When Vajpayee requested Bhupen Hazarika his favourite song

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Among the countless fans of iconic singer-composer Bhupen Hazarika was former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, himself a connoisseur of poetry and music.

This came out when Hazarika was performing at the Ramlila grounds in Delhi in the late ninetees. "We were about to pack up when a man came with a small piece of paper. On it was written Bhupenda's popular song Moi eti jajabor and beneath it was Atalji's name," recounts Hazarika's long-time associate Kamal Kataki, who had played the guitar at that concert.

"Bhupenda sang the song on Atalji's request. Later on when we met him, he said that he was sitting among the front rows waiting to hear that song," Kataki told the media.

"Woh gana sunne ke liye tadap raha tha isliye ye request bheja (I was dying to hear that song, so I sent the request)," he quoted Vajpayee as having told the singer.

In 2004, the Dadasaheb Phalke winner was named as a BJP candidate from Guwahati for the Lok Sabha elections. It was raining those days in Guwahati and at the time of the rally, where Vajpayee introduced Hazarika as its candidate, the showers held off.

"Even rain god Indra seems to be pleased with Hazarika as the clouds seem to have receded," he had said. Former defence minister George Fernandes was also a fan of Hazarika.