Chitra Singh

Chitra was born as Chitra Shome into a Bengali Hindu family. After completing her education, she was married to Debo Prasad Dutta, an executive in a leading advertising agency, in a match which met with the full approval of both families. Debo Prasad was a Bengali like herself, belonged to her own community, and hailed from a similar family. The wedding was held in the mid-1950s, and the couple became the parents of a daughter, Monica, in 1959.[5]

While still married to Debo Prasad, Chitra met the dapper and highly talented Jagjit Singh, at that time a struggling singer. Jagjit Singh was of Sikh heritage and hailed from Sriganganagar in distant Rajasthan. They first met at a recording studio in 1967, by which time the marriage of the Duttas was already under strain for unknown reasons.[6] Chitra found solace in Jagjit, and says she was much taken by his 'caring' personality. In 1968, Chitra finally left her husband, took her 9-year-old daughter with her, and began living separately. In 1969, she divorced her husband, secured custody of Monica, and married Jagjit Singh.[7] The affair, the divorce and the wedding were utterly anathema to their families, and the couple were to have little contact with their kin thereafter. Chitra and Jagjit became the parents of a son, Vivek. Professionally, the couple formed a ghazal singing duo and the couple achieved great success.

Vivek died in a road accident on 27 July 1990, which was a terrible shock to his parents. Chitra has never sung in public, or recorded any song, since the day her son died. More suffering was in store. Her daughter from her first marriage, Monica first fell in love with Jehangir Chowdhary, a Muslim and an award-winning cinematographer by profession. They were married in 1988 and became the parents of two sons. In 2005, Monica divorced him and married British national Mark Houghton Roger Atkins, the managing director of a firm based in Vikhroli, Mumbai. In 2007, Monica filed a case of harassment against Atkins. In 2008, a magistrate issued a non-bailable warrant against him, but he had already fled the country. In 2009, Monica, aged 50, committed suicide. She was survived by her two sons, Armaan (17) and Umair (12).[8][9] Two years after this tragedy, Jagjit Singh, died of a brain haemorrhage in 2011. Chitra now lives with her two grandsons.

• Oct 2007 Interview