Lata Mangeshkar once helped BCCI raise INR 20 Lakh for team India
Lata Mangeshkar (Image source: Twitter)
Late legendary singer Lata Mangeshkar once raised 20 lakh INR for team India. The team had beaten two-time winners and defending champions West Indies in the final at the Lord’s Cricket Ground to win the maiden 50-over World Cup.
In those days, the Board for Control of India (BCCI) used to be short on funds and they had to pay to state-owned DD National to televise cricket matches. This is the reason the BCCI didn’t have any funds to organize the event. The board wanted to facilitate the team but due to lack of funds, they had their hands tight. It was then Raj Singh Dungarpur, who was the cricket administrator, requested Lata for help.
The then Union Minister and the BCCI president NKP Salve, revealed that Raj Singh Dungarpur came up with the idea of requesting the late singer to do a musical program in Delhi.
“Raj Singh came up with a brilliant idea of requesting Lata Mangeshkar to do a musical programme in Delhi to raise money for the purpose, as the BCCI was not flush with funds in those days,” as quoted by Salve from the Dungarpur’s biography.
In an interview with state owned All Radio Radio, the Queen of Melody had recounted the incident saying that she agreed to do the fundraising concert and didn’t have a second thought.
“I said I will definitely do it. I reached Delhi on 17th August and I did a special show. Suresh Wadekar and Nitin Mukesh, son of Mukesh Bhaiya also supported in this show. Rajiv Gandhi was also present in that show,” she said.
The highlight of the concert was the Bharat Vishwa Vijeta song, composed by brother Pandit Hridyanath Mangeshkar. The concert raised 20 INR which was divided among the World Cup winning members.
