by Subhash K. Jha

After conquering every possible peak, Lata Mangeshkar at 76, seems unstoppable. She has just recorded another song with A. R. Rahman, a duet with the composer, for Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra's Rang De Basanti.

"Though I've sung for Rahman before, I had never sung with him," Lataji laughs. "It's a lovely maa-beta song, Lukka-chuppi bahut hui saamne aa ja na which Rahman and I sang. What really added to my pleasure was the fact that the song will be picturised on Waheeda Rehman, one of my favourite actresses for whom I've sung some of my favourite numbers."

Prasoon Joshi, who wrote the striking songs of Phir Milenge and the promotional number for Black, has written the words for the historic Lata-Rahman duet. The last time Lata sang for Waheeda it was coincidentally another mother-son song, Tu mere saath rahega munne, for composer Khayyam in Trishul.

The Nightingale flew to Chennai to record this historic duet. "Rahman was keen that I sing in his own studio. I was more than happy to oblige." Rakeysh Mehra is over the moon. "To have Lataji sing for my film was a dream. When she came for the recording my knees and hands were trembling. This is the Lata Mangeshkar, for God's sake!"

Rakeysh isn't the only one singing paeans. Composer Ismail Durbar too is in seventh heaven. Lata is recording a song for Ismail for the first time. The composer, whose second wife gave birth to a son last week, feels doubly blessed.

"Every song that I ever composed was for Lata Didi. Every time I thought of a tune I'd wonder how it would sound in her voice. And now she's finally singing for me."

The number is for a film called Pyar Kiya To Nibhana and is going to be directed by Vinay, a former assistant to Sooraj R. Barjatya.

Says the ecstatic composer, "I've told Didi I'd like her to sing all the female vocals in this film. To have her sing for me is a dream come true. I keep telling her, ‘Didi, I should've been born 20 years ago'. To what heights she took the tunes of the earlier composers! Chaar chaand laga detin hain. I was over the moon when she rang me to wish me Eid mubarak. Bahut saare Eid dekhen hain maine. Lekin yeh Eid mujhe hardam yaad rahega."