Lyricist Prasoon Joshi pays tribute to Lata Mangeshkar on her 80th birthday, exclusively on Sify.com.

I started my career with Lata Mangeshkar. Lajja's title song, Kaun dagar kaun shehar tu chali kahan gave me my first break and a chance to meet my idol. Raj Kumar Santoshi flew me down to Chennai to work with Ilaya Raja, who was the music director.

It seemed like a godsend opportunity, with Lata Mangeshkar singing and Ilaya Raja composing the music to my lyrics.

I had come to Mumbai after having done only two albums with Shubha Mudgal, Mann ke manjire and Ab ke saawan. I think Rekha had recommended my name to Raj Kumar Santoshi - apparently she had heard a few tracks of mine.

I was shooting an ad in Film city and Raj Kumar Santoshi called me up, saying I should reach Western Outdoor (on the other side of town) in an hour.

We celebrate Lata Mangeshkar's birthday

I took my car and set out in heavy traffic, worrying if I was going to be late for my first song with Lata Mangeshkar. I jumped out of the car, caught an auto and rushed to the railway station, beating the crowd and the heat - I arrived just a minute before Lataji.

On the very first day of meeting her, I realised that working with her would be a completely different experience because her generation really cared for poetry. She read the songs a number of times and she took her time with them. We accordingly split the recording over a two-day schedule.

The song itself didn’t do much for me as the film was not very well received. But, for me, it will always remain significant.

Many years after that, I was given Rang De Basanti’s Luka chhupi.., which I had written. It was special because it had a mother mourning her son at the funeral pyre and recreating a game of hide-and-seek with her son, who’s been hidden forever.

When Lataji arrived to record the song, she instantly recognised me and caught me humming the song. She said: “Oh you should sing. Why don’t you sing professionally? Aap gaate kyon nahin hai… aap bahut achcha gaate hain.”

AR Rahman then chipped in: “Even I’ve been telling him to sing.” We had a good time in Chennai, chatting and discussing music.

Lata Mangeshkar: 80 years of perfection

What I discovered about Lataji is that she’s one hell of an intelligent woman. She’s sharp, witty and she even pulls your leg. She’s just full of life. She’s also very fond of food. The child in her is still alive as she talks about her experiences of life, like a woman decades younger. She doesn’t create a wall around her and is very accessible.

She also keeps practising. She’d say Achcha main practice karke subah aaoongi (I will be here in the morning after practice). Singers today don’t do that. They want to finish quicker and have a here-and-now approach.

Lataji would take her own time with the lyrics. The words, the meanings, and all the harkatein that Rahman described came alive in her song. It was exciting to watch such dedication.

You also notice that she's never bored. At my age, I still wonder if I will ever get bored with what I am doing? Even if you are repeating yourself, if there’s a freshness in your attitude, it makes you special. Lataji is still excited about her work.

I have so many songs in my list of favourites that she’s sung. There’s Jyoti kalash chalke.. I love it! Other favourites include, Allah tero naam, Jaago Mohan pyare, Rasik balama, O sajana, barkha bahar aayi, Tum na jaane kis jahan mein kho gaye, Thade rahiyo, Rangila re, Yoon hasraton ke daag, Ja ud ja re panchi, Jiya beqarar hai, Kuhu kuhu bole koyaliya and Vande Mataram

Quiz: How big a Lata Mangeshkar fan are you?

Every song of hers affected me. I used to be upset that there was no male Lata Mangeshkar and as a child, during riyaz with my mother, I used to tell her: “I’ll be the male Lata Mangeshkar.” I used to try sing her songs. I've never seen anyone touch notes with so much ease.

I feel she must have led a very beautiful life. You can't be so happy otherwise. We have a very conditioned approach to everybody's lives. Most of us think that people who’re not married or don’t have kids must be unhappy.

But that is so wrong. We are no longer living in the age of genes. We’re living in a world of ideas. We are married to ideas, we make love to ideas and we spend time with ideas.

Video: Lata Mangeshkar turns 80!

Lataji’s life is a testimony to happiness, It’s there written all over her face, her work.

Her life’s journey is an evidence of her delight.

As told to Lata Khubchandani