Usha Mangeshkar opens up about losing sister Lata Mangeshkar; 'home became eerily quiet'

Legendary singer Lata Mangeshkar's youngest sibling Usha Mangeshkar is still processing the enormity of the singing sensation's demise. The youngest Mangeshkar scion mentioned that their home Prabhu Kunj has become 'eerily quiet' after Lata Mangeshkar's death, as people used to visit their residence constantly when she was alive. According to Bollywood Hungama, Usha Mangeshkar stated that she's not dealing with Lata Didi's demise and still feels her presence in the room. 

She continued, "Didi is still with us. And I am not talking as an ardent fan of her voice, which I am. For me, it is a loss that no one can understand." Usha Mangeshkar further elaborated that since she was the youngest sibling, Lata Mangeshkar was more like a mother to her. 

Usha Mangeshkar opens up about losing her sister Lata Mangeshkar

According to the singer's sister, her pet dog was constantly missing her, with everything in the house reminding it of Lataji. The family then decided to shift the pooch to their brother Hridaynath's home in Pune. Usha is now trying to divert her mind from  Lata Mangeshkar's demise and has resorted to painting.

“All of us Mangeshkars like to paint. Lata Didi was also a very devoted painter. But I had the time to pursue it more than she had," she mentioned. Usha Mangeshkar further revealed how it was the late singer's wish to see her paintings published in a book. She added that composer-musician Mayuresh Pai has launched an entertainment production company - Latika Creations - named after the legend, which will not only publish her compilation of paintings, 'but also of Didi and other members of the Mangeshkar family.' It is titled Strokes Of Harmony. 

The company will next launch a coffee table book of Lataji’s photography, with Usha Mangeshkar further spilling beans on the singer's ardent love for clicking pictures. "In her heydays, she carried her camera to every studio clicking pictures of her colleagues. We have searched for photographs and found the rarest of pictures. The book will reveal another side of Didi," she informed. 

Lata Mangeshkar died from multiple organ dysfunction syndromes on 6 February 2022. She had been undergoing 28 days of constant treatment for pneumonia and COVID-19. 

(IMAGE: INSTAGRAM/ @USHAMANGESHKAR)