Born in the same decade, the Nightingale of India and the Balladeer of the East, one the greatest singer modern India has seen, the other a singer-songwriter whose creations chronicle an era — Lata Mangeshkar speaks to The Telegraph’s Pranab Bora about Bhupen Hazarika.

The Telegraph: How did you first come to know Bhupen Hazarika?

Lata Mangeshkar: I first met Bhupenda when I sang his song Jonakore rati Axomore mati.

TT: What were your first impressions of Bhupen Hazarika’s music?

LM: I thought he was a very good music director with a very good style. I later sang a duet with him — Aita aita — it went. We go back a long way. After that I sang Dil hoom hoom kare. We also stayed at his home in Calcutta. That’s when I sang some non-film Bengali songs for Bhupenda.

TT: Did you know that the romantic, almost erotic line Jis tanko chuwa tune in Dil hoom hoom kare originally went Bojro xomo driho ai sou paxore gor and talked about the sacrifice for the motherland? And yet the melody transposes so seamlessly. How universal do you think are Bhupen Hazarika’s melodies?

LM: I don’t know the picturisation in the Assamese version, but the scene in Rudaali where we had this song was a heartrending one.

TT: How did you first hear about Bhupen Hazarika?

LM: Someone from Bhupenda’s side first told me about this music director who had this song called Jonakore raati — and that it talked about Assam and its people and culture.

TT: We believe you recently said that there aren’t many music directors you’d like to sing for these days?

LM: Nothing like that but having sung for 70 years I feel there aren’t too many films that accord the same priority to music as films earlier.

TT: If Bhupen Hazarika were to direct music in a film now, would you sing for him?

LM: I definitely would.

TT: You’ve always been one for folk music. Way back in 1979, as the world listened to you in London’s Albert Hall, you sang a heer, a Punjabi folk song. What do you think of Bhupenda’s folk music?

LM: I like folk music a lot. Hindi film music was based on a lot of folk music. There was R.D. Burman and S.D. Burman, Salil Choudhury, Naushad who brought folk music from Uttar Pradesh to the industry and there was Bhupenda who brought folk music from Assam to us and modernised it. I loved it.

TT: You sang Jonakore rati for Bhupen Hazarika in the Assamese film Era Bator Xur in 1956 and then sang for him in Rudaali in 1993, a gap of 37 years. How had Bhupen Hazarika changed in this time as a music director?

LM: I don’t remember the years. It’s been a long time. But Bhupenda had improved in his Hindi music.

He had changed his music to suit Hindi music but he never gave up his Assamese folk. That’s his pehchaan. He showed what the music of Assam had. I have only sung seven or eight of his songs but always liked his style — he is different.

TT: This year you published a calendar that had your pictures with 12 music directors. How did you choose the 12?

LM: Yes we did. You know, I have worked with many, many music directors and a year has only 12 months — I had to choose the most prominent ones.

TT: And Bhupen Hazarika was one of them?

LM: Yes.

TT: How do you know Bhupen Hazarika as a person?

LM: Bhupenda is a very good person, he thinks well. He is so educated and has his own style. He used to come to our house very often. He has been like a brother. I pray that he recovers soon. You know, he and my sister Asha (Bhonsle) are born on the same day, the eighth of September. Usha Mangeshkar, my sister who has sung a lot of Bhupenda’s songs, is always in touch with him.

TT: Naushad was born in 1919, Mukesh in 1923, Bhupen Hazarika and .P. Nayar in 1926, Kishore Kumar and Lata Mangeshkar in 1929, Asha Bhonsle in 1933, Gulzar in 1936, R.D. Burman in 1939. Yours has been a generation of greats. Do you think Hindi music has faltered after your generation?

LM: That is more for you the listener to say. We only do the music.

TT: But has the new generation failed?

LM: That is difficult to say. The new trends are different, the opportunity to do music in films now is less. Some, though, are doing some good music. But all the greats have gone.