Panthi hoon main us path ka
ant nahi jisaka
aas meri hai jisaki disha
aadhaar mere man ka…
I remember as a young child listening to this song, and being deeply moved by the voice that sung it. I didn’t understand what the words meant, but in a home that reverberated with all kinds of music, I found myself becoming fiercely passionate about Kishore Kumar. I remember getting into arguments that almost resulted in fist fights when some one said Rafi was better than Kishore. I couldn’t see beyond the seamlessness of Kishore Kumar’s voice.
With age came maturity and an understanding and appreciation of the genius of Mohammed Rafi, the unique depth and control of Manna Dey’s voice, the perfect balance of Mukesh’s voice, but my soft corner for Kishore Kumar remained then and now.
I don’t know if it was because he was self taught (and being untrained in music I know how tough it is to sing some of his songs), that created a deeper empathy along with the pre existing respect for his talent. I don’t know if it was a deep admiration for his multi-dimensional gifts-writer, actor, director, composer, that kept me mesmerized, or whether, it was just the deep, vibrant voice with a seamless fluidity and his quixotic persona that kept me intrigued and hooked on to the phenomenal singer.
I think two wonderful things have happened to me in the past few years when it comes to Kishore Kumar. The first – my continuous conversations off and on email with legendary singer, Asha Bhosle’s son Anand. Anand is a walking encyclopedia of information and anecdotes. The insight Anand continues to give me on the legends of the golden era is not just educational, I love some of the phrases he churns out. The second was getting to interview Amit Kumar Ganguly, Kishore Kumar’s equally multi-dimensional son. It was as if I was finally ushered into the world that until now I had glimpsed from afar, through the melodies and movie magic that the legendary artist created. Both Amit and Anand, have phenomenal memories. On top of that they are great story tellers. I hope both of them will write books some day to capture these memories for posterity forever.
Anand called Kishore da the mad hatter genius-a phrase I think aptly describes Kishore Kumar, now that I have heard so many first hand stories and I too call Kishore da that, with love. In one of our early conversations Anand had said to me that as a youngster growing up, he would make it a point to run straight from school for his mother’s recordings especially when Kishore Kumar, Asha ji and R.D Burman were recording.
He had said in what turned out to be a stellar interview and still gets thousands of hits, “I was never really trained in music though I have a good ear for it. My interest was in studying economics and commerce and that is what I did.
I used to however be fond of music and absolutely loved R.D. Burman’s tunes. Whenever mom was recording for him, she would send the car for me after school. I was about 11-12 years old then and would be given the privilege of going straight into the singers’ cabin where mom would be rehearsing. For the final take however I would be sent out by her, so I could sit where I could hear the entire music accompanying her song, but most importantly, she claimed she was nervous having me in the room with her!
Today when I look back, I realize I was like that fly on the wall when history was being made-I was there when some of the best songs by R.D., mom and Kishore Kumar were being recorded.
Kishore da was such a joy to be around. He was this mad hatter genius, who would come up with amazing improvisations and mom and he would enhance the song even further competing to add that one touch, to out do the other. The competition was always healthy and they were very appreciative of each other’s talents. Kishore da would always sit on this high chair and sing, mom always stood and sang, and between them they would create sheer magic. There was laughter all the time when Kishore da was around.”
Perhaps the best thing that happened to music lovers the world over was the advent of live stage shows. Millions of people world wide have seen their beloved artists up close and personal. I have been part of that audience and seen the joy, the devotion, the unadulterated pure love that flows from those who have adored Kishore Kumar, Asha ji and R.D Burman’s collaborations. I never saw Kishore Kumar live but I have seen the madness whenever Asha ji comes on stage.
Anand says, “Mom and Kishore da performing together was a once in a lifetime experience. They had chemistry that worked perfectly on stage. Both were extrovert personalities and together they had atomic fusion. They literally set the stage alight with their antics, fun and frolic. Whoever had the opportunity to witness them on stage together would remember it for the rest of their life. Much like their duet recordings, there was spontaneity in their performance. I remember one incident in Calcutta. They were performing at the Netaji indoor stadium. Kishore da had finished his first entry and mom was on stage solo. Instead of walking off the stage, he decided to sit down on stage and listen to her sing. She sang this beautiful classical song and when she took a difficult ’taan’, he jumped up and went wild! It was a spontaneous reaction of appreciation from a great artiste for his co-performer. Of course, the audience was in splits because they saw his comic side. I was too, but he was dead serious.”
Asha ji had said to me in an earlier interview, “Between Lata didi, Kishore Kumar and I, we sang all of Pancham’s songs and Kishore always improvised on the spot, and I think he knew that I was the only one who could keep up with him. A lot of times, we would finalize things and then when we went in front of the mike he would sing something very different, and I would match him with improvisation of my own! Pancham was a genius, and the first musician to blend east and west so beautifully. Today all the musicians do is plagiarize from others and pass it as their own.”
Amit told me that while Kishore Kumar sang beautiful songs with many composers, he feels that the person who really exploited his father’s voice was indeed R. D. Burman. Anand agrees. “When Pancham da used to teach his composition to these two singers, they were very respectful of his talent. Both used to listen to him carefully and only made suggestions which they thought were appropriate. However, once they went live on the microphone, they used to each come up with their own little additions to the song that used to floor Pancham da. I don’t think he ever went back unhappy. They were his spearhead singers.”
“Kishore da, though used to have the song sent to him on cassette prior to recording it. That way, he came prepared to the studio. Mom, on the other hand used to listen and rehearse it at the recording studio. Both had their own style and they complemented each other perfectly. Kishore da used to find Pancham da’s compositions difficult and always used to playfully say to him “Pancham tum sidhi tune kyon nahin banate ho? Mujhe taklif kyon dete ho? (Pancham why do you not make straight forward tunes? Why are you making it tough for me?) During the recording of the song “Mera chota sa dil tune cheena” from Madhosh, he got so exasperated with the difficult rhythm pattern that he put an ice bag on his head and sang the song. It was hilarious watching him.”
Perhaps most people don’t realize what a big deal these close relationships were because Kishore Kumar seldom allowed anyone to get close to him. He didn’t trust too many people, but the love and respect the trio had for each other spilled into R.D. Burman and Asha ji’s fondness for Amit and her protectiveness towards him. Amit told me that Asha ji has been a guiding force who corrected him and gave him tips and was very helpful to him always. To which Anand adds “Mom has always been close to Amit because of the old association and like with his father, she is very comfortable with him on stage. I think he too enjoys performing with her more than anyone else. He once told me that she was the best female performer that he has ever seen. Like his father, he idolizes her. She has great love and affection for him.”
If you listen to his songs, you’ll see an amazing diversity in Kishore Kumar’s never ending repertoire. From Aake dil pe lagi where he sang both the male and female segments without much break taking his voice several octaves higher to do the female version and then lowering it for the male segment, winning Salil Chaudhry’s grudging respect, to the soulful Dukhi Man mere. From the madcap Ek Chatur naar, Cat mane Billi, Eena Meena Deeka, to the emotive Main shayar badnam and Badi sooni sooni hai, to the romantic Roop tera mastana and Simti si sharmayi si, his voice seamlessly glides across the airwaves and makes a permanent haven into your heart.
And who can match his yodeling?
As an actor he acted opposite the top most heroines of his time and the best banners. As a director and composer, he enchanted us. Who can forget Door Gagan ki Chaon mein and the music of Jhumroo?
We listened to Kishore Kumar, and Kishore Kumar was enchanted with K.L Saigal. In fact he left his beloved Khandwa only because of his desire to meet the famed singer. Listen to his debut song Marne ki duaen Kyon mangoo, and you can see shades of Saigal in his rendition. He went on to evolve into a singer par excellence nurturing his own voice after S.D Burman heard him imitating Saigal’s voice in the bathroom and told him to create his own niche, as an original.
S.D Burman was his mentor, says Amit and had he not stood behind Kishore Kumar, he may not have made it as a singer. In fact Kishore Kumar sang the last composition Badi Sooni Sooni Hai, S.D. Burman wrote before lapsing into a coma.
Who was this chameleon like persona? Amit says, in his eyes, his father was the greatest singer the world has ever seen in the past 3-4 centuries. He was a genius, an eccentric, comical and sober within moments, a simple man much misunderstood by others, who loved his wife Leena and sons, and longed to go back to his native land Khandwa, away from the fake glitter of Bollywood, to all that was real and uncluttered.
Instead he left a shocked world grieving, when he passed away from a massive heart attack on 13th October 1987, leaving a treasure trove of memories and melodies behind. He was not yet 60.
When I asked Anand, why this continued obsession with the man who left us 21 years ago? Why are there the maximum number of Kishore Kumar clones and wanna bes? He said, “Clones and wanna be’s will remain copies. The original is the original. There will never be another Kishore Kumar. There may be bad Kishore Kumars and good Kishore Kumars, but never The Kishore Kumar. Singers try to ape him and try and sing in his voice and style, but can anyone ever get into the mind of the real Kishore Kumar and think like him?
For example, when he sang Nakhrewali, what was he thinking about ? Was he emoting some personal life’s experience into the song ? His personal thought and experience brought out that emotion, which can’t be copied. You have to be Kishore Kumar to feel it and sing it.
Also, his voice had a timbre and resonance that no other voice has. He never needed reverb. He had a natural reverb and it used to engulf the microphone and his voice had a unique grain. It was rich and had texture. This is a God given gift. Either you have it or you don’t. No matter how much you copy it, you can’t get it unless you were born with it. Before Kishore Kumar happened on the scene, male star songs were composed in a particular style to suit the style of the singers in those days. Kishore da brought a youthful, vibrant and modern style that has appeal even today. The rise of R.D. Burman and his modern, revolutionary style coincided with the second coming of Kishore da and to put it simply: heroes were suddenly singing the way a man should sing. There was masculinity in his voice and style that is appreciated and aped even today. Women found it manly and irresistible. Men identified with his style. I don’t think it will ever go out of style. Thus, the obsession with him.”
Today there are original compositions of Kishore Kumar being brought to fore in a forthcoming feature film with Amit and younger son Sumit lending their voice to those compositions. Also in the works is a bio pic on Kishore Kumar, with a grand budget, being produced by UTV. Amit says the family has given their blessing to the project and he is very hopeful it will be a multi-part affair, that will show the younger generation the genius of this man. Anand is all for it as well. “Recently, there was a documentary on R.D. Burman. Kishore da’s life was colorful and it would make a good cinematic experience. However, great care must be taken to showcase and portray the man the way he was. Similar movies have been made on the lives of singers in the USA, like Ray, Walk down the line, etc. and they are well made movies left as a reminder for future generations of these great men”.
As I sit here listening to so many melodies I had forgotten, while working on this tribute, I realize how fortunate I’m to again relive the magic that is created each time Kishore Kumar’s voice serenades the universe.
And it seems, now, more than ever that “Aye Tum yaad Mujhe , gaane lagi har dhadkan, Khushboo layi pawan, mehka chandan”, was written for him – and for just this moment.
SPECIAL PODCAST:
Kavita pays a tribute to Kishore Kumar through an exclusive interview with his son Amit, showcases some of Amit Kumar and Anand Bhosle’s favorite Kishore Kumar solos, and picks her own favorites.
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