Yes, I understand that she was a brilliant artist and that her performances shall be forever etched in our national psyche. But other than practising her art, she is not known to have contributed anything to India or Indians, either as a human or as a leader in her own profession. So, while I mourn the passing of (debatably) the greatest of all female Indian playback singers of all time (though frankly, Indian cinema is a mere 109 years old compared to say, theatre or painting or poetry, just to give some quick examples, and her first song was in 1943, just 30 years after the first-ever Indian feature film; so she’s been more of a founding member and one can only speak of GOATs after a reasonable time has passed), I am unable to comprehend the over-reaction to what was a foregone conclusion, given her age and her retirement from regular recordings long ago. Her era, doubtless a shining beacon in the sea of mediocrity, had ended long ago, with younger, more youthful, and talented voices taking over the mantle. So, why the hullabaloo now?
I mean, national mourning? State funeral? Wow! Since when has this regime started respecting art and artists to this extent? Or have we lost all sense of proportion? Lataji was a great artist (not my first choice, but she was for millions) and a consummate performer. She probably even deserved the Bharat Ratna. I am not questioning any of that. But should we not have a more measured and mature response to someone who lived a full life, was acknowledged and celebrated in her own lifetime, got her due in every way, and passed away deep into old age peacefully? Why does everything have to be a spectacle for this government? Why is everything a ‘festival’ in India? One may mourn a loss without the official rona-dhona. Or is it, as I suspect, once again about the optics of it rather than the actual sorrow?
