On Ram Navami, Remembering Lataji’s Favourite Ram Bhajan Album With The Great Pandit Bhimsen Joshi

on ram navami, remembering lataji’s favourite ram bhajan album with the great pandit bhimsen joshi

For those who are devoted to Lord Rama and Lata Mangeshkar, the album Ram Shyam Gun Gaan is an audio pilgrimage. For the exquisite songs of this album Lataji teamed up with the great Hindustani classical vocalist Pandit Bhimsen Joshi.

The Bhajans were composed by the celebrated Marathi composer Srinivas Khale.

Remembering how this historic project happened Lataji once told me, “During that time, Khale Sahab used to work at HMV. He used to be in-charge of the Marathi section. The songs that he composed are hummed to this day. He didn’t compose for Hindi films. He was very happy to bring me and Pandit Bhimsen Joshi together for the album Ram Shyam Gungaan. All the songs in this album were written by Pandit Narendra Sharma, whom I used to call ‘Papa’.”

At first Lataji was apprehensive at joining vocal forces with Pandit Joshi. “When Khale sahab proposed an album with Pandit Joshi, I got a bit scared of singing with a classical vocalist. Khale sahab promised I wouldn’t be uncomfortable. When Pandit Bhimsen Joshi and I recorded the number ‘Ram ka gungaan kariye’, Khale sahab put a wooden partition between us so that we don’t feel uncomfortable looking at each other…Meri to daal patli ho gayi thi. Main bahut darr gayi tthi.”

Lataji said Khale was very close to her entire family. “He persuaded my composer-brother Hridaynath to sing two Marathi songs which are popular to this day. Khale Saab never copied any composer. To sing his songs was very difficult for us singers. But to have another singer sing them later was out of the question. He was very outspoken. Once a singer requested Khale Saab to do an album like my ‘Tukaram’. He retorted, ‘You’re not fit to stand where Lata takes off her chappal before recording’,” she recalled.

Lataji also spoke about other favourite Ram songs/albums rendered by her. “I recorded the album Ram Ratan Dhan Payo decades ago. Its popularity remains undiminished. Though I may have sung better Bhajans the Rama Bhajans in this album like Payoji maine rama rattan dhan payo, Thumak chalat ramachandra, Shri ramachandra kripalu and the other Rama bhajans are loved by millions of Indians across the world. Today I’d like to dedicate the immortal Rama bhajans in this album to our Prime Minister Respected Narendra Modiji who has made the Rama temple at the Rama Janm Bhoomi possible. Then there is a Bhajan Ram hain mahaan. Raman naam hai mahaan. Not many know this Rama bhajan from a long-forgotten film (Zindagi Imtehan Leti Hai) which I recorded for my brother Hridaynath Mangeshkar. The Bhajan got neglected because the film was not a success….I also like Jana Gana Mangal Dayak Ram, a beautiful Rama Bhajan composed by the great C Ramachandra for the film Sharda in 1953, the notes of this song still resonate in my head. And the lovely Meena Kumarji sang this Bhajan on screen. It was liked immensely back then. It is liked to this day. Finally there Rama Raksha Strotra .I wanted to sing the Rama Raksha Strotra for the longest time. I finally did two shlokas under the supervision of composer Mayuresh Pai in 2017. During the course of my long journey as a singer I’ve sung every genre of song. But the satisfaction of singing devotional numbers is on another level.”