As Manna Dey receives the Dadasaheb Phalke award on Wednesday, the 90-year-old legend looks back at a melodious life

Do you think the Dadasaheb Phalke award is being given to you too late?
The authorities responsible for giving this award have recognised my contribution to Indian cinema. At 90, I would call this flattering. I am extremely honoured and happy as it is never too late for honours like these. When I was singing regularly, National Awards made their way. Later, it was the Padma Bhushan and now it’s this.

You started learning music after you graduated, at an age when most singers of your time had established themselves. Since you were fond of singing and your uncle K.C .Dey was a popular Bengali music director, why the late start?
Music was always in the family and I used to listen to everything that was played at home. If it wasn’t for the influence of my uncle and mentor, KC Dey, I would have ended up as a barrister, which my chartered accountant father wanted me to become. Academics was a priority in my home. So till I was not done with college, I was not really allowed to get into a field that was unpredictable.

Mohammad Rafi had once said in an interview, “You listen to my songs. I listen only to Manna Dey.” Describe your relationship with him.
Rafi was many years junior to me and respected me a lot. An extremely hardworking singer and a wonderful person, he would often tell me exactly the same thing. Some of Rafi’s songs are excellent. Whenever I feel like listening to anything soothing, I tune in to Koi sagar dil ko behlata nahin and other romantic ditties of his. We recorded so many songs, our last one being two songs in Laxmikant-Pyarelal’s Waqt Ki Deewar in 1981. But even in those days, it was all about survival of the fittest, which many people equated with bitter rivalry. There was always healthy competition.

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