The only Malayalam film that Lata Mangeshkar had sung for is the 1974 movie Nellu, directed by Ramu Kariat. Her song, Kadali Chenkadali, penned by Vayalar Ramavarma and composed by Salil Chowdhury, was featured on a young Jayabharathi, who played the character Mara. The veteran actress, speaking to us, recalls how it was to be featured in the evergreen song and says she feels blessed to have it as part of her repertoire.
“When I shot for the song, I didn’t have the mind space to understand its significance," recalls Jayabharathi, "It was only about 20 years later, when I was relaxed and had time to think about it all, did it strike me how blessed I was that Lataji’s only song in Malayalam was for me. I don’t know whether she knew me, but I feel so great that she had sung for me.”
