Kishore Kumar

Kishore Kumar is widely regarded as one of the greatest ( perhaps the greatest of all ) , most influential and dynamic singers in the history of modern Indian music having performed and sang from the year 1946 to 1987, till his death . He was also a producer, director,lyricist ,director , composer and a screen writer. He was popularly called and known as Kishore kumar .Besides Hindi, kishore kumar also sang in Bengali, Marathi, Assamese, Gujarati, Kannada, Bhojpuri, Malayalam and Odia . He was born on 4.8.1929 in a Bengali Brahmin Ganguly family in Khandwa, Madhya Pradesh as Abhas Kumar Ganguly. His father, Kunjalal Ganguly was a lawyer and his mother, Gouri Devi ,from a wealthy Bengali family , was a home-maker. Kishore did his graduation from Indore . His elder brother was legendary Actor – Ashok kumar and younger brother was Anoop kumar- also an actor .While kishore Kumar was still a child, his brother Ashok kumar became an actor and Anoop also later joined films with elder brother Ashok kumar’s help.During the initial stage of his career, Kishore was deeply inspired by singer K. L. Saigal and imitated his style of singing in some of his early movies but later evolved his own, unique style . He never took any formal education in music and singing either from any master or institution but became a singing sensation because his voice used to hit the mike, straight, at its most sensitive point besides his other traits . Music director S. D. Burman had spotted Kumar’s singing talent and kept making him sing for Dev Anand from the 50s to the early 70s. He also provided him the training and encouraged him a lot, especially in the mid 50s and early 60s, resulting in Kishore developing into a great singer in the coming years. S. D. Burman recorded Kishore’s voice for Dev Anand’s Munimji (1954), Taxi Driver (1954), House No. 44 (1955), Funtoosh (1956), 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 own production Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi (1958). 

Some of the famous and popular songs of these films sung by Kishore kumar were :- 

1.Maana Janaab Ne Pukara Nahin” माना जनाब ने पुकारा नही from Paying Guest (1957), 

2.”Hum Hain Rahi Pyar Ke” हम हैं राही प्यार के from Nau Do Gyarah (1957) 

3.and “Ek Ladki Bheegi Bhaagi Si” एक लड़की भीगी भागी सी from Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi. 

4 “Chhod Do Aanchal” छोड़ दो आँचल जमाना कया कहे गा from Paying Guest (1957)

5.Haal Kaisa Hai Janaab Ka” हाल कैसा है जनाब का 

6.Paanch Rupaiya Baara Aana” पाँच रूपया बारह आना from Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi (1958) .

7.Ye dil na hota bechara” यह दिल ना होता बेचारा 

8.Aasmaan ke neeche” आसमान के नीचे from “Jewel thief” (1967),

9.Phoolon Ke Rang Se फूलों के रंग से 

10.Shokhiyon Mein Ghola Jaaye” शोख़ीयों मे घोला जाय  from Prem Pujari (1969)

Kishore kumar in his singing career worked with almost all the then top music directors .Music Director- R. D. Burman recorded several songs with kishore in the 1970s, including “O Maajhi Re” in film Khushboo, “Yeh Shaam Mastaani” and “Yeh Jo Mohabbat Hai” in film Kati Patang , “Raat Kali Ek Khwab Mein Aayi” from Buddha Mil Gaya ,Chingari Koi Bhadke”, “Kuch To Log Kahenge in film Amar Prem , Zindagi Ke Safar Me Guzar Jaate Hain Jo Makam” in film Aap Ki Kasam “ Aane Wala Pal” in film Golmaal and “Hume Aur Jeene Ki Chahat Na Hoti” in film Agar Tume Na Hote .Although kishore was not formally trained in classical music, R. D. Burman often had Kishore sing semi-classical songs, such as “Humein Tum Se Pyaar Kitna” in  film Kudrat and “Mere Naina Saawan Bhadon” in film Mehbooba.The music masters Laxmikant–Pyarelal composed many songs sung by kishore including “ Mere Naseeb Mein Aye Dost” मेरे नसीब मे एय दोस्त in film Do Raaste, “Yeh Jeevan Hai” यह जीवन है in film  Piya Ka Ghar, “Mere Dil Mein Aaj Kya Hai” मेरे दिल मे आज कया है in film Daag, “Nahi Mai Nahi Dekh Sakta” नहीं मैं नहीं देख सकता in film Majboor, “Naach Meri Bulbul” नाच मेरी बुलबुल in film Roti, “Chal Chal Chal Mere Haathi” चल चल मेरे हाथी in film Haathi Mere Saathi and “Tu Kitne Baras Ki” तू कितने बरस की in film Karz . Similarly Music directors Kalyanji-Anandji recorded several songs with Kishore including “Zindagi Ka Safar” ज़िंदगी का सफर and “Jeevan Se Bhari”, जीवन से भरी in film Safar (1970), “O Saathi Re” ओ साथी रे in film Muqaddar Ka Sikandar (1978), “Pal Pal Dil Ke Paas” पल पल दिल के पास in film Blackmail (1973) .Salil Chowdhury recorded songs such as “Koi Hota Jisko Apna” कोई होता जिसको अपना in film Mere Apne. Ravindra Jain recorded “Ghungroo Ki Tarah” घूँघरू की तरह and “Tota Maina Ki Kahani” तोता मैना की कहानी in film Fakira. Shyamal Mitra recorded “Dil aisa kisi ne mera toda” दिल ऐसा किसी ने मेरा तोड़ा for the film Amanush.Bappi Lahiri also recorded many songs with kishore including Pag Ghunghroo Bandh पग घुँघरू बांध मीरा नाची in film Sharaabi (1984), “Chalate Chalte Mere Ye Geet Yad Rakhana” चलते चलते मेरे यह गीत याद रखना in film Chalte Chalte (1975).Kishore da was a leading singer throughout from mid 1950s and 1980s until his death in 1987. He sang the most songs in his career for Rajesh Khanna a total of 245 songs in 92 films, which is an unbeaten record for any singer-actor combination. Kishore Kumar also sang 202 songs for Jeetendra, 119 for Dev Anand and 131 for Amitabh Bachchan .Kishore Kumar continued singing for several new actors like Mithun, Anil kapoor , Aditya Pancholi even in 1980s .Kishore Kumar is credited with the highest number of multi-singer and male duet hits with the finest singers of different eras. Kishore Kumar sang the highest number of duets with Asha Bhosle (687 duets). He also sang duets with Lata Mangeshkar, Mohammed Rafi, Mukesh, Manna Dey, Mahendra Kapoor, Geeta Dutt, Sulakshana Pandit and Kavita Krishnamurthy.Kishore Kumar also sang several Bhajan songs for hindi movies . Kishore Kumar sang in 1,198 films for a total number of mammoth 2678 Hindi songs – a brilliant and unforgettable feat . Most of his songs were hit and will be remembered and heard by music lovers for centuries to come . Kishor Kumar was also a very good actor and acted in several movies at the insistence of his legendary elder brother- Ashok kumar though initially he was not keen on acting . In his cinema career, Kishore Kumar acted in about 88 Hindi films . His first appearance was in film Shikari (1946), in which his brother, Ashok kumar played the lead role . Then between 1946 and 1955, he acted in 22 films of which only 6 films were successful . Being disinterested in acting , he would often wish his directors to throw him out of their films. However it was only after the success of films such as Ladki, Naukari, Miss Mala and Baap Re Baap that Kishore kumar developed a serious interest in acting that led 

to his some very successful films as the lead actor between the years 1955 and 1966 such as :-

Paisa Hi Paisa (1956), 

New Delhi (1956), 

Naya Andaz (1956), Bhagam Bhaag (1956), Bhai Bhai (1956), 

Aasha (1957), 

Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi (1958),

Dilli Ka Thug (1958), Jaalsaaz (1959), 

Jhumroo (1961),

Bombay Ka Chor (1962), Man-Mauji (1962), 

Half Ticket (1962), 

Mr. X in Bombay (1964), Ganga Ki Lahren (1964), Hum Sab Ustaad Hai (1965), 

Pyar Kiye Jaa (1966) and Padosan (1968).

In his own produced film chalti Ka Naam Gaadi (1958) he himself and his two brothers Ashok kumar and Anoop kumar and Madhubala were in main roles and the film was a super hit . His pairing opposite actresses like Mala Sinha, Nutan , Vyjayanthimala, Madhubala and Meena Kumari gave the biggest hit films in his career.But after 1966 he started coming late for shooting or absenting altogether and his films started failing at box office and thus he stopped getting further acting offers but singing continued full throttle. Moreover , Kishore Kumar in his long cinema career also produced , directed , wrote the story and screenplay and also composed music for several films . 

The prominent among them are :- 

Jhumroo (1961)

Door Gagan Ki Chhaon Mein (1964)

Hum Do Daku (1967)

Door Ka Raahi (1971)

Zameen Aasman (1972)

Badhti Ka Naam Dadhi (1974)

Shabhash Daddy (1979)

Door Wadiyon Mein (1980) 

Chalti Ka Naam Zindagi (1982 ) also his last film as actor 

Thus as an actor his overall performance was not very outstanding or impressive.Kishore kumar had married four times. His first wife was singer and actress Ruma guha but the marriage lasted only from 1950 to 1958 . His second wife was famous heroin Madhubala ( muslim by religion ) whom he married in 1960 out of deep love between them but unfortunately this marriage ended on 23.2.1969 with madhubala’s premature death who had a hole in her heart since birth , a condition which then had no medical treatment . Kishore kumar then married actress yogita bali but marriage lasted from 1976 to August 1978. Kishore kumar then  married heroine Leena Chandavarkar in 1980 who bore his second son – sumit kumar .By September 1987, Kishore Da had decided to retire as he was unhappy with crowded and over busy and self centred Bombay and also with the kinds of songs and tunes being then made by music directors and had decided to return to his birthplace Khandwa in M.P to live a quite and tension free life . However, the destiny had something else for him and suddenly on 13 October 1987, the day of his brother Ashok Kumar’s 76th birthday, he died of a heart attack in his Bombay residence .His body was taken to his birth town Khandwa for cremation. Kishore Da was one of the most popular singers in the Indian subcontinent, notable for his yodelling ( low to high pitch ) and ability to sing songs in different voices. He had won most Filmfare awards (8) out of 28 nominations for best playback singing. He also got 4 Bengal Film Journalists’ Association Awards . He was also awarded the Lata Mangeshkar Award by the Madhya Pradesh government in 1985. In 1997, the Madhya Pradesh Government initiated an award called the “Kishore Kumar Award” for contributions to Hindi cinema .Kishore Da and his beautiful songs will be remembered and heard for centuries to come by music lovers Salutes to this great singer whose songs are very popular even with the present generation and will remain so . It is surprising and sad that till date this magician has got no award from the central govt though he aptly deserves the “ Dada Saheb Phalkey award “