We are all familiar with Lata Mangeshkar’s renowned singing career, professionalism, and dedication to singing. However, few people are aware of her personal life or the reasons behind her decision to remain alone for the rest of her life.
Before we get into this area of Lata Mangeshkar’s life, it is vital to note that she was an avid cricket fan. And it was for this reason that she grew close to Raj Singh Dungarpur, a fast-medium bowler from Rajasthan who eventually became the Manager of the Indian cricket team.
Raj Singh Dungarpur was the youngest son of the ruler of Dungarpur, Maharawal Lakshman Singhji. Lata Mangeshkar and Raj Singh Dungarpur shared a passion for cricket and music, which drew them closer together. Lata Mangeshkar was the oldest daughter of Pandit Deenanath Mangeshkar, a Marathi musician and theatre performer, and was born in Indore in 1929.
Also Read: Shraddha Kapoor shares throwback pics with Mangeshkar, says ‘Truly the greatest of all time!’
How the love story began
Rajshri, the princess of Bikaner and Raj Singh Dungarpur’s niece, has written about the relationship between her maternal uncle and Lata Mangeshkar in her autobiography ‘Palace of Clouds-A Memoir’. According to the book, the two met through Lata Mangeshkar’s younger brother, Hridaynath Mangeshkar.
Raj Singh, a prince from the royal family of Dungarpur, moved to Mumbai to study law in 1959. He was an excellent cricket player. Hridaynath Mangeshkar, Lata Mangeshkar’s brother, used to play cricket as well. Hridaynath and Raj Singh became friends as a result of this.
Hridaynath Mangeshkar’s residence was a favourite haunt of Raj Singh. He met Lata Mangeshkar for the first time during his visit to the Mangeshkar residence. Raj Singh and Lata Mangeshkar became friends after interacting with one other. Their early friendship was subsequently evolved into love.
Raj Singh returned to Dungarpur after finishing his studies and told his family about his plans to marry Lata Mangeshkar. The royal family did not want Raj Singh to marry someone from a non-royal background. Raj Singh Dungarpur was forced to being with family expectations and abandoned his marriage plans with Lataji.
However, they did immortalise their love tale by being unmarried for the rest of their lives. Raj Singh Dungarpur lovingly referred to Lata Mangeshkar as ‘Mithu,’ as per Rajyashree’s memoirs. Lata Mangeshkar was said to be travelled to Dungarpur secretly after Raj Singh’s death in 2009 to have one final ‘darshan’ of him.
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