|
JUST A THOUGHT ON KISHORE.................
A TRIBUTE TO KISHORE KUMAR
by MG Ramesh (mg.ramesh@db.com)
It was 13th October 1987. Sun was setting slowly. I was in a mood to listen to
the lilting melodies of hindi film music as usual. When I was listening to
it, somewhere in Mumbai at the same time a voice came to a halt. Kishore Kumar
died. This is the same guy who once said, he wanted to go back to his home
town Khandwa in MP and wanted to sit with his son Amit and wife Leena (chandavarkar)
and watch the sun setting. Was it a co-incidence that the sun was setting
and Kishore died? I still do not know.
After 12 years of his physical absence, I have tried to look at his
persona.
Aabhaas Ganguly, which was his original name, even though was a bengali, he was
brought up in Khandwa of Madhya Pradesh. At the age of 19, Kishore was
initiated into playback singing by none other than Khemchand Prakash who put
Lata Mangeshkar at heights by composing Aayega Aanewaala from Kamal Amrohi's
Mahal. By that time Kishore's elder brother Ashok Kumar was already at the
heights of popularity. But Ashok insisted that Kishore must act more than
singing. But to tell you, Kishore hated every moment of acting. He
had been dreaming that one day, he will be as famous as KL Saigal whom Kishore
considered as a demi-god (till the end of his life !!!!). He wanted to
meet KL Saigal at least once. But he never had a chance.
Kishore was, at that time, more into acting rather than singing. A series
of films portraying Kishore a comic character started making sounds at the box
office and at the same time he started getting too many films as an actor.
Until, SD Burman gave him the huge hits of the Dev Anand starrers. From
there onwards, Kishore grew so big that he started shaking Rafi's kingdom.
Literally Kishore over took Rafi. After SD Burman's Aradhana, Kishore
never looked back.
He sang almost 112 songs for SD Burman. It could have continued without
break had there not been a rift between SD Burman and Kishore in 1958. But
again, in 1965, they came together through the Dev Anand starrer Teen Deviyan.
Between all these Kishore was already a producer also. He produced Door
Gagan Ki Chao Mein, which introduced Amit Kumar as a young child artist.
With his brothers Ashok and Anoop, he produced Chalti ka naam gaadi. Door Gagan
ki Chao mein and Jhumroo saw Kishore as director, producer, singer, music
director. Even today lot of people wonder that was it the same kishore who
acted in half ticket typically like a bufoon composed the songs like Aa
chal ke tujhe. The worst part in his life was that people never realised
the emotional side of Kishore Kumar.
In fact by 1970, Kishore had sung just half the number of songs mukesh had and
about 10% of what Rafi had to his credit. Success followed him like a pet
dog. Kishore also kept on nurturing the success like he never had seen
one.
It was true that Kishore was mad at money. Kishore every day used to count
the money and he used to say that he wanted to see the paisa dancing with his
hand. Kishore measured the success only in terms of money and not by any
sort of quality. He used to say "pehle paise ke peeche bhaago, vapas
paisa tumhare peeche bhaagega".
By this time, Ruma Guha, who was his first wife left him. Madhu Bala went
head over heels for Kishore and so as Kishore for Madhu Bala. Finally
Kishore was there next to her when she died. After this he married Yogita
Bali (now the wife of Mithun Chakravarthy). Yogita left him complaining
that he never cared for her and always attached to paisa. After she
married Mithun, Kishore madly stopped singing for Mithun for some time.
After that, he married Leena Chandavarkar. Kishore used to joke that he
married only Leena and rest of them married him.
There were many situations where he behaved absolute eccentric. Once he
called an interior decorator to design his house. He said that he already
have a concept in his mind. He told the drawing room will have no door but
there will be a ladder from the ceiling through which the guests enter into the
room. The room should be filled with water with a centre fixed table where
the tea will be kept. There will be boats in the room and the guests
will sit in the boats and go the table to pick up tea. This made the
interior decorator seeing the stars. But the final part what Kishore told
made the interior decorator run out of the house literally is a funny one.
Kishore said that the walls of the room will have live crows nested and they
should be shouting !!!!!!.
Another incident, was that, he was doing a film and one day he realised that the
producer has paid him only the half. He came to the shooting spot with
half mustache and half make up. Kishore screamed at him "poora paisa,
tho poora make up. Warna, aise hi shooting karenge". Producer
fell at his feet and paid him the full money.
Once a journalist was doing an interview at his home and observed some of the
Income Tax document totally eaten by rats. When Kishore was asked about
it, he said, I am using those income tax notices as a poison for the rats !!!!
Comedy might have been an integral part of him, but doubts linger whether it was
just a front to fool the world he held in low esteem. He always remained a
lonely restless soul.
Doesn't the song still touch your tymphanum even today?
"Chalte Chalte mere ye geet yaad rakhna, kabhi alvida na kehna ! kabhi
alvida naa kehna"
There is no way that we can forget Kishore. Probably even our next
generation !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.
Even when I am sending this article sun is setting !!!!!
Is Kishore enjoying the sun set somewhere from the eternal world?
|
