Chandrasekhar pays tribute to Lata Mangeshkar

The former Indian leg spinner said he was fortunate to have met her and said she will live through her songs

It's very unsettling to hear the demise of Lataji, said BS Chandrasekhar.

"'Thumba anyaya idu' (this is very unfortunate). It's a big loss for the country, yes. But at a personal level too, and I am sure there are millions who would be feeling the same way, it's deeply painful," he said.

Chandrasekhar said that he was very fortunate to have met her. "I must have been about eight or so when I started listening to Hindi (Bollywood) music - (Kundan Lal) Saigal, Pankaj Mullick and all. Obviously, Lata Mangeshkar was my favourite, along with Mukesh," he said.

In fact, yaad aayi aadhi raat ko by Mukesh from the movie Kanhaiya, starring Raj Kapoor and Nutan, is his ringtone.

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"I am not an expert on music, so I can't pinpoint what I liked the most about her singing. Listening to her songs was both relaxing and overwhelming. It was also a sort of stress buster. From her melodious voice to her rendering style, everything appeared perfect. Knowing that I was so deeply into Hindi music, my teammates would often request me to sing in the dressing room, but I knew better than to torture them with my singing. I was more of a listener, and I was spoilt for choice," he said.

"I can't pick one or two songs as my favourites but if I have to pick some off the cuff, the ones from Anarkali, Woh Kaun thi, Aawara come to my mind. The composition, lyrics and singing were all top notch. Mukesh, as you would know, is my all-time favourite and his duets with Lataji were like a bonus to me. Chod gaye balam from Barsat became very famous, and I think from there on they gave some fantastic songs together, like hum tum from Milan or those from Sangam or Sanyasi. These are evergreen gems, and they will keep Lataji alive among us," he said.