindi. Janaki was very thrilled that at her age ( 70's) she was given the song sung by Lata who too in the same age group and that it was shot on a teenage Preeti Zinta. Janaki always took pride that she was referred as Nightingale of South- a Lata of South film playback. In fact many was amazed at A R Rahman decision to get these singers on board for Preeti Zinta.
Old timers in music world have told me that songs sung in Tamil by Lata for dubbed version of Mehboob Khan's Aan was scrapped as her pronunciation was bad and M S Rajeswari sang three songs in the Tamil version.Here again lyricist was Kannadasan .Veteran Dhakshinamoorthy remembered that he got a call in 2002 from the organisers of a concert in Hyderabad that Lataji 'song in Telugu film Santanam in 1955. was bound to be the highlight and she wanted the lyric She was holding a concert to raise funds for a hospital named after her father. Dhakshinamoorthy could not help. He recalled that Lata came in the morning flight to record the song and left in the evening.
The first Telugu film's hero was ANR and 30 years later, Lata sang a song in ANR's son Nagarjuna's film Aakhari Porattam ( 1988) which had Sridevi and Suhasini in the lead. In Malayalam her first film was Nellu with music by Salil Chowdury but Chemeen was to be her first but she could not take up the assignment.
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