Profession: Playback Singer, Bollywood.
Kishore kumar's was the second golden male voice that the film industry produced. , the first being that of Kundan Lal Sehgal. Besides being a Singer, Kishore was a talented actor and comedian who stood out for his performances. He made his mark as an accomplished film and music director.
He was born as Abhas Kumar Ganguly in Khadwa. As a child, he had been mischievous and loved playing pranks on everyone around him. His penchant for effortless comedy perhaps, came from his early days of pranks and mimicry. And there were directors like Kalidas (Half Ticket) and Satyen Bose (Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi) and actor-director Keshto Mukherjee (co-star in Padosan) who realised this potential and cashed in on his unusual brand of humour with stupendous success.
At the age of 18, he came to Bombay where alder brother Ashok Kumar was a major star. He got his first opportunity as a singer in Bombay Talkies Ziddi (1948) where he sang the song Marne Ki Duayen Kyon Mangu for Dev Anand. Being an ardent admirer of K.L. Saigal, the song was sung in the style of the legend. But in spite of Ziddi's success. Kishore found few offers forthcoming and did the odd singing assignment with bit roles making a rather tepid acting debut as hero in the forgettable Andolen (1951). After his marriage to Ruma Devi resulted in a spilt in the family, Kishore approached S.D. Burman who had given him an opportunity in Pyar (1950) where interestingly he had sung for Raj Kapoor. Burmanda gave him the song Qusoor Aapka in Bahar (1951) which became a hit. As he got more singing assignments. He also began being offered leading roles in films. Kishore was initially taken quite lightly as a singer and was given mainly lighter songs by Burmanda and other music directors. But with the soulful Dukhi Man Mere from. From Funtoosh (1956), Kishore was now taken seriously as a singer. Though he was formally untrained, he assimilated jazz-scat fragmented musical notes into a rhythmic sequence and once its beat was established, departed from the pattern and combined notes and words/syllables into new kinds of musical harmony.
Kishore reached his peak as an actor with the Zany comedy Chalti ka Naam Gaadi (1958) which starred all the three Ganguly brother and Madhubala. Kishore and Madhubala matched each other step for step in this comic caper with Burmanda composing such lighthearted ditties as Haal Kaisa Hai Jannab Ka and Paanch Rupaiya Barah Anna. After Kishore's marriage to Ruma Devi disintegrated, he married Madhubala The two starred in Jhumroo (1961), which Kishore produced and directed. He Ticket (1962) with the two of them saw Kishore at his madcap best impersonating a 12 year old!
Door Gagan ki Chaon Main (1964) further confirmed Kishore's acting talent as he scored heavily in a rather serious film. But the 60s also saw Kishore fall from grace as beset by tex problems he was reduced to doing B-films with the likes Kum Kum. He had the odd singing assignment for Dev Anand in Guide (1965) and Jewel Thief (1967) but that was all. The turning point came with Aradhana (1969). Though Burmanda used Kishore as what he called his second service, his songs for Rajesh Khanna Mere Sapnon ki Rani and Kora Kagaz Tha Yeh Man Mere proved super duper hit ahead of the Mohd. Rafi songs for the same film. It was a second coming and there was no turning back. Kishore formed a solid hit pairing with Rajesh Khanna and in the early 70s the duo churned out hit after hit. He overtook all competition and was the undisputed number one male playback singer of Hindi films, his voice publising with verve and exuberance.
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