July 1: After listening to the doyen of playback singing Lata Mangeshkar for several decades, for the first time we can read her. A compilation of her jottings in Marathi called Phule Vechita will be released in Boston, USA, on Friday. "Reams have been written on her to date, but what makes the book special is that Latabai has written it herself," says Dinkar Gangal, secretary of Granthali, the publishing house.

The book is to be published in the bi-annual convention of the US-based Brihan Maharashtra Mandal, better known as the BMM Convention. Lata Mangeshkar will preside at the gathering of 5000-odd members this year.Simultaneously with the book release, eminent artiste Jitendra Abhishekhi will address a gathering of Lata's fans at the Indian Education Society's Mahatma Phule Girls' High School in Dadar. Suchitra Bhagwat is scheduled to demonstrate Lata's style of singing on the occasion.

Though not strictly an autobiographical work, the book comprises her jottings over a period between 1952 and now. They speak not only about her life, career and growth as an artist, but also on the things she feels strongly about, on her relationship with the many people who had a significant influence on her growth, on her siblings. She also dwells considerably on the actresses she has sung for.

The text, therefore, is not merely a chronology of events in her life. The writings were organised from various sources by Madhuvanti Sapre, former journalist and a Ph D student, who accidentally came across them in Mumbai Marathi Grantha Sangrahalay.

Sapre told Newsline, "`But I am not a writer' was Latabai's reply to the idea of compiling the jottings . But she was only too happy to address the people in a different medium." Mangeshkar's favourite among the 18 chapters of the book, is Kille Panhalgad based on her childhood impressions. "There is a certain tenderness in her writings," felt Gangal. The tone of the book is of a domestic environment a whole chapter on sister Asha makes it amply evident. But through the length of the book there is a strong undercurrent of her of love for her father, Dinanath Mangeshkar. The book is priced at Rs 50.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.