A memorial for Mukesh

In Daryaganj — be it the staff at publishing houses located near what was once his home or shopkeepers — local residents seem unaware of the heritage value of a large house with pale yellow exterior that stands almost at the entrance of Prahlad Lane. Arches with glass windows and cylindrical pillars give it an imposing appearance. The iron door with a rusted lock hanging from it seems a later addition. The half-open windows of the upper storey allow a peek into the grimy interiors.

Retired engineer Amarjit Singh Kohli,who has written a book on the legendary singer,had mentioned meeting an elderly Bengali doctor,Ashok Ghosh,staying in this building in 1985. He was once Mathur family’s co-tenant. “Doctor saab died long ago,” says a neighbour.

The building has changed hands since then and Ajay Verma of Commonwealth Publishers Private Limited claims its ownership now. He is a little skeptical about allowing us to take a photograph of the building,but agrees after a little coaxing. And no,Mukesh is not a familiar name for him either — at least not till we mention Raj Kapoor and Neil Nitin Mukesh.

Kohli is upset to know that the building has turned into a godown for a publishing house. Since 1983,when he formed the Mukesh Memorial Society,he has been writing to the Delhi government to construct a memorial for the singer or at least name a road after Mukesh. His pleas have not been accepted so far. “Two decades ago,I got a rejection letter from the administration stating that renaming roads is not permitted as per rules. But I haven’t given up,” he says.

Narendra Singh of the Jan Gayak Mukesh Manch has a similar demand. “We want the state government to honour Mukesh. Thirty-six years have passed since he died — surely he deserves a memorial in his own city.”