This review is written for KISHORE KUMAR Fans, all about Kishore Kumar the person and only for preaching all about the glory about Kishore Kumar.
He disliked the film industry. But he still remained in it as a loner and allowed many myths to grow about him. He sang, he acted and became a legend.
He kept his listeners spellbound with his songs of life and death, and kept the media amused with his comic antics. That was Kishore Kumar, the singer
par excellence. The man with the golden voice, who reigned over the world of popular music for almost two decades until died on October 13, 1987.
Over the years he nurtured carefully his image as a strange, unpredictable man who defied definition. He wallowed in solitude, yodelling at the moon.
Unlike stars of his time, he was unwilling to play the tune for the powers to be. And that was the reason, he was banned on AIR during the Emergency.
It was only due to the pleading of the film producers that his voice returned on the Vividh Bharati. At his peak, when for almost a decade he was
the numero uno he would be running from one recording studio to the next. Singing sometimes four to five songs a day. And charging exactly one rupee
less than Lata Mangeshkar - in deference to her seniority. Kishore Kumar had no formal training in music and considered K L Saigal his
idol. In fact, he had arrived in Bombay in the late forties, in the hope of meeting his idol. Those were the times when his eldest brother Ashok Kumar
was a hit hero. Remembering those days, he said ``I would come to visit my brother Ashok Kumar. He was such a big star in those days. I thought he
could introduce me to KL Saigal who was my greatest idol. People say he used to sing through his nose. But so what? He was a great singer. Greater than
anyone else.'' In fact, he refused an offer to do a cover version of Saigal. `` Why should I try to outsing him? Let him remain enshrined in our memory. Let his songs
remain just HIS songs.'' And he was humble enough to admit years later about his idol, though having attained an iconic status, `` Let not even one
person say that Kishore Kumar sang them better.'' As fate would have it, he became an actor without his being wanting to. He became a funny hero, who
sang, danced and entertained - as against the usual dour-faced, romantic kinds, who would break into tears at the slightest pretext. Kishore became
popular and could hardly keep track of the number of films he was doing. And his habit of trying to always play truant began the legend of the eccentric.
Year later, he said, ``I was conned into it. I only wanted to sing. Never to act. But somehow, thanks to peculiar circumstances, I was persuaded to act
in the movies. I hate every moment of it and tried virtually every trick to get out of it.''
His first marriage with Ruma Guhathakurta didn't last long. Madhubala, the most exquisite heroine that Indian cinema has perhaps ever produced, became
his second wife. But, she, alas, was a very sick woman then and they spent nine tormented years together. ``I did everything to keep her in good humour
because that is what the doctor had advised,'' he said. After living alone for quite some years after the legendary Madhubala's death, Kishore Kumar tied the nuptial knot again with Yogeeta Bali. But this marriage did not last leading to divorce. In the meantime, Kishore - who had switched lanes from the singing star to
the king of the playback empire - kept doing better and better. Those were the golden days of both the film industry and the music business. From Dev
Anand to Rajesh Khanna; Sanjeev Kumar to Amitabh Bachchan, he sang for all. But it was Aradhana, which made Kishore Kumar a household name.
Having become a known singer, he left the world of grease paint. But made three memorable movies like ''Door Ka Rahi'', ''Door Gagan Ki Chhaon Mein'', and
''Door Waadiyon Mein Kahin''. His films were about the pain of living, not belonging, and going away. As an actor, present day viewers will remember Kishore Kumar's role in Padosan. About the movie, he said,`` In Padosan, I mimicked my mama - long hair, kajal in the eyes, constant paan-chewing and the works. My performance
was so perfect that shooting was halted after two days. Both Mehmood and Sunil felt that I was stealing every scene from them, and they got down to working on their get-ups. That's how Mehmood and Sunil got to wearing wigs etc.'' In his fifties, Kishore Kumar married actress Leena Chandavarkar and looked like his search for happiness ended there. They remained happily married and even had a son. Kishore Kumar ranked HIS favourite 10 songs.
They are:
Song Music Film
Dukhi man mere S.D. Burman Funtoosh
Jag mag jag mag karta nikla Khemchand Prakash Rim Jhim
Husn bhi hai udas udas Anil Biswas Fareb
Chingari koi Bhadke R.D. Burman Amar Prem
Mere naina saawan bhaadon R.D. Burman Mehbooba
Koi hum dum na raha Kishore Kumar Jhumroo
Mere mehboob kayamat hogi Laxmikant-Pyarelal Mr X in Bombay
Koi hota jisko apna Salil Chowdhury Mere Apne
Woh Shaam kuch ajeeb thi Hemant Kumar Khamoshi
Badi sooni sooni hai S.D. Burman Milee
What else do I say about a maestro, who simply was a genius par excellence. I salute to you Kishore Kumar the Legend .
MAY YOUR SOUL REST IN PEACE....
