Scent of a woman: Lata joins brandwagon
Mumbai, April 28
Elizabeth Taylor has her Diamonds. Sophia Loren has her Sophia.
Nearer home, Zeenat Aman tried her luck at lending her name to an indigenous perfume some years ago. Neither Zeenat (the perfume) nor Zeenat (the film actress) enjoyed the sweet smell of success thereafter.
More recently, Shah Rukh Khan endorsed an upmarket cologne, plainly named SK, which has been declared an initial success. And, today Lata Mangeshkar (aka the Nightingale of India) formally climbed on to the Bollywood brandwagon. At a press conference here to announce the making of Lata, a top-end-of-the-market eau-de-parfum, the legendary singer almost false-started: a section of the dais which she mounted gave way even as she made to take her seat. During the momentary commotion, Ms. Mangeshkar remained her unflapable self.
Lata is to hit the toiletries market on October 10, the day the singer turns 70. It is to be manufactured by the Deepak Kanegaonkar group, a Maharashtra-based pharma-chemical conglomerate. Ms Mangeshkar coyly confessed to her “extreme fondness” for perfumes. “Such is my obsession, my friends tell me that if there ever is an income tax raid on my home, the sheer fragrance around would give me away and I could be booked solely for my perfume collection!” she joked.
She quickly added, though, that this does not necessarily make her an expert on perfumes or its marketing. It was nephew Adinath Mangeshkar, a budding singer and aspiring businessman, who “persuaded” her to join the project. Glamour photographer Gautam Rajadhyaksha had suggested that the perfume be marketed under the catch line the “Essence of Music”. But, at Ms Mangeshkar’s behest, they settled for Rahe Na Rahe Hum, Meheka Karange, from that classic she rendered for the Hindi film Mamta. Lata is to be marketed domestically and globally. It is early days yet, but Lata’s international catchment area would probably be well-heeled NRIs (Non Resident Indians). Ah, for the sweet smell of success!