Taarak Mehta Makers Apologise For Airing Incorrect Lata Mangeshkar Song Fact

The makers of Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah issued a public apology over an incorrect fact about a song by Lata Mangeshkar aired in one of its episodes. In the last two episodes aired on television, the characters have been engaged in a musical night.

The song Aye Mere Watan Ke Logo was part of the musical night and the show incorrectly mentioned that the song was released in 1965. The maker of the show, Asit Kumar Modi, wrote on social media, "We would like to apologise to our viewers, fans and well-wishers. In today’s episode, we inadvertently mentioned 1965 as the year of release of song “Aye Mere Watan Ke Logon”. However, we would like to correct ourselves. The song was released on 26th Jan, 1963. We promise to be mindful in the future. We appreciate your support and love.”

In the episode mentioned by Modi, one character in the show Bhide (played by Mandar Chandwadkar) was seen playing old songs with the neighbourhood. Another character of Dadaji (Amit Bhatt) was then seen sharing an anecdote about the song with the kids. Dadaji shared the wrong year when the song was released. He shared with the kids that the song was composed as a tribute to the Indian soldiers who gave their life for the country during Indo-China was of 1965.

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The character of Dadaji was right about the reason behind the composition of the song but the war took place in 1962 instead. The song was released pn Republic Day of 1963. Dadaji further shared, correctly, that the then Prime Minister of India Jawaharlal Nehru was so touched by the song that he personally met Lata Mangeshkar and lauded her.

As the event as been widely recorded, the late singer Lata Mangeshkar sang the song on a stage in the present of Nehru who was seen getting teary-eyed after her performance. Mangeshkar would later share that she was asked to perform the song just one day before Republic Day. She was unprepared so she declined to sing the song but the lyricist of the song Kavi Pradeep insisted that she perform. Mangeshkar ended up giving one of the most memorable moments in the history of Indian democracy at the Ramlila Maidan in Delhi in 1962.

Many years later, Mangeshkar had shared, "At first I was nervous, thinking I have committed some mistake. But when I met Panditji (Nehru), I saw tears in his eyes.. ‘Lata, tumne aaj mujhe rula diya’ (Lata, you made me cry)." The singer lovingly called the Nightingale of India passed away in February this year.

Taarak Mehta ka Ooltah Chashmah is the longest-running Indian television show.