Mumbai, Dec 2 (IANS): Veteran singer Kavita Krishnamurthy recalls her initial years of singing during her college days and how legendary singer and composer Hemant Kumar asked her to record a song for him.

She says: "When I started singing in college, Hemant Da was a chief guest so eventually, I started singing with him on stage. Then suddenly one day, I got a call from Hemant Da asking me, 'What was my tomorrow's plan?' To which, I said, 'Dada, I am going to college.'

He said: "No no, don't go to college, you directly reach Raj Kamal studios by 10 a.m. When I reached the studio, both of us were waiting and then he looked at me, and in Bengali asked me to wait for a while as Lata Mangeshkar Ji is coming."

Kavita further adds that she forgot the lines of her song as she kept looking at Lata Mangeshkar singing in front of her.

She further adds: "As it is, when I sing in front of people I start getting nervous, I am not a stage person. At that point, I really felt like telling Hemant Da that its better I leave as I wouldn't be able to do it. After some time door opened and, 'Devi Ji' Lata ji entered in a white saree and I swear, I can't tell you, but my heart skipped a beat. During the final rehearsals, I completely forgot my lines because I was lost looking at Lata ji and how she sings on the mic."

"Hemant Da then looked at me and asked, 'Why didn't I sing? Don't forget now, we are starting the take, don't make a mistake!' Lata Ji then turned to me and in her classic way, pulled her spectacles down, looked at me, and smiled as she understood what was going on."

Kavita rose to fame with the track 'Tumse milkar, Na Jaane kyun' from the 1985 film 'Pyaar Jhukta Nahin' and later she sung songs in movies such as '1942: A Love Story', 'Yaraana', 'Agni Sakshi', 'Bhairavi', and 'Khamoshi'. She also performed in concerts in India and abroad as well like in one of the prestigious Royal Albert Hall in London.

She will be seen on the singing reality show 'Indian Idol 13' as a celebrity guest along with Anuradha Paudwal. She also talks about Anuradha and mentions that though she looks sweet from the outside, she is quite 'mischievous' from the inside. Later on, she also calls her very 'talented'.

Taking about Anuradha, Kavita said that she has not changed a bit.

Judged by Vishal Dadlani, Neha Kakkar, and Himesh Reshammiya, 'Indian Idol 13' airs on Sony Entertainment Television.