Boney Kapoor recalls how he convinced Lata Mangeshkar for her rare appearance in Anil Kapoor starrer ‘Pukar’ – Times of India

Anil Kapoor and Madhuri Dixit starrer ‘Pukar’ had released in 2000 but the film is still remembered for its brilliant performances and the spirit of patriotism it evoked. One still can get emotional hearing to the soul-stirring ‘Ek tu hi bharosa’ sung by none other than Lata Mangeshkar. But the legendary singer didn’t just sing it, she was also seen on-screen in the song.

Producer Boney Kapoor recalled in an interview in O2 India, how he convinced Lata Mangeshkar to appear in the song. He said that he pleaded to Lata ji and somehow she saw his madness and passion. Director Rajkumar Santoshi had told Boney that he either needs Mother Teresa or Lata Mangeshkar. He needed a pious personality to sing this song. Mother Teresa had passed away by then so Lata ji was the only choice.

The producer further added that he chased Lata ji for five months. He would go to meet her every day and then she said yes. She came to Hyderabad and was there for a week. The song was shot during nights and the singer did that, despite not keeping well. Boney feels blessed that he’s the only producer who has Lataji appearing in their film while singing the same song.

‘Pukar’ had won a national award for the best film on national integration. Meanwhile, Anil Kapoor had won a national award in the ‘Best Actor’ category. AR Rahman had composed the film’s music.