Waseem is widely known as Waseem Lata in Hyderabad. The man has been blessed with the legendary Indian singer Lata Mangeshkar’s voice. 

“I have been fond of Lata Mangeshkar’s music since childhood,” Waseem said.

Waseem used to listen to Lata’s songs and sing along to them as a child. Soon after he realized that he had an uncanny resemblance to the legendary singer’s voice.

“Now I had to try singing in Lata jee’s voice somewhere big,” he said. “There was a function in our neighbourhood where I performed in front of people for the first time. I received a lot of gifts and immense praise.”

A singer Nadeem Noor, was present at the function and he introduced Waseem to musicians and asked him to sing before them. “They were really impressed and gave me a couple of songs.”

It was after this that Waseem started performing at a big scale.

“Often people found it hard to believe that it was my own voice,” he said. The music system had to be turned off to prove to the audience that he wasn’t lip-syncing.

Waseem said he faced many struggles in his life as he was previously a painter by profession. “My father was a painter, too.” Due to unfortunate circumstances, his father had to give up his work because of his weak health condition.

“I was only eight years old when I took on the responsibilities of our household with my elder brother,” said Waseem. The two learned to paint, and also unloaded trucks full of logs. “It took us three hours to unload a truck and they paid us Rs20 only.”

They never turned to begging because they had to provide their siblings a better future. And after 20 years, today they are all flourishing. “My brothers work with me and they respect me a lot.”

Waseem says he could never have imagined he would achieve such fame one day and still believes it is a dream.

“I’ve been receiving so many calls lately that I don’t even have the time to spend at home.” Meeting his idol Lata Mangeshkar is his aspiration. “Whatever I am today, it is because of Lata jee.”