Interview With KK
Here are excerpts of a tete-a tete with Kishore Kumar and the editor of the Illustrated Weekly, Pritish Nandy. This piece appeared in a cover story entitled “GENIUS” in the April 28, 1985 issue of the Illustrated Weekly. In the same story, Kishore Kumar ranked HIS favourite 10 songs. They are:
Those who aren’t interested should hit ‘n’ right now!
| Song | Music Director | 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 |
PN=Pritish Nandy
KK=Kishore Kumar
PN: I understand you are quitting Bombay and going away to Khandwa…
KK: Who can live in this stupid, friendless city where everyone seeks to exploit you every moment of the day? Can you trust anyone out here? Is anyone trustworthy? Is anyone a friend you can count on? I am determined to get out of this futile rat race and live as I’ve always wanted to. In my native Khandwa, the land of my forefathers. Who wants to die in this ugly city?
PN: Why did you come here in the first place?
KK: 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.
PN: I believe you are planning to record an album of famous Saigal songs….
KK: They asked me to. I refused. Why should I try to outsing him? Let him remain enshrined in our memory. Let his songs remain just HIS songs. Let not even one person say that Kishore Kumar sang them better.
PN: If you didn’t like Bombay, why did you stay back? For fame? For money?
KK: 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 hated every moment of it and tried virtually every trick to get out of it. I muffed my lines, pretended to be crazy, shaved my head off, played difficult, began yodelling in the midst of tragic scenes, told Meena Kumari what I was supposed to tell Bina Rai in some other film - but they still wouldn’t let me go. I screamed, ranted, went cuckoo. But who cared? They were just determined to make me a star.
PN: Why?
KK: Because I was Dadamoni’s brother. And he was a great hero.
PN: But you succeeded, after your fashion….
KK: Of course I did. I was the biggest draw after Dilip Kumar. There were so many films I was doing in those days that I had to run from one set to the other, changing on the way. Imagine me. My shirts flying off, my trousers falling off, my wig coming off while I’m running from one set to the other. Very often I would mix up my lines and look angry in a romantic scene or romantic in the midst of a fierce battle. It was terrible and I hated it. It evoked nightmares of school. Directors were like school teachers. Do this. Do that. Don’t do this. Don’t do that. I dreaded it. That’s why I would often escape.
PN: Well, you are notorious for the trouble you give your directors and producers. Why is that?
October 10th, 2006 at 5:08 pm
This is very good Article i read it many times and got some valuable information .
December 28th, 2006 at 12:52 pm
Going through the interview one can derive is that KK was a sensitive person by nature. Such people have very few friends, otherwise they prefer to live in their solitude most of the times.
Apart from this most good singers are also sensitive by nature, so is KK.
February 28th, 2007 at 11:29 am
Some more additions, contributions from other Music Composers
Song Music Director Film
Ek Baar Muskurado O P Nayyar Ek Baar Muskurado
Zindagi Ek Safar Shanker-Jaikishan Andaaz
Zaroorat Zaroorat Hai Madan Mohan
Ye Raten Ye Masoom Ravi Delhi Ka Thag
Zindagi Ka Safar Kalyanji Anandji Safar Dil Kya Kare Rajesh Roshan Juliee Chale Chale Bhappi Lahri
Zindagi Pyar Ka Geet Usha Khanna Souten
March 22nd, 2007 at 10:39 pm
one of the rarest interviews i have come across with my favourite star. Kishoreda was really a funny and witty human being . At the same time he was also sensitive caring and emotional, perhaps depressed too. It is also heartening to note that the interviewer Pritish Nandy is now also a great filmmaker. i never had the privilege of meeting Kishoreda but he lives everyday in me through his voice. And a matter of coincidence that i would soon be working with the man who interviewed him i.e. Pritish Nandy. Destiny they say!!
July 30th, 2007 at 6:27 am
I love kishore kumar his nature and his voice he went doing things from his heart he never acted in the real life whatever he felt he did it. he is great he is really great . what can we talk about this person and you people you want to see his live interviews just go to youtube.com there you will find many videos on him. he is such a great person may his soul rest in peace for ever.
Thank you
October 1st, 2007 at 2:46 pm
Well this interview says all abt kishore da, the guy with limited and pure aspirations. This interview draw a true picture of Bollywood from the eyes of super star. Kishore da was true artist and he has shown to others by declining the offer to campaign for Congress led by Gandi family at that time. Nowdays, even stars like Big B are involved in stupid politics for his own benefits. It was only Kishore da, who cud spend 9 long years with a bed ridden wife and take care of her, Madhubala. He was deceived by Big B when big b refused to perform a special appearance in one of the kishor’s movie when he was at his peak. And thats why kishore refused to sing for big b which eventually led his career to worst slump in late 80s. Kishor da was true artist and many shud learn a lot of this interview, pritish nandy did and see where he is now..
June 21st, 2008 at 12:05 am
i think kishoreda was a good person.he married madhubala knowing she was very sick and nursed her for 9 long years,then financially helping the family of one mukherjee who died of heart attack. i think he was a kind person and the greatest singer. ‘love you kishoreda’
September 23rd, 2008 at 10:42 pm
Kishore kumar was and will be the greatest artist till this world ends.
www.youtube.com/frazalisikander
Regards,
February 16th, 2010 at 9:24 am
Kishore Kumar I love you!
March 14th, 2010 at 11:09 am
“Jeevan se bhari, teri aankhen, majboor kare jeene ke liye..”
April 3rd, 2010 at 7:51 pm
the words spoken in above conversation reflects true feeling of a person about his experience with outer world.kishore da got such a power to create tone even in the written words .i think only a simple and honest person create such magic ,which affect so deeply a common person like me to write about a person whom i never meet. he is melodeious in art and every aspect of life. miss you sir.
June 9th, 2010 at 6:10 pm
I consider kishoreda as my god.and reading th sentences of god is a dream come true for me.thnku so much for this article.
June 29th, 2010 at 2:13 pm
well kishore da was as pure as water there is no any artificial thing in him ,really enjoyed his intereview and really tells that nature have give a single gift that is kishore kumar,due to his songs my life is meaning ful and it is fact the real friends today is nature like trees and not human beings we feel proud for kishore da
August 4th, 2010 at 11:46 pm
Oh, it was a great conversation unfolding the layers of the life and thinking of a simple yet charismatic personality. We can easily figure out how straight forward KK was !! may be that is the reason why film fraternity do not like him and so many false stories have been framed to defame him…ridiculous