Today marks the 33rd death anniversary of legendary singer, actor, and music composer, Kishore Kumar. He was an iconic artist and a powerhouse of talent who managed to woo every generation with his movies and songs. He died on October 13, 1987, following a heart attack in Bombay (now Mumbai) at 4:45 in the evening, an event that had sent shockwaves through the country.
Here are some facts about Kishore Kumar that all his fans should know:
- Kishore Kumar’s real name was Abhas Kumar Ganguly and he was born in Khandwa, Central Provinces (now in Madhya Pradesh).
- He kickstarted his film career while working in Bombay Talkies and his first film appearance was in Shikari (1946), in which Ashok Kumar played the lead role.
- He was married four times. His wives were – Ruma Guha, Madhubala, Yogeeta Bali and Leena Chandavarkar. Moreover, he had converted to Islam when he married Madhubala and changed his name to Karim Abdul.
- Kishore didn’t want to marry actor Leena Chandavarkar without seeking her parents’ blessings. So, he went to Dharwad to convince them. There he sat on a chatai with his harmonium and began singing. Eventually, when he sang ‘Nafrat karne walon ke seene mein pyar bhar doon’ (Johny Mera Naam), Leena’s reluctant father (Sreenath Chandavarkar) smiled and gave his consent.
- He had two sons – Amit Kumar and Sumit Kumar. They are both playback singers and music composers.
- Kishore Kumar’s voice suited Rajesh Khanna so much that he went on to sing as many as 245 songs for him, the highest he ever sang for an actor.
- He sang in both male and female voices for the song ‘Aake Seedhi Lagi Dil Pe’ from the film Half Ticket.
- His first award was in 1970, which was a Filmfare Award for his song ‘Roop Tera Mastana’.
- During the Emergency, he was asked to sing for an Indian National Congress (INC) rally in Mumbai, which he denied. Until the Emergency lasted, his songs were banned from playing on national broadcasters, All India Radio and Doordarshan.
- Kishore Kumar had recorded his final song, titled ‘Guru Guru’, a day before he passed away. The song, composed by Bappi Lahiri, was a duet with Asha Bhosle for the film ‘Waqt Ki Aawaz’.
- It was reported that Kishore Kumar was an admirer of Hollywood actor-singer Danny Kaye and also hung many posters of him in his house.
- His song ‘Paanch Rupaiyya Barah Anna’ was inspired by a ₹5.75 debt he owed.
- He would often yodel in his songs and many media outlets reported that he was inspired by Jimmie Rodgers and Tex Morton.
- When Kishore was recording the Bangla song ‘Ei To Jiban’ (film Amar Kantak), written by noted poet Gauri Prasan Majumdar, he was visibly moved. The philosophic song underlined that all violence and hostility perish on the funeral pyre. He refused to charge a fee for the song.
- He was fascinated with the word ‘door’ (meaning far in Hindi) and used it in his trilogy Door Gagan Ki Chaon Mein, Door Ka Rahi and Door Wadiyon Mein Kahin in the ’60s.
