Er Neeraj Dubey
Kishore Kumar, born Abhas Kumar Ganguly was a popular Indian film playback singer. He was a complete entertainer and also known as an actor, lyricist, composer, producer, director, screenplay writer and scriptwriter. Kishore Kumar sang in many Indian Languages including Bengali, Hindi, Marathi, Assamese, Gujarati,Kannada, Bhojpuri, Malayalam, Oriya and Urdu. He won 8 Filmfare Awards for Best Male Playback Singer and holds the record for most number of Filmfare Awards won in that category. Kishore Kumar was born into the Bengali Ganguly family in Khandwa, Madhya Pradesh as Abhas Kumar Ganguly.
His father Kunjalal Ganguly (Gangopadhyay) was a lawyer. His mother Gouri Devi came from a wealthy Bengali family. Kishore was the youngest of four siblings, the other three being Ashok Kumar (the eldest), Sati Devi, and Anoop Kumar. While Kishore was still a child, Ashok Kumar became a Bollywood actor. Spending time with his brothers, Kishore also started to take a keen interest in movies and music. He became a fan of singer-actor K. L. Saigal, whom he considered his guru, and tried to follow Saigal’s singing style. After Ashok Kumar became a big star in Hindi films, the Ganguly family used to visit Mumbai regularly. Abhas Kumar changed his name to Kishore Kumar and started his cinema career as a chorus singer at Bombay Talkies, where his brother worked. Kishore Kumar’s first film as an actor was Shikari (1946), in which Ashok Kumar played the lead role. Music director Khemchand Prakash gave Kishore Kumar a chance to sing “Marne ki duayen kyon mangu” for the film Ziddi (1948). After this, Kishore Kumar got many other assignments, but he was not very serious about a film career. In 1949, he decided to settle in Mumbai. Kishore Kumar played hero in the Bombay Talkies film Andolan (1951), directed by Phani Majumdar. Although Kishore Kumar got some assignments as an actor with help of his brother, he was more interested in becoming a singer. He starred in Bimal Roy’s Naukri (1954) and Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s directorial debut Musafir (1957). Salil Chowdhury, the music director for Naukri was initially dismissive of him as a singer, when he came to know that Kishore Kumar didn’t have any formal training in music. However, after hearing his voice, he gave him the song Chhota sa ghar hoga, which was supposed to be sung by Hemant Kumar. Kishore Kumar starred in films New Delhi (1957), Aasha (1957), Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi (1958), Half Ticket (1962), and Padosan (1968). Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi(1958) – his home production, starred the three Ganguly brothers and Madhubala. The film is about romance between a city girl (Madhubala) and a car mechanic (Kishore Kumar), with a sub plot involving the brothers.
Music director S. D. Burman is credited with spotting Kishore Kumar’s talent as a singer, and advancing his singing career. During the making of Mashaal (1950), Burman visited Ashok Kumar’s house, where he heard Kishore imitating K. L. Saigal. He complimented Kishore and told him that he should develop a style of his own, instead of copying Saigal. He kept Burman’s advice in mind and eventually developed his own style of singing, which featured the yodeling that he had heard on the gramophone records of Tex Morton and Jimmie Rodgers bought by his brother Anoop Kumar. S. D. Burman recorded with Kishore for Dev Anand’s Munimji (1954), Taxi Driver (1954), Nau Do Gyarah (1957), Paying Guest (1957), Guide (1965), Jewel Thief (1967), Prem Pujari (1970), and Tere Mere Sapne (1971). He also composed music for Kishore Kumar’s home production Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi (1958). Some of their initial films included the songs “Maana Janaab Ne Pukara Nahin” from Paying Guest, “Hum Hain Rahi Pyar Ke” from Nau Do Gyarah (1957), and “Ek Ladki Bheegi Bhaagi Si” and “Haal Kaisa Hai Janaab Ka” from Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi (1958). Asha Bhosle and Kishore Kumar performed duets composed by S. D. Burman including “Chhod Do Aanchal” from Paying Guest (1957), “Ankhon Mein Kya Ji” from Nau Do Gyarah (1957), “Haal Kaisa Hai Janaab Ka” and “Paanch Rupaiya Baara Aana” from Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi (1958), “Zaroorat Hai Zaroorat Hai” from Manmauji (1961),and “Arre Yaar Meri Tum Bhi Ho Gajab” from Teen Deviyan (1965). “Gaata Rahe Mera Dil” from Guide (1965), and “Yeh Dil Na Hota Bechara” from Jewel Thief (1967).
C. Ramchandra was another music director who recognized Kishore Kumar’s talent as a singer. Their collaborations include “Eena Meena Deeka” from Aasha (1957). Kishore Kumar produced, directed, and acted in Jhumroo (1961). He wrote the lyrics for the title song, “Main Hoon Jhumroo,” and composed music for all the songs in the film. Later, he produced and directed Door Gagan Ki Chhaon Mein (1964). He wrote the script and composed music for the film. He made another two films called Door Ka Rahi (1971) and Door Waadiyon Mein Kahin (1980). In the late 1960s, Rahul Dev Burman worked together on the soundtrack of the film Padosan (1968), in which Kishore Kumar played both as a singer as well as comedy actor and sang the songs “Mere Saamne Wali Khidki Mein” and “Kehna Hai.” Padosan was a comedy film starring Kishore Kumar as a dramatist-musician, Mehmood as a Carnatic music and dance teacher, and Sunil Dutt as a simpleton named Bhola. The highlight of the film was a musical, comical duel between Kishore Kumar-Sunil Dutt and Mehmood: “Ek Chatur Nar Karke Singaar.” In 1969, Shakti Samanta produced and directed the film Aradhana, for which the music was composed by S.D. Burman. It is said that after recording two songs for the film, the popular playback singer Mohammed Rafi went to Hajj, where he heard that professional singing is against Islam. Confused, he took a break from singing and went to London to be with his son. Shakti Samanta suggested that Kishore Kumar sing rest of the songs.
When the film was released, the songs “Mere Sapno Ki Rani” and “Roop Tera Mastana” became super hit established Kishore Kumar as a leading playback singer in Bollywood. Kishore Kumar won his first Filmfare award for the song “Roop Tera Mastana”. During the Indian Emergency (1975-1977), Sanjay Gandhi asked Kishore Kumar to sing for an Indian National Congress rally in Mumbai, but he refused. As a result, Information and broadcasting Minister Vidya Charan Shukla (1975-1977) put an unofficial ban on playing Kishore Kumar songs on the All India Radio and Doordarshan from 4 May 1976 till the end of the Emergency. Kishore Kumar stopped singing for Amitabh Bachchan in the mid-1980s, after Bachchan did not do a guest appearance in a film Mamta Ki Chhaon Mein which was produced by Kishore Kumar but called a truce with Amitabh by singing for him in Toofan. He also temporarily stopped singing for Mithun Chakraborty, after Yogeeta Bali divorced him and married Chakraborty. However, later Kumar sang for him in many films like Disco Dancer, Muddat, and Pyaar Ka Mandir. In the mid-1980s, Kishore Kumar sang for Anil Kapoor in Kapoor’s debut film as a leading man, Woh Saat Din and also recorded Mr. India. He sang a duet with Alka Yagnik, “Tumse Badhkar Duniya Mein Na Dekha” for Kaamchor in (1982). He also recorded some songs for the film Saagar with R. D. Burman. By this time, he had decided to retire and was planning to go back to his birthplace, Khandwa.
On 13 October 1987, his brother Ashok Kumar’s 76th birthday, he died of a heart attack in Mumbai at 4:45 pm. His body was taken to Khandwa for cremation. He had recorded his last song a day before he died. The song was Guru Guru, a duet with Asha Bhosle, for the film Waqt Ki Aawaz (1988) composed by Bappi Lahiri for Mithun Chakraborty and Sridevi.
Although, Kishore Kumar is not alive but he will always be remembered for years to come for his melodies song and great sense of humour. I will conclude it by this song ” Chalte Chalte Mere Ye Geet Yaad Rakhna, Kabhi Alwida Na Kehna.”
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