On the occasion of Raksha Bandhan, Saira Banu Khan shared an emotional note on her Instagram about the brother-sister relationship that her late husband Dilip Kumar shared with Lata Mangeshkar. The note was accompanied by three pictures and a video in which the two were seen performing the ritual of tying a rakhi on the wrist of their chosen sibling.
Each picture depicts a tender moment between the two late legends of Bollywood entertainment. “The Kohinoor of Indian cinema, Dilip Sahab, and the nightingale of the Indian music industry, Lata Mangeshkar, had a connection that went beyond the glare of their glittering stardom. They shared a brother-sister relationship,” Saira said at the beginning of her sweet love note.
Among the many tidbits that Saira shared in the post, she also mentioned how Dileep was the one who stressed on the importance of Latha mastering the spoken language. He taught her that the real essence of Urdu lies in the pronunciation of each word and encouraged her to improve her fluency in Urdu, so much so that Lata started hiring an Urdu teacher for herself.
“Sahib instructed Lataji how much the heart of Urdu lies in its impeccable pronunciation and how something as simple as a nukta adds a beautiful addition to words. Sahib emphasized that one should have mastery over the spoken languages. An obedient sister in every sense, Lataji acted on his advice and sought the assistance of an Urdu tutor. Since then, the world witnessed his impeccable diction in his songs,” Saira wrote in her tribute to the couple’s beautiful bond.
The retired diva of yesteryear Bollywood also shared that both Dileep and Lata were fully committed to celebrating Raksha Bandhan and would do so every year without fail.
“Despite being busy with work or travel or any personal commitments, they would find a way to meet each other on Rakshabandhan, and Lataji would tie the sacred rakhi on Saheb’s hand. To my delight, they both followed this ritual year after year and I, in return for this beautiful gesture, sent them a brocade saree of their choice each time!
Saira recalled how their bond remained strong and flourished till the end and recalled that they were together for the last time before Dileep passed away on July 7, 2022. He wrote, “This bond of brother and sister remained till the end even in illness.” and in health. She would often come to our house to meet Sahib and they would have lunch or dinner together. The last time she had come here, he had lovingly fed her with his own hands and what a lovely picture the two had made together. Such was the love they shared…monumental!”
