Our first interaction was when we had to collaborate for a song. I don’t recall which track it was. I had gone for the rehearsals, and he told me that he had been wanting to work with me for several days. My sister, Usha Mangeshkar, who had been working with him since long, often praised him—for his skill and kindness. He was a simple man, with simple means. Despite being famous, he lived like a common man. He never thought twice before saying what he wished to. I remember him as a jovial man, who loved to play the harmonium and mimic people. I enjoyed his mimicry.

I asked him why he kept his name Raam Laxman. He said that initially, there were two of them [referring to his partner, Surendra Kadam]. He was Laxman, and his partner was Raam. When his partner passed away [in 1976], he decided to retain the name, like composers Shankar Jaikishan did.

He had a distinct style of music, and wasn’t one who copied from others or sought inspiration from elsewhere. He created his own melodies, a lot of which, like Dil Deewana and Didi Tera Devar Deewana, were among ones that I found to be very special. He had an album called 100 Days. The track, Le Le Dil, was one that I enjoyed [rendering]. He had roped in S P Balasubrahmanyam to be [the voice of] Salman Khan. There was a time when neither SPB, nor I was [available] to sing his song, and he was upset. He said that while the work had to be done, he didn’t enjoy creating music if I wasn’t involved in it, because I understood his songs, and sang it [as I desired]. He treated me like his older sister.