Lata Mangeshkar talks about her new Marathi album Maitra Jeevache, where she's worked with brother Hridaynath Mangeshkar.

Q: The years 2004 and 2005 seems to be your years of ultra-activity?
A: In spite of frail health, I managed to record quite a few film and non-film songs, including two new songs in Bhojpuri.

I love my songs in Veer-Zaara and was deeply offended when Madan Mohan's music was ignored at a recently-concluded popular awards. I also liked singing Kitne Ajeeb for Shamir Tandon for Page 3.

Q: An album in Marathi with your brother is a big event for your fans.
A: I hope it is. Maitra Jeevache is my first Marathi album with my brother in 20 years. By God's grace all my albums with my brother have been perennially popular. My first non-film album with Hridayanath was Mogra Phulela 25 years ago. And that's still selling

Q: You always say singing for your brother is a challenge.
A: It is. He's a very learned musician. His knowledge of Marathi literature and poetry is so vast. He's familiar with both modern and non-contemporary poets. Our new album celebrates the works of three poets Dev Bhatt, Aarti Prabhu and Grace , two of whom are no more.

Q: You recently sang the poems of A B Vajpayee.
A: Singing poems aren't any different from singing formal lyrics. But I must tell you a non-film album gives a singer the freedom to be true to the words.

A film song is always controlled and constrained by the requirements of the script.

Yes, the responsibility increased when I sing poems. People listen more closely than they do to a film song where the responsibility is apportioned with the actress who lip-syncs.