New Delhi: The death of 92-year-old legendary playback singer Lata Mangeshkar due to Covid-19 complications early on Sunday didn’t just affect Indians, but Pakistanis too. In fact, soon after the news broke, it became the top trending topic in Pakistan on Twitter, reflecting the fanbase she had on both sides of the border.
Pakistan’s Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry was among the most prominent figures to pay tribute to Mangeshkar, referring to her passing as “the end of an era” and labelling her as “a melodious queen who ruled the world of music for decades”.
لتا منگیشکر کا انتقال موسیقی کے ایک عہد کا خاتمہ ہے، لتا جی نے عشروں تک سر کی دنیا پر حکومت کی اور ان کی آواز کا جادو رہتی دنیا تک رہے گا، جہاں جہاں اردو بولی اور سمجھی جاتی ہے وہاں لتا منگیشکر کو الوداع کہنے والوں کا ہجوم ہے، #LataMangeshkar
— Ch Fawad Hussain (@fawadchaudhry) February 6, 2022
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Twitter user ‘Zaidu’, a parody account that claims to be ‘Personal Adviser to Gen Qamar Bajwa’, Chief of Army Staff of the Pakistan Army, on his bio, said that “Even 1000 Pakistan can not compensate this loss.”
Oh India! you’ve no Idea what you’ve lost today.
Even 1000 Pakistan can not compensate this loss.
Om Shanti! #LataMangeshkar
— ??Zaidu?? (@TheZaiduLeaks) February 6, 2022
BBC news Punjabi also published a video of people from Islamabad reacting to the news. They said that her ‘magical voice’ ‘moved them to tears’ and compared her to Noor Jehan in Pakistan.
According to writer and columnist Durdana Najam, “the nightingale of music” Mangeshkar “was as famous in Pakistan as she was in India or elsewhere”. Political analyst Dr Shahid Masood also paid tribute to Mangeshkar, recognising the end of an era and referring to her as “our dear sister”.
Lata Mangeshkar, the nightingale of music, has breathed her last. She was as famous in Pakistan as she was in India or elsewhere.
May she rest in peace. #LataMangeshkar pic.twitter.com/sDBbTv7XdP
— Durdana Najam دردانہ نجم (@durdananajam) February 6, 2022
ھمارری پیاری دیدی لتا جی انتقال فرماگئ ھیں۔ ایک دور کا خاتمہ ھوا۔وہ ھمیشہ ھمارے دلوں اور دعاؤں میں زندہ رھیں گی???!#LataMangeshkar #Pakistan #endofanera pic.twitter.com/tWDT9JUw8D
— Dr Shahid Masood (@Shahidmasooddr) February 6, 2022
Pakistani actor Imran Abbas and singer Humaira Arshad also reacted to the death of Lata Mangeshkar on the Pakistani news channel Hum News.
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“Will miss you lata g. Love from Pakistan. Music truly has no borders,” a user said in reply to former Indian cricketer Virender Sehwag’s post. “The whole of Pakistan absolutely loved your vocals. The age of classical music ends today,” another user said.
Will miss you lata g. Love from Pakistan. Music truly has no borders
— Sanya Kurd (@thehoneybee555) February 6, 2022
Rest in peace Lata JI. Music knows no boundaries. The whole of Pakistan absolutely loved your vocals. The age of classical music ends today.
— ADEEL KHAN (@adeelkhan1986) February 6, 2022
Some Pakistani users also took to philosophising the news. User Muhammad Tahir tweeted: ‘Not a single house in India-Pakistan where people did not listen and enjoy her music,’ adding, “Our life is but a span, and cruel death is always near. So, frail a thing is man.” Meanwhile, another user posted a picture of a Pakistani news channel running a show on Lata Mangeshkar saying: “Artist is Universal”.
Artist is Universal ! On Pakistan television a special news on .@mangeshkarlata ji sad demise. ? #RIPLataMangeshkar pic.twitter.com/wBIbYU5DoW
— Raju Garu Prabhas; Radhe Shyam 11.03.22 (@pubzudarlingye) February 6, 2022
Not a single house in India-Pakistan where people did not listen and enjoy your music. Our life is but a span, and cruel death is always near. So, frail a thing is man.
RIP #LataMangeshkar Ji… !
میرے لفظوں کو جو چھو جاتی ہے آواز تیری
سرحدیں توڑ کر اڑ جاتے ہیں اشعار میرے …
— Muhammad Tahir (@mtornado16) February 6, 2022
The playback singer’s passing also received a great deal of attention across Facebook, as both Indian and Pakistani fans of her work expressed their support, such as on this post by a user based in Faisalabad.
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Pakistani journalist and Editor-in-Chief of BOL Network, Nazir Leghari, also spoke on his news channel to express his condolences about the singer’s death.
In Pakistan media, Dawn referred to Mangeshkar as a “beloved Bollywood singer” and the Daily Pakistan labelled her as the “Queen of Melody”.