BABLA MEHTA PAYS TRIBUTE TO THE LEGENDARY MASTER: MUKESH CHAND MATHUR: PAGE 2
Moments and Memories
Babla Mehta & Pancham Da - There is a special bond between R.D. Burman and Babla Mehta. It was destiny’s call that led Babla Mehta to meet R.D. Burman. Sometime in the year 1990, R.D. Burman was passing through Khar when the song ‘Sajan Re Jhoot Mat Bolo’ was blaring from an audiocassette shop. On hearing the song, R.D. Burman, remarked how beautifully Mukesh had sung the song. His friend who was traveling with him told him that it was not Mukesh; but Babla Mehta who had sung this song. R.D was so impressed that he called Babla Mehta to meet him the very next day.
R.D. Burman had a special fondness for Babla Mehta and always supported him. It so happened that once when Babla Mehta was away for his sister’s wedding, he got an invitation from R.D. Burman who had organized a show in Tripura, his hometown. On his invitation, instead of going to Mumbai
Babla Mehta took a flight to Kolkata on his way to Tripura. And he was extremely humbled as he found R.D. Burman himself at the airport to receive him. According to Babla Mehta, Pancham Da was an exceptionally good human being and an equally exceptional music director. Though in an industry known for exploitation, R.D.Burman never exploited anybody who came his way.
Babla Mehta & Pt. Shiv Kumar Sharma - Babla Mehta had a fulfilling experience when he met Shivji In the course of the conversation, it became evident that Babla Mehta sang like Mukesh. But Shivji asked him whether he could also sing songs sung by Raji and Kishore. Babla Mehta assured him that he could sing almost all the hit songs of Bollywood legendary singers. Shivji then asked him to sing songs of other singers. He sang a few of them remarkably well which landed him an assignment to sing a song for their upcoming film “Chandni” by Yash Raj Films. This was the song ‘Tere Mere Hoton Pe’ with Lata Mangeshkar.