LEGENDARY:MUKESH CHAND MATHUR
'MY FATHER MUKESH'
BY NITIN MUKESH:
Little did I realise then that the world had witnessed his last performance.
On August 27, 1976, we were busy preparing for the show in Detroit. He had just woken up from his siesta, and complained of feeling uncomfortable. At 4.30 pm, he told me to call a doctor. He did not want me to inform Lataji, who was also part of the show that was scheduled for 6 pm. Even in that condition, he was considerate about her feelings -- he did not want her to be upset.
I did not know what to do. I was alone and terribly frightened. I started crying because I could not bear to see his state. He tried to assure me that nothing would go wrong. At the same time, he was very insistent that Lataji should not be disturbed. But I did not know who else to run to for help.
Lataji rushed to help us. Despite the best efforts of the doctors, he did not pull through. And he passed away when the clock ticked 5.50 at Detroit. Thus ended the saga of a legend called Mukesh Chand Mathur, the boy who came to Bombay at the age of 16. Today, his voice reigns in houses, coffee shops and dhabas all over India. He is still alive, 22 years after his death, in the sheer magic of his voice.
As told to Syed Firdaus Ashraf
.