THE NIGHTINGALE OF INDIA TURNS 78, STILL GOING STRONG

Lata Mangeshkhar, the doyen of playback singing, turned 78 today, and the film industry wished her good health to continue mesmerising generations with her voice.

As the Nightingale of India celebrated a quiet birthday, it was time for other leading musicians to shower praise on Lata.

"I worked with her as a junior artiste. But she brought me up to the position that I am today. My compositions from films like Rudaali are still remembered because of her," veteran singer and music composer Bhupen Hazarika told PTI.

"I was a famous Bengali singer and known for my Assamese tunes. But it was after she lent her voice to my compositions that I got universal recognition," Hazarika said.

"I could not go to wish her today but through you I am sending her wishes and pray she lives long to continue singing," Hazarika said.

For singer Manhar Udhas, Lata Mangeshkar was an institution in herself.

"I have sung a few hit songs from films like Abhimaan and Hero. I feel proud of the fact that I have been her colleague. Times may change but she will remain untouched. Her glory will live on," Udhas said.

Lata Mangeshkar's global fame can be gauged from the fact that the Royal Albert Hall, London, has recorded the graph of Lata's voice with the help of a computer which is by far the "Most Perfect" in the World.

Amitabh'f family to dance away to global glory!

In an attempt to bring the magic of Bollywood to audiences across the world, some of India's biggest stars, including Amitabh Bachchan, son Abhishek and daughter-in-law Aishwarya will embark on a year long global tour, during which they will perform some of their best known numbers.

"We aim to make this a global media event where some of India's best stars will perform and thousands of expatriates will get to see them in action. The tour, which is called the Unforgettable Tour, will kick off in April next year and travel to all parts of the world including Africa, the Middle East, US, Canada and Europe," Viraf Sarkari, Director of Wizcraft, which is organising the tour, told reporters in Yorkshire.

Reminiscing about his very first tour abroad, Amitabh Bachchan said he had accompanied Lata Mangeshkar to her tour of the US and later with Kalyanji Anandji in 1983. "It was then I realised that the expatriate population really wants to see us and that we should do more tours. I am very glad that I will be part of this group of youngsters," Bachchan said.

Other stars who are going on the tour include Bipasha Basu, Lara Dutta, and Riteish Deshmukh.

Aishwarya Rai also expressed her happiness that this would be the first time that she would be touring with her father-in-law and her new husband, saying "I think this will be a very good tour for me both personally and professionally. I am hoping to entertain audiences all around the world."

"We are also spreading the message of global warming through this tour and that I think is a very crucial message. We will appeal to people to consider that there are certain things that we have to do for the environment," Abhishek said.