Renowned poet recalls how a custard apple variety got named after Lata Mangeshkar

Renowned poet and farmer Namdev Dhondo Mahanor on Sunday reminisced how custard apples cultivated in his farm came to be named after legendary singer Lata Mangeshkar, with a large number of patrons calling it ‘latafal’ instead of ‘sitafal’, the Hindi term for the tropical fruit.

Speaking to PTI, Padma Shri awardee Mahanor said the custard apples, grown in his farm in Palskheda village, which lies at the base of the Ajanta mountains, manage to stay alive despite the land being barren and the produce getting vandalised occasionally by animals.

“This custard apple is among the sweetest and manages to withstand all odds, just like Bharat Ratna Lata Mangeshkar. Despite her father dying early, she took along her siblings, worked hard and reached the peak,” he said.

“She has sung songs that I have written in films like Jait re Jait and others, but that is not why I have named this variety of custard apples after her. It is because even after facing all the odds, the sweetness in Lata didi’s voice is peerless, just like this fruit,” he added.

Earlier, it was called ‘latafal’ only at the farm and in its vicinity, but since 1990, almost everyone calls it ‘latafal’, Mahanor claimed.

The legendary singer died in a private hospital in Mumbai early Sunday morning after being admitted there early last month.