Legendary Kishore Kumar (August 4, 1929 - October 13, 1987), born in Madhya Pradesh to a Bengali family as Abhas Kumar Ganguly, was an Indian film playback singer and actor. Kishore is widely acknowledged as one of the finest Indian male playback singers of all time, along with Mohammed Rafi and Mukesh. In addition to singing and acting, Kishore Kumar achieved notable successes as a lyricist, composer, producer, director, screenwriter and scriptwriter. He has sung in many Indian languages including Hindi, Bengali (his mother tongue), Marathi, Assamese, Gujarati, Kannada, Bhojpuri, Malayalam and Oriya.
Kishore Kumar did not have a formal training in music [1].He did make a name for himself as an actor, but more than anything else he wanted to become a playback singer, that was his goal in life. Kishore would ask his producers if he could sing on the movies soundtrack. Kishore didn't have a style of his own and tried to copy the likes of K.L.Saigal. Sachin Dev Burman (music composer) one day came to visit his friend Ashok Kumar. On entering the front door he heard, he was sure he heard the voice of his friend K.L.Saigal. He asked Ashok "is K.L.Saigal here too?" Ashok replied that it's not him but his younger brother singing in the bathroom.

S.D.Burman wanted to meet Kishore as he did. After a lengthy chat S.D.Burman advised him not to copy K.L.Saigal but develop his own style, with this in mind Kishore soon developed his own style, the style of yodelling which, he had learnt from Anoop Kumar's record collection, so yodelling became Kishore's trademark.

Kishore wasn't interested in acting, but was too afraid to rebel against Ashok Kumar, who wanted him to be an actor like himself. Kishore had an idea, if he didn't act properly in his movie roles, for rushing from one studio to another, recording songs, composing music and writing lyrics, he also found time to produce and direct several movies too.

S. D. Burman recorded with Kishore for Dev Anand's (actor) Munimji, Taxi Driver, Funtoosh, House No 44, Nau Do Gyarah, and Paying Guest. At a time when Lata was doing well, S.D.Burman fell out with her and replaced her with Asha Bhosle, Lata's younger sister. S.D.Burman, Majrooh, Asha and Kishore became a strong team and produced some fantastic music for films like, Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi, the song, "Ek Ladki Bheegi Bhaagi Si", "Haal Kaisa Hai Janaab Ka" and "Paanch Rupaiya Baara Aana" became very popular among the moviegoers, there was also, Dev film
Who can forget the films – run away hits – like Paying Guest and Teen Deviyan. The song "Mana Janab Ne Pukara Nahin" from Paying Guest was incredibly popular. Kishore and Asha recorded a lot of hhod Do Aanchal", "Ankhon Mein Ji", "Arre Yaar Meri Tum Bhi Ho Gajab", "Chhedo Na Meri Zulfein" and there was another classic song from the film Dilli Ka Thug, which had, "C.A.T..Cat Maane Billi" and "Hum To Mohabbat Karega", the list is endless.

In 1969, Shakti Samanta produced the film Aradhana for which music score was composed by S.D.Burman. The first songs recorded were the Mohammed Rafi solo "Gun guna rahe hain bhanvre" and Rafi-Lata duet "Baghon mein bahar hai". However, although Rafi was to continue voicing the remaining songs already composed, S.D. Burman fell into a coma following the onset of a sudden illness and it became the responsibility of R.D.Burman (his son) to finish the task. R.D. Burman made it very clear that he preferred Kishore Kumar's voice to that of Mohammed Rafi and Kishore got the break he had been seeking for nearly two decades when he won his first Filmfare award for the song, "Roop Tera Mastana" and the famous song “Mere Sapnoon ka Rani kab ayagi tu”

For the film Sharmilee, Kishore and S.D.Burman recorded, a duet with Lata with the song "Aaj Madhosh Hua Jaaye", there was "Khilte Hain Gul Yahan" and the smash hit "O Meri Sharmilee". At the same time Kishore recorded with S.D.Burman for the film Jugnu the song was "Pyaar Ke Is Khel Mein" and then around at that same time again S.D.Burman and Kishore recorded for film Zameer(1974) which had the songs "Zindagi Hasne Gaane ke liye hai Pal Do Pal", "Phoolon Ke Dere Hain", and "Tum Bhi Chalo Hum Bhi Chalen" and starred Amitabh Bachchan. Zameer(1974) was S D Burman's last film as a Music Director

Laxmikant-Pyarelal also composed many tunes for Kishore Kumar which became big hits like "Mere Dil Mein Aaj Kya Hai" from Daag and "Mere Naseeb Mein Aye Dost" from Do Raaste , "Naach Meri Bulbul" from the film Roti, "Chal Chal Mere Haathi" from the film Haathi Mere Saathi and "My Name Is Anthony Gonsalves" for the film Amar Akhbar Anthony. However, for many Kishore's most accomplished piece of work for the duo is probably the song "Mere diwanepan ki bhi dawa nahin" from the film Mehboob Ki Mehndi. Laxmikant-Pyarelal got Kishore and Rafi to sing duets for the films Dostana and Ram Balram. The Laxmikant-Pyarelal list continues with "Achchha To Hum Chalte Hain", "Kal Ki Haseen Mulaqat Ke Liye", "Gore Rang Pe Na Itna", "Tu Kitne Baras Ki", "Gaari Bula Rahi Hai", "Ruk Jaana Nahi" (film Imtihaan) and "Mere Mehboob Qayamat Hogi" (film Mr X In Bombay).

Kalyanji-Anandji and Kishore recorded for such film as Dharmatma, Laawaris , Muqaddar Ka Sikander, Kabeela, Johny Mera Naam and Don. The songs "O Saathi Re" from Muqaddar Ka Sikander and "Khaike Paan Banariswala" from the film Don were hits, as was "Mera Jeevan Kora Kagaz" from the film Kora Kagaz.

In 1975 it was reported that S.D.Burman went into a coma for the second time, while Kishore was recording the song "Badi Sooni Sooni Si Hai Zzindagi" for the film Mili. Due to his fathers death R.D.Burman spent more time with Kishore Kumar. He asked Kishore to sing for both Amitabh and Dharminder for the film Sholay.

Kishore with R.D.Burman at his side recorded for Dev Anand's films like Warrant (1975), Heera Panna, and Shareef Badmash. These films didn't do well at the box office but the music was popular, including songs like "Ruk Jaana O Jaana" from Warrant, "Panna Ki Tamana" from Heera Panna and "Neend Chura Ke Raaton Mein" from the film Shareef Badmash which were all chart busters.

Songs such as "Agar Tum Na Hote", "Humein Tum Se Pyaar Kitna", "Mere Naina Saawan Bahado", "Chingari Koi Bhadke", "O Maajhi Re" were hits.By now Kishore was also singing for the younger heroes. He was singing for Rishi Kapoor and Sanjay Dutt too. Kishore and Lata sang some trendy tunes for Sanjay's first movie called Rocky. There was "Kya Yehi Pyaar Hai" and "Hum Tumse Mile".

The new composers like Rajesh Roshan, Sapan Chakravarty (who was R.D.Burman's assistant), Bappi Lahiri and others preferred Kishore's voice. Rajesh Roshan's first hit composed film Julie had some memorable songs, "Bhool Gaya Saab Kuch", "Dil Kya Kare Jab Kisise". Rajesh Roshan worked with Kishore also for the films Do Aur Do Paanch, Doosra Aadmi, Kaala Patthar, Swami, Swayamvar, Man Pasand and Kaash. Bappi Lahiri, know for lifting western tunes asked Kishore to sing hit numbers like, "Chalte chalte", "Aaj Rapat Jaayein", "Pag Ghunghroo" for the film Namak Halal in 1982. Then in 1984 there was the film Sharabi which had songs like "Jahan Chaar Yaar" and "Manzilen Apni Jagah Hai" for which Kishore won another Filmfare award.

Kishore Kumar sang for Amitabh Bachchan, Jeetendra, Anil Kapoor and Govinda. Due to the adaptability of his voice and success of his songs, at one time, Amitabh Bachchan would always want Kishore Kumar as his playback singer just as Rajesh Khanna and Dev Anand wanted him in the past.

During the Indian Emergency in 1975-77, Kishore refused to sing for Indira Gandhi's "Emergency Propaganda" as a result, his songs were banned by all the national media at that time, but this didn't stop Kishore becoming the legend he turned out to be.

Last years

Kishore's son Amit Kumar became a great singer in the 80's thanks to patronage of R.D.Burman and Rajesh Roshan. But Kishore was still around, singing for the younger heroes and older heroes to their likes. Kishore and Amitabh had a bitter misunderstanding in the mid 80s. Amitabh refused to do a guest appearance in a film produced by Kishore. This upset Kishore and as a result he stopped singing for Amitabh. Coincidentally, Amitabh's films started flopping and he faced the worst career faze. Many years later, he made a comeback with the game show series, Kaun Banega Crorepati.

To me Kishore Kumar’s voice which entralled, enthralls and will continue to enthrall millions was one of the greatest singer India, why India the world, has experienced. There was a spark in his voice which somehow seemed lacking in few others in the contemporary world he lived in then. When you listened him sing, you became one with him. You began to hum the tune the same way as how he'd have enjoyed singing it. The zest in his voice will be unmatched forever. In fact I have taken to him so much so that I keep singing his song day in and day out and had done this on few of the platforms too.
Kishore is known for his humility equally as for his pranks. It was the time when Latha Mangeshkar and Kishore were doing many duets and at one point of time he declined – though Kishore was at his peak – being paid more than Lathaji and told the music director that he be paid a Rupee less than Lathaji so much was the respect he held Lathaji in. In another occasion when Lakshmikanth Pyrelal asked him to sing a Gazal without any hesitation he said that Mohd Rafi is well suited for Gazals and that this song be turned on to him. The cosingers were held at that esteem without considering them as competition – that was great Kishore. Ultimately, LP forced him to sing that song which turned out to be a super hit with Rajesh Khanna miming in the film ‘Daag” and the song was “Mere Dil May Aaaj Kya hai” and Kishore did not prove LP wrong either.
You could imagine Kishore's antics while singing the song, be it as a background singer or while enacting it. There was something about the manner in which he got involved and enjoyed every song of his and this enjoyment was very apparent in the songs. But on the other hand, he could beautifully and effortlessly render a sad song, conveying all the pathos associated with it. - like "Badi Sooni Sooni Hai" [Mili] !
Since the time I got enthralled and hooked onto Kishore songs, which was really very long ago (since the days I was at Delhi 1974-when I had not even an iota of Hindi Songs the way it was), I've collected many of his greatest hits, solos, duets and multiple singer songs too and no day goes without one or the other song being heard while I am at the wheels driving my car!
He died on October 13, 1987. It was a great loss to the music world and his fans but his last wish to go home was fulfilled as his body was taken to his birth place Khandwa for cremation.

I end with his song ‘ Koi lauathae mere beetha huge din” – a thing which can never happen - but am sure this legend fills up lots of hearts with his charismatic voice and beat them who said Kishore is no more with us!!!!!!!
Cheers
Subbu