Pushpa Pagdhare (74), who sang the evergreen 'Itni shakti hamein de na daata', has been surviving on a meagre honorarium from Maharashtra and benevolence of her cousin
Pushpa Pagdhare flanked by awards she received from the state for her contribution to music. Pics/Rane Ashish
Her songs have not been forgotten — ‘Itni shakti hamein de na daata’ is still sung by schoolchildren everywhere. But Pushpa Pagdhare is long forgotten. Once, she hobnobbed with prime ministers; today, she lies neglected in a 180-sq-ft home, praying for the day the government will give the house she was promised decades ago.
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In her heydays, Pushpa sang for two prime ministers. “In 1969, when Indira Gandhi was the PM, I was invited to sing the song ‘Itni Shakti’ on Republic Day. When Rajiv Gandhi was the PM, Maharashtra Day celebrations were on in full swing at New Delhi. I was invited there,” said Pushpa, now 74 years old and witnessing the lowest point in her life.
A younger Pushpa with former PM Indira Gandhi during the Republic Day celebrations in New Delhi in 1969
Apart from ‘Itni shakti’ from the 1986 film Ankush, Pushpa has more than 500 songs to her credit. She has sung with veteran singers such as OP Nayyar, Mohammad Rafi, Mukesh, Arun Date and Asha Bhosle.
Promises galore
Back then, ministers would shower her with praise and promises of reward, including the assurance of a pension and some land under the CM’s quota. Pushpa had dreamt of the day she would have her own home, where she could also start a music school.
She had done her bit for the state and country too. In 1975, when Vasantrao Naik was Maharashtra CM, Pushpa and other veteran artistes went on a Vidarbha tour to raise funds for the CM’s fund for drought relief. The following year, she went to the Samba sector in Jammu and Kashmir to sing for soldiers posted there. “I was awarded the title of best playback singer in 1975-76 and 1980-81 by the Maharashtra government,” she said with pride.
“Then in 1981, when AR Anthule was chief minister, he had promised to give plots to artistes like us, so we could build our home there. He also asked us to stage performances at various places. All of us performed as the government asked, but there was no more discussion of the land,” she recalled.
Feeling ill-used
Pushpa now lives alone in a tiny 1RK flat at Machchimaar Nagar, Mahim, and is no closer to getting the promised house.
“My husband had a room in the chawl but after he died, it was taken over by MHADA and I was given this small house of 180 sq ft. The state gives houses at 10âu00c2u0080u00c2u0088per cent concession for artistes under the CM’s quota. I applied for this in 1989 and have been to Mantralaya many times for this, but they they have not yet given it to me,” she said.
Even the pension she was promised turned out to be a pittance. “I have been getting an honorarium every month since 2006. At that time, it was '700 per month. Even now, I get only '2,100, but I can never be sure when the money will come. There have been times when I have not received any money for three months together.”
“My husband has passed on, I don’t have any children. My uncle’s daughter, who is a web designer, looks after me. Otherwise it is hard to survive on just this much money these days,” she added.
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