A Leicester music fanatic has been honoured by a string of Bollywood legends, as a result of his impressive 5,000 piece vinyl record collection.
Pravin Agravat, 54, has been collecting vinyl records for over 40 years, and currently has over 5,000 at his home in Taurus Close.
Among the items in his collection, are extremely rare religious and Bollywood records from around the globe – many with original covers and in mint condition.
After hearing about his extensive collection, a string of Bollywood stars have contacted Pravin throughout the years, to source records and information about their musical catalogues. They include beloved playback singer Asha Bhonsle and the legendary Mangeshkar Sisters.
“These artists keep in contact with me and use me as a point of reference, which is of course a huge honour,” Pravin told the Leicester Times.
“Sometimes I know more about their catalogues then they do, and have records that they haven’t seen in years, so I act as a sort of memory bank.
“My relationship with the greats started when I contacted HMV India to see what records they had back in 2016. After discussing my collection, they were surprised by how many I had and how rare some of them were!” he went on to reveal.
“My number was taken, and When the Mangeshkar Sisters got in contact, I couldn’t believe it.
“I was deeply touched by the legendary sister’s warmth and they even honoured me with a Deity of Ganesh Ji and a signed copy of the LP ‘Jai Santoshi Maa’ – the first record I ever bought,” he added.
“I am in regular contact with Usha Mangeshkar, and sometimes have to pinch myself that this is actually a reality!”
Pravin’s Gujarati record collection is thought to be one of the biggest in the world, and features records by artists such as Vishnu Puran, Mahasati Savitri and Hari Darshan.
He started collecting vinyls at the age of 8 after watching the Bollywood film ‘Jai Santoshi Maa.’
Most recently, Pravin’s impressive collection caught the attention of Anandji Bhai, the legendary Bollywood music composer of Kalyanji Anandji fame.
After contacting Pravin, Mr Bhai was given a virtual tour of both his home, and the collection.
Following the visit, the musical great honoured Pravin with a plaque for his ‘divine home’, where some of the rare Bollywood religious movie records are reserved.
Pravin is a point of reference for the Bollywood personality, who has promised to stop by his home in person next year, when he comes to the UK.
“He said it was like a part of him lives at my home, and he looks forward to visiting,” revealed Pravin. “Of course, I’m also looking forward to this very much!”
