Kishore Kumar
Kishore Kumar was an Indian playback singer, musician and actor. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest, most influential and dynamic singers in the history of Indian music. Kumar was one of the most popular singers in the Indian subcontinent, notable for his yodelling and ability to sing songs in different voices. He used to sing in different genres but some of his rare compositions, considered classics, were lost in time. In 2013, Kumar was voted "The Most Popular Male Playback Singer" in a poll conducted by the Filmfare magazine.
Besides Hindi, he sang in many other Indian languages, including Bengali, Marathi, Assamese, Gujarati, Kannada, Bhojpuri, Malayalam, Odia and Urdu. He also released a few non-film albums in multiple languages, especially in Bengali, which are noted as all-time classics. According to his brother and legendary actor Ashok Kumar, Kishore Kumar was successful as a singer because his "voice hits the mike, straight, at its most sensitive point".
He won 8 Filmfare Award for Best Male Playback Singer out of 28 nominations and holds the record for winning and nominating the most Filmfare Awards in that category. He was 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. In 2012, his unreleased last song sold for 15.6 lakh at the Osian's Cinefan Auction in New Delhi.
Early life
Kishore Kumar was born in a Bengali Brahmin Ganguly family in Khandwa, Central Provinces as Abhas Kumar Ganguly. His father, Kunjalal Ganguly, was a lawyer and his mother, Gouri Devi came from a wealthy Bengali family and was a home-maker. Kunjalal was invited by the Kamavisadar Gokhale family of Khandwa to be their personal lawyer. Kumar was the youngest of four siblings, the elder three being Ashok, Sati Devi, and Anoop.While Kumar was still a child, his brother Ashok became an actor in Hindi cinema. Later, Anoop also ventured into cinema with Ashok's help. Kumar graduated from Christian College, Indore.
Early career
After Ashok Kumar became a star of Hindi films, the Ganguly family visited Bombay 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. Music director Khemchand Prakash gave Kumar a chance to sing "Marne Ki Duayen Kyon Mangu" for the film Ziddi. After this, Kumar was offered many other assignments, but he was not very serious about a film career. In 1949, he settled in Bombay.During the initial stage of his career, Kumar was deeply inspired by singer K. L. Saigal and imitated his style of singing in some of his early films but later evolved his own, unique style. He had a great respect for poet and musician Rabindranath Tagore who influenced him in many ways.
He was an ardent admirer of Hollywood actor-singer Danny Kaye. He hung the portraits of all these three personalities at his Gouri Kunj residence and would bow respectfully before them every day as a rule.
In his later career, Kumar was also heavily influenced by playback singer Ahmed Rushdi and his liking towards Rushdi was to the extent that former paid a tribute at Royal Albert Hall in London to the latter by singing some of his songs.
Kumar employed yodelling in many of his songs including; Yeh dil na hota bechara, Zindagi ek safar hai suhana, and Chala jata hoon. The style eventually became an essential feature of his singing and was inspired by Jimmie Rodgers and Tex Morton.
In the movie Half Ticket, for one of the songs – "Aake Seedhi Lagi Dil Pe" – the music director Salil Chowdhury had a duet in mind and wanted Kumar and Lata Mangeshkar to sing the song. However, since Lata Mangeshkar was not in town and Salil Chowdhury had to record that song before she could return, Kumar solved the problem by singing both the male and female parts of the song himself. The duet is actually for Pran and Kumar on the screen dressed as a woman. It just turned out to be fine as he did admirably well singing both in male and female voices.
Music director S. D. Burman is credited with spotting Kumar's talent for singing. During the making of Mashaal, Burman visited Ashok's house, where he heard Kumar imitating K. L. Saigal. He complimented him and told him that he should develop a style of his own, instead of copying Saigal. Kumar eventually developed his own style of singing, which featured yodelling, which he had heard on the records of Tex Morton and Jimmie Rodgers.S. D. Burman kept making Kishore sing for Dev Anand from the 50s to the early 70s. S. D. Burman provided him the training and encouraged Kumar a lot, especially in the late 50s and early 60s, resulting in Kumar developing into a great singer in the future years.
S. D. Burman recorded Kumar's voice for Dev Anand's Munimji, Taxi Driver, House No. 44, Funtoosh, Nau Do Gyarah, Paying Guest, Guide, Jewel Thief, Prem Pujari, and Tere Mere Sapne. He also composed music for Kumar's home production Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi. Some of their songs were "Maana Janaab Ne Pukara Nahin" from Paying Guest, "Hum Hain Rahi Pyar Ke" from Nau Do Gyarah, "Ai Meri Topi Palat Ke Aa" from Funtoosh, and "Ek Ladki Bheegi Bhaagi Si" from Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi. Asha Bhosle and Kishore performed duets composed by Burman including "Chhod Do Aanchal" from Paying Guest, "Ankhon Mein Kya Ji" from Nau Do Gyarah, "Haal Kaisa Hai Janaab Ka" and "Paanch Rupaiya Baara Aana" from Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi and "Arre Yaar Meri Tum Bhi Ho Gajab" from Teen Deviyan.
As a singer, Kumar's work with many music directors in this period includes "Ye Raatein Ye Mausam" and "Hum Toh Mohabbat Karega" from Dilli Ka Thug, "Piya Piya Mora Jiya" from Baap Re Baap, "Hello Hello Ji" from Bombay Ka Chor, "Michael Hai To Cycle Hai" from Bewaqoof, "Ae Haseeno Nazneeno" from Chacha Zindabad, "Zaroorat Hai Zaroorat Hai" from Man-Mauji, "Likha Hai Teri Ankhon Mein" from Teen Devian, "Suno Jaana Suno Jaana", "Pyaar Baatke Chalo" and "Kya Teri Zulfein Hai" from Hum Sab Ustad Hain, "Khoobsurat Haseena" from Mr. X in Bombay, "Gaata Rahe Mera Dil" from Guide, "Sultana Sultana" from Shreeman Funtoosh, "Machalti Hui" from Ganga Ki Lahren, "Mera Dil Meri Jaan" and "Pyar Ka Jaahan Hotel" from Jaalsaaz and "Yeh Dil Na Hota Bechara" from Jewel Thief.
Music director C. Ramchandra also recognised Kumar's talent as a singer. They collaborated on songs including "Eena Meena Deeka" from Aasha. Kumar's work includes "Nakhrewaali" from New Delhi by Shankar Jaikishan, "C.A.T. Cat Maane Billi" and "Hum To Mohabbat Karega" from Dilli Ka Thug by Ravi, and "Chhedo Na Meri Zulfein" from Ganga Ki Lahren by Chitragupta.
In 1968, Rahul Dev Burman worked with Kumar on the soundtrack of the film Padosan, in which Kumar sang "Mere Saamne Wali Khidki Mein" and "Kehna Hai." Padosan was a comedy featuring Kishore as a dramatist-musician, Mehmood as a Carnatic music and dance teacher, and Sunil Dutt as a simpleton named Bhola. Kishore's character was inspired by his uncle, Dhananjay Bannerjee, a classical singer. The highlight of the film was a musical, comical duel between Kumar, Sunil Dutt and Mehmood: "Ek Chatur Nar Karke Singaar.
In 1969, Shakti Samanta produced and directed Aradhana. Kumar sang three songs in the film; "Mere Sapnon Ki Rani", "Kora Kagaj Tha Ye Man Mera" and "Roop Tera Mastana". Shakti Samanta suggested that Kumar sing the other songs too. When the film was released, Kumar's three songs established him as a leading playback singer of Hindi cinema. Kumar won his first Filmfare award for "Roop Tera Mastana".
Acting career
Kumar's first film appearance was in Shikari, in which his brother, Ashok played the lead role. Kumar played the lead in the Bombay Talkies film Andolan, directed by Phani Majumdar. Although he got some acting assignments with the help of his brother, he was more interested in becoming a singer. But Ashok wanted Kumar to be an actor like him. Between 1946 and 1955, Kumar appeared in 22 films, of which 16 were flops; since he was uninterested in taking up acting as a career, he found ways to be in the bad books of the director or producer, so that they would throw him from their films. It was only after the success of films such as Ladki, Naukari, Miss Mala, Char Paise and Baap Re Baap that Kumar developed an interest in acting seriously, which resulted in him having successful films as the lead actor between 1955 and 1966.Kumar starred in Bimal Roy's Naukari and Hrishikesh Mukherjee's directorial debut Musafir. Salil Chowdhury, the music director for Naukari, was initially dismissive of Kumar as a singer when he found that Kumar had no formal training in music. However, after hearing his voice, Chowdhury gave him the song Chhota Sa Ghar Hoga, which was supposed to be sung by Hemant Kumar.
The commercially successful films of Kumar included Ladki, Naukari, Baap Re Baap, Paisa Hi Paisa, New Delhi, Naya Andaz, Bhagam Bhaag '', Bhai Bhai, Aasha, Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi, Dilli Ka Thug, Jaalsaaz , Bombay Ka Chor , Chacha Zindabad , Man-Mauji, Jhumroo, Half Ticket, Mr. X in Bombay , Shreeman Funtoosh, Ek Raaz , Ganga Ki Lahren , Hum Sab Ustaad Hai, Haal E Dil, Pyar Kiye Jaa , and Padosan. As an actor, his best period was between 1954 and 1966. His onscreen pairing with actresses Mala Sinha, Vyjayanthimala, Nutan, Madhubala, Meena Kumari and Kumkum gave the biggest hits in his career.
Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi, his home production, had the three Ganguly brothers and Madhubala in main roles. Kumar played a car mechanic who has a romance with a city girl; with a subplot involving the brothers. Kumar acted in and composed the music for Jhumroo, and wrote the lyrics for the film's title song, "Main Hoon Jhumroo". Later, he produced and directed Door Gagan Ki Chhaon Mein, where he starred with Bengali actress Supriya Devi. He also wrote the script and composed music for the film, which is about the relationship between a father and his deaf and mute son.
After 1966, as an actor, Kumar built up a notoriety for coming late for the shootings or bunking them altogether. His films flopped frequently after 1965 and he landed in income tax trouble. Kumar produced and directed some movies in the late 1970s and early 1980s; Pyar Zindagi Hai, Badhti Ka Naam Dadhi, Sabaash Daddy, Zindagi, Door Wadiyon Mein Kahin and Chalti Ka Naam Zindagi'' which was his last appearance as an actor.