Monday, August 26, 2013
KISHORE KUMAR born
as ABHAS KUMAR GANGULY, (4 August 1929 – 13 October 1987), was a
popular Indian film playback singer. He is also known as an actor,
lyricist, composer, producer, director, screenplay writer and scriptwriter.
Kishore Kumar sang in many Indian languages including Bengali, Hindi, Marathi, Assamese, Gujarati, Kannada, Bhojpuri, Malayalam, Oriya,
and Urdu. He won 8 Filmfare Awards for Best Male Playback Singer and
holds the record for most number of Filmfare Awardswon in that category.
He was awarded the "Lata Mangeshkar Award" by the Madhya Pradesh government
and from that year onwards, the Madhya Pradesh Government initiated a new award
called the "Kishore Kumar Award" for contributions to Hindi
cinema.
Kishore Kumar was born into the Bengali Ganguly family in Khandwa, Central
Provinces and Berar (now in Madhya Pradesh) as Abhas Kumar
Ganguly. His father Kunjalal Ganguly (Gangopadhyay) was a lawyer. His
mother Gouri Devi came from a wealthy Bengali family. Kishore was the youngest
of four siblings, the other three being Ashok Kumar (the eldest),
Sati Devi, and Anoop Kumar.
While Kishore was still a child, Ashok Kumar became a
Bollywood actor. (Later, Anoop Kumar also ventured into cinema with the help of
Ashok Kumar). Spending time with his brothers, Kishore also started to take a
keen interest in movies and music. He became a fan of singer-actor Kundan
Lal Saigal, whom he considered his guru, and tried to follow Saigal's singing
style.
After Ashok Kumar became a big star in Hindi films,
the Ganguly family used to visit Mumbai 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. Kishore Kumar's
first film as an actor was Shikari (1946), in which Ashok
Kumar played the lead role. Music director Khemchand Prakash gave Kishore
Kumar a chance to sing "Marne ki duayen kyon mangu" for the
film Ziddi (1948). After this, Kishore Kumar got many other
assignments, but he was not very serious about a film career. In 1949, he
decided to settle in Mumbai.
Kishore Kumar played hero in the Bombay Talkies film Andolan (1951),
directed by Phani Majumdar. Although Kishore Kumar got some assignments as an
actor with the help of his brother, he was more interested in becoming a
singer. He was not interested in acting but his elder brother Ashok Kumar
wanted him to be an actor like him.
He starred in Bimal Roy's Naukri (1954)
and Hrishikesh Mukherjee's directorial debut Musafir (1957). Salil
Chowdhury, the music director for Naukri was initially
dismissive of him as a singer, when he came to know that Kishore Kumar didn't
have any formal training in music. However, after hearing his voice, he
gave him the song Chhota sa ghar hoga, which was supposed to be
sung by Hemant Kumar.
Kishore Kumar starred in films New Delhi (1957), Aasha (1957), Chalti
Ka Naam Gaadi (1958), Half Ticket (1962), and Padosan (1968). Chalti
Ka Naam Gaadi (1958), his home production, starred the three Ganguly
brothers and Madhubala. The film is about romance between a city girl
(Madhubala) and a car mechanic (Kishore Kumar), with a subplot involving the
brothers.
Music director S. D. Burman is credited with spotting Kishore
Kumar's talent as a singer and advancing his singing career. During the making
of Mashaal (1950), Burman visited Ashok Kumar's house, where
he heard Kishore imitating K. L. Saigal. He complimented Kishore Kumar and
told him that he should develop a style of his own, instead of copying
Saigal. He kept Burman's advice in mind and eventually developed his own
style of singing, which featured the yodeling that he had heard on
the gramophone records of Tex Morton and Jimmie Rodgers bought
by his brother Anoop Kumar.
S. D. Burman recorded with Kishore 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 home
production Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi (1958). Some of their initial
films included the songs "Maana Janaab Ne Pukara Nahin" from Paying
Guest, "Hum Hain Rahi Pyar Ke" from Nau Do Gyarah (1957),
"Ai Meri Topi Palat Ke Aa" from Funtoosh, and "Ek
Ladki Bheegi Bhaagi Si" and "Haal Kaisa Hai Janaab Ka"
from Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi (1958). Asha Bhosle and
Kishore Kumar performed duets composed by S. D. Burman including "Chhod Do
Aanchal" from Paying Guest (1957), "Ankhon Mein Kya
Ji" from Nau Do Gyarah (1957), "Haal Kaisa Hai
Janaab Ka" and "Paanch Rupaiya Baara Aana" from Chalti
Ka Naam Gaadi (1958) and "Arre Yaar Meri Tum Bhi Ho Gajab"
from Teen Deviyan (1965).
C. Ramchandra was another music director who recognized
Kishore Kumar's talent as a singer. Their collaborations include
"Eena Meena Deeka" from Aasha (1957). Kishore
Kumar's work includes "Nakhrewaali" from New Delhi (1956)
by Shankar Jaikishan, "C.A.T. Cat Maane Billi" and "Hum To
Mohabbat Karega" from Dilli Ka Thug (1958) by Ravi,
and "Chhedo Na Meri Zulfein" from Ganga Ki Lahren (1964)
by Chitragupta.
Kishore Kumar produced, directed, and acted in Jhumroo (1961).
He wrote the lyrics for the title song, "Main Hoon Jhumroo," and
composed music for all the songs in the film. Later, he produced and
directed Door Gagan Ki Chhaon Mein (1964). He wrote the script
and composed music for the film. It is based on the relationship between a
father (Kishore Kumar) and his deaf and mute son (played by his real-life son (Amit
Kumar). He made another two films called Door Ka Rahi (1971)
and Door Waadiyon Mein Kahin(1980).
In the 1960s, as an actor, Kishore Kumar built up a notoriety for
coming late for the shootings or bunking them altogether. His films
flopped frequently and he landed in income tax trouble. As a singer, his
work in this period includes "Zaroorat Hai Zaroorat Hai" from Manmauji (1961),
"Gaata Rahe Mera Dil" from Guide (1965), and
"Yeh Dil Na Hota Bechara" from Jewel Thief (1967).
In the late 1960s, Rahul Dev Burman worked together on
the soundtrack of the film Padosan (1968) in which Kishore
Kumar sang the songs "Mere Saamne Wali Khidki Mein" and "Kehna
Hai." Padosan was a comedy film starring Kishore Kumar as
a dramatist-musician, Mehmood as a Carnatic music and dance
teacher, and Sunil Dutt as a simpleton named Bhola. Kishore Kumar's
character in the film was inspired by the personality of his uncle, Dhananjay
Bannerjee (a classical singer). The highlight of the film was a musical,
comical duel between Kishore Kumar-Sunil Dutt and Mehmood: "Ek Chatur Nar
Karke Singaar."
In 1969, Shakti Samanta produced and directed the
film Aradhana, for which the music was composed by S.D. Burman. It
is said that after recording two songs for the film, the popular playback
singer Mohammed Rafi went to Hajj, where he heard that
professional singing is against Islam. Confused, he took a break from
singing and went to London to be with his son. Shakti Samanta suggested
that Kishore Kumar sing rest of the songs. When the film was released, the
songs "Mere Sapno Ki Rani" and "Roop Tera Mastana"
established Kishore Kumar as a leading playback singer in Bollywood. Kishore
Kumar won his first Filmfare award for the song "Roop Tera
Mastana".
Kishore Kumar married four times. His first wife was Bengali singer
and actress Ruma Guha Thakurta aka Ruma Ghosh. Their marriage lasted
from 1950 to 1958.
Kishore's second wife was actress Madhubala, who had worked
with him on many films including his home production Chalti Ka Naam
Gaadi (1958) and Jhumroo (1961). When Kishore Kumar proposed to her,
Madhubala was sick and was planning to go to London for treatment. At
this time, she didn't know that she had a ventricular septal defect (hole
in the heart), and her father wanted her to wait and consult the London doctors
first. Furthermore, at the time he was married to Ruma. After his divorce,
because Kishore Kumar was Bengali Hindu (Brahmin) and Madhubala Muslim,
they had a civil wedding ceremony in 1960. His parents refused to attend. The
couple also had a Hindu ceremony to please Kumar's parents, but Madhubala was
never truly accepted as his wife. Within a month of her wedding she moved back
to her bungalow in Bandra because of tension in the Kishore Kumar household.
They remained married but under great strain for the remainder of Madhubala's
life. The doctors in London told Madhubala that she would not live for long.
The marriage lasted for nine years, and ended with Madhubala's death on 23
February 1969.
Kishore Kumar's third marriage was to Yogeeta Bali, and
lasted from 1976 to 4 August 1978. Kishore was married to Leena
Chandavarkar from 1980 until his death. Kishore Kumar sired two
sons, Amit Kumar (playback singer) with Ruma, and Sumit Kumar with
Leena Chandavarkar.
Kumar is said to have been paranoid about not being
paid. During recordings, he would sing only after his secretary confirmed
that the producer had made the payment.Once, when he discovered that his dues
hadn't been fully paid, he landed up for shooting with make-up on only one side
of his face. When the director questioned him, he replied "Aadha paisa to
aadha make-up." (Half make-up for half payment).On the sets of Bhai
Bhai, Kishore Kumar refused to act because the director M V Raman owed him
five thousand rupees. Ashok Kumar persuaded him to do the scene. But, when the
shooting started, he walked across the floor and, each time he walked a few places,
he said, Paanch Hazzar Rupaiya (five thousand rupees) and did
a somersault. After he reached the end of the floor, he went out of the studio,
jumped into his car, and ordered his driver Abdul to drive away. On
another occasion, when producer R. C. Talwar did not pay his dues in spite of
repeated reminders, Kishore turned up at Talwar's residence one morning and
started shouting "Hey Talwar, de de mere aath hazaar"
("Hey Talwar, give me my eight thousand"). He did this every morning
until Talwar paid him.
The film Anand (1971) was originally supposed to
star Kishore Kumar and Mehmood Ali in the lead. Hrishikesh
Mukherjee, the director of the film, was asked to meet Kishore Kumar to discuss
the project. However, when he went to Kishore Kumar's house, he was driven away
by the gatekeeper due to a misunderstanding. Kishore Kumar (himself a Bengali)
hadn't been paid for a stage show organized by another Bengali man, and had
instructed his gatekeeper to drive away this "Bengali", if he ever
visited the house. When Hrishikesh Mukherjee (also a Bengali) went to
Kishore Kumar's house, the gatekeeper drove him away, mistaking him for the
"Bengali" that Kishore Kumar had asked him to drive away.
Consequently, Mehmood had to leave the film as well, and new actors (Rajesh
Khanna and Amitabh Bachchan) were signed up for the film.
In spite
of his "no money, no work" principle, sometimes Kishore Kumar
recorded for free even when the producers were willing to pay. Such films
include those produced byRajesh Khanna and Danny Denzongpa. On
one occasion, Kishore Kumar helped actor-turned-producer Bipin Gupta, by
giving him Rs.20,000 for the film Dal Mein Kala(1964). When actor
Arun Kumar Mukherjee died, Kishore Kumar regularly sent money to his family in
Bhagalpur. Mukherjee was one of the first persons to appreciate Kishore's
singing talent.
Many journalists and writers have written about Kishore Kumar's
seemingly eccentric behavior. Kishore Kumar had put a "Beware of
Kishore" sign at the door of his Warden Road flat, where he stayed for
some time while his bungalow was being done up. Once,
producer-director H. S. Rawail, who owed him some money, visited his flat to
pay the dues. Kishore Kumar took the money, and when Rawail offered to shake
hands with him, he reportedly put Rawail's hand in his mouth, bit it, and asked
"Didn’t you see the sign?". Rawail laughed off the incident and left quickly. Kishore
Kumar was a loner, and in an interview with Pritish Nandy (1985), he
said that he had no friends – he preferred talking to his trees
instead. Once, when a reporter made a comment about how lonely he must be,
Kishore Kumar took her to his garden. He then named some of the trees in his
garden, and introduced them to the reporter as his closest friends.
According to another reported incident, once Kishore Kumar was to
record a song for producer-director G. P. Sippy. As Sippy approached his
bungalow, he saw Kishore going out in his car. Sippy pleaded him to stop his
car, but Kishore only increased the speed of his car. Sippy chased him to Madh
Island, where Kishore Kumar finally stopped his car near the ruined Madh
Fort. When Sippy questioned his strange behavior, Kishore Kumar refused to
recognize or talk to him and threatened to call police. Sippy had to return.
Next morning, Kishore Kumar reported for the recording. An angry Sippy
questioned him about his behavior on the previous day. However, Kishore Kumar
insisted that Sippy must have seen a dream, and claimed that he was in Khandwa
on the previous day.
Once, a producer went to court to get a decree that Kishore Kumar
must follow the director's orders. As a consequence, Kishore Kumar obeyed the
director to the letter. He refused to alight from his car until the director
ordered him to do so. Once, after a car scene in Mumbai, he drove on
till Khandala because the director forgot to say "Cut".In
the 1960s, a financier named Kalidas Batvabbal, patently disgusted with Kishore
Kumar's alleged lack of cooperation during the shooting of Half Ticket,
gave him away to the income tax authorities. Kishore had to face a raid at his
house. Later, Kishore invited Batvabbal home, tricked him by asking him to
enter a cupboard for a "chat" and locked him inside. He unlocked
Batvabbal after two hours and told him "Don’t ever come to my house
again."
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