Remembering Kishore Kumar On His 13th Death Anniversary
by Raju Bharathan
Ashok Kumar told me something that I should have divined long before that super actor framed it in words..“Kishore’s voice hits the mike, straight, at its most sensitive point — and that’s the secret of his success as a singer without peer!” observed the vintage elder brother.
COME to think of it, this business of the singer’s voice hitting the mike at its most sensitively receptive point — had Naushad Ali not noted the same thing about Lata Mangeshkar to me?
It is this straight ‘mike-hitting’ trait, in fact, that made Kishore Kumar, once he was rehearsed and ready, a vocal threat to the best.
Kishore Kumar had not formally trained in music, so that Salil Chowdhury, for his intellectual Bengali part, was not even prepared to give this actor-singer a hearing, once he got to know that Kishore lacked musical grounding.
Kishore Kumar was Sheila Ramani’s hero in Bimal Roy’s Naukri (1954).
YET Salil Chowdhury, as the new phenom among our composers then, was dismissive of Kishore as: “I have not heard a single song rendered by you, so how could I possibly let you render my song in Naukri!”
Saying that, Salil was on the point of summoning Hemant Kumar to sing Chhota sa ghar hoga in place of our already unemployed hero of Naukri: Kishore Kumar!
It was only after Kishore Kumar virtually begged Salil Chowdhury to hear him out — as one having met, already, the intricate tonal demands of master composer Khemchand Prakash in his very first song for films — for Bombay Talkies’ Ziddi (1948): Marne kee
duaaen kyun maangoon jeene kee tamanna kaun kare — that Salil Chowdhury relented in the matter of Chhota sa ghar hoga.
“To Dada Burman goes the credit for having spotted the spark in the boy so early. Each one of us composers otherwise underestimated the tremendous potential of Kishore,” admitted Salil, adding, “Not until the vocal results Kishore gave me, some 18
years later, in Gulzar’s Mere Apne, with Koi hota jis ko apna hum apna keh lete yaaron, did I get a real idea of how totally I had misjudged the depth and dimension of the lad as a singer.”
THUS a quarter century after Kishore Kumar came up with his Badi soonee soonee hai ’swan song’ for S D Burman, in Mili, on Amitabh Bachchan; a near 30 years after he gave exquisite expression to son Rahul Dev-Burman’s Chingaree koi bhadke to saawan use bujaaye, picturised on ‘preceding’ superstar Rajesh Khanna in Amar Prem; the aural aura of Kishore abides as the absolute original.
January 3rd, 2008 at 3:42 pm
Haal tujhe apnee…was from the film Aasha; Teri duniya mein jeene se (House no.44) was sung by Hemant Kumar and in Madbhare Nain the song “Pehli na doosri ….ends in Intezaam”
October 21st, 2007 at 11:06 am
People like K.L. SAIGHAL, MOHD RAFI, LATA MANGESHKAR
NAUSHAD, O.P.NAYYAR, SHANKAR JAIKISHAN, MAJROOH, SAHIR,
SHAKEEL BADAYUNI,HASRAT JAIPURI, SHAILENDRA AND many
more are born just once in many centuries my dear friends.
Don’t search talents and legends outside our coountry my friends,
they are just around us - at our backyard.
Open ur eyes and ears and enjoy their works - before scouting
for talents and legends outside India and other fields.
More, saighal and rafi had hearts of pure gold in every day real
life .
Binu nair Mumbai..
October 16th, 2007 at 4:21 pm
i dont understand that please
October 16th, 2007 at 4:13 pm
Pepole like Kishore Kumar, Viv Richards, Mohd Ali and Gavaskar and Tendulkar are born once in life time. I am sure if all top singers who passed away would be alive still and gave a programme together - undoubtedly Kishore Kumar would have excelled all - for the simple reason that the kind of life he brings to each and every song is incredible. Only some songs are popular of other singers but in this genius’ case every song is a subject. The whole life we can discuss.
February 21st, 2007 at 5:09 pm
The Everlasting Voice still reverberating.. leaving beautiful ripples and memories that last with us forever. A powerhouse of talent in multitude.. be it singing, acting, composing or writing beautiful lyrics….Kishoreda continues to live in his reverberating voice.
October 30th, 2006 at 5:34 pm
Kishore kumar was legendary ,come on Amit there is still time lft to achieve success like dad
October 10th, 2006 at 2:25 pm
Have you noticed how Fresh kishore’s songs feel even today ! And what energy he breathed into songs. I recently bought JawaniDiwani, HareRamaHareKrishna & YaadonKiBaarat tapes and my kids (age-8 & 5) sure seems to appreciate his voice.
October 6th, 2006 at 6:11 pm
Kishore Da is great…He is our HERO NO-1 Foreever
September 22nd, 2006 at 2:59 pm
Kishore Da is evergreen.I worship him everyday,day by day.
WE LOVE YOU KISHORE DA.
September 12th, 2006 at 6:57 pm
kishore daa never dies he lived in our memories forever.may god bless his soul.he is one of the best singer,actor or i’ll say an complete artiste The Hindi cinema ever had.
August 29th, 2006 at 6:46 pm
Kishore kumar is the greatest singer,much much greater than Rafi,Mukesh,Lata or Asha.He is also the greatest comic hero and all-rounder in Indian films.
August 28th, 2006 at 7:37 pm
Dear KKKLAN ,
please say one thing King or greates as actor or singer?!!!!If actor?do u know there are Dilip Kummar,Raj Kapoor,Den Anand,Bachchan and Many more.If singer?!! Do u know there are Mohd rafi,Lata,Asha,Manny Dey and many more.
August 27th, 2006 at 8:04 pm
KISHOREDA IS GREATEST.
August 26th, 2006 at 11:52 pm
Dear Mukesh,
Thanks u look Mohd Rafi fan not KK or when u listen to Mohd rafi songs u think that KK(jat yamala singed by Mohd Rafi.Dharmendra said Mohd Rafi is the best for him.
As u said he(KK) is the most versatile singer indian music industry !!!Do u know what it mean versatile singer?how songs baagan KK singed and how songs for 15 aug?!!
Dear KKKLAN ,Do u know what deos the King mean?If u know u will never say that KK is the King
August 26th, 2006 at 7:55 pm
KISHOREDA IS KING.
August 26th, 2006 at 11:32 am
There is no doubt about legacy of Rafi and Mukesh, but no doubt that Kishore stands tall in that list. He sang endless numbers of entertaining songs with variety of comedy, emotions, sentiments. In my view he is the most versatile singer indian music industry has ever seen. His emotional songs for Sanjeev kumar in Aandhi and funny songs for Dharmendra like jat yamala proves it all. He was greatest of all.
August 25th, 2006 at 12:44 am
Dear Chirag Patel ,
As u said If with out any training he could create such a magic and leave such impact on his fans - think what would have happen if he had the training ,If u want speak about the king in the singing there is only one king Mohd Rafi and one Queen Lata as I think and many,Take out RD and yoodle from from KK he is no nothing as a singer,I don’t think that Yoodle is singing.he(KK)was a good actor and singer but no thing like a magic.
August 24th, 2006 at 1:22 am
There is no question or doubt that Kishore Kumar is The King. If with out any training he could create such a magic and leave such impact on his fans - think what would have happen if he had the training - I love his voice with Rafi Saab and with Mukesh ji - No question - those are the Trinity of Indian Film Industry as singers - but over all Kishore Kumar was the one who won hearts and souls of people in India and around the world. He was truely a GENIUS! My life long regret is - I couldnt compose a song with him nor sing a song with him!!!
August 21st, 2006 at 10:36 pm
It is painful for us that we lost the great Ustaad Bismillah Khan ,May God rest his soul
August 19th, 2006 at 4:47 pm
dear Rafik,
Naushand Ali is one of the best you have in India as I think,Do u thank that Naushand Ali didn’t recognize KK voice,I think u r wrong 100% because the male singer Naushand used that was Mohd Rafi and he said about mohd rafi that his music is 50% without Mohd Rafi,The songs which singed by Mohd Rafi under Naushand music do u think that any singer can sing that songs betters as did Mohd rafi?!!!
Naushand said that KK is a good singer,
August 17th, 2006 at 7:06 pm
yeah that’s kishore kumar. a singer without peer, voice with absolute originality.
we admire you kishore and we will. I remember the songs: koi hota jisko apna, badi
sooni sooni hai, chingadi koi bhadke. Naushad Ali ji didn’t recognize his voice as he
didn’t Lata ji’s. But finally Kishore Kumar showed his skills and hats off to those composers
who at least heard him and then india produced this immortal talent.
master article, thanks raji ji
August 14th, 2006 at 12:39 pm
Wonderful article Raju Bharathan, well written.
So many new things to new, many facts about their lives and lifestyles.
Thank you very much for giving us such opportunities.
August 12th, 2006 at 9:03 pm
Just one correction:
Kishore Kumar’s strength lay in the fact that he had, all along, been the voice of the evergreen Dev Anand (Teree duniya mein jeene se, in House No 44).
It was Hemant Kumar who sang that song not Kishore Kumar.
Uttam
August 11th, 2006 at 1:19 pm
Dear Admin,
Is it RD or SD site?what said it make that Rd and Sd who made kk,As I know kk had best songs with LP than SD or RD.
why when we speak about KK we should put SD and Rd name?Do u think that KK is nothing without SD OR RD?
KK gave many hit songs to Rajesh Khanna and Bachchan but they never said that KK songs made them super star,KK singed for many actors but why when we speak about KK we speak about Rajesh Khanna and Bachchan?!!
I think we should show kk as a actor or one man show,I don’t think that kk was on the top as a singer because when you say that kk was at top I think that we Mohd Rafi fans or Mukesh fans or manny dey fansd don’t agree.
no one can be like KK as all in one also on one can be like Mohd Rafi as a singer it is true as i think
August 4th, 2006 at 10:54 pm
Happy Birthday Kishore Da