Kishore
Kumar was no ordinary mortal. There is no second opinion about that. He
was a sublime genius with the customary trappings of eccentricity and
madness. Gifted with the most precious vocal talents, Kishore Kumar held
sway in Hindi film music with a slew of memorable renditions delivered
in his inimitable style. He was a producer, director, actor, singer,
composer, lyricist all rolled into one.
Kishore Kumar didn't have it easy. He was dismissed as a nonentity and
no composer was willing to bet on his singing prowess. But Kishore
persisted and his perseverance eventually paid off with the chartbusting
numbers of Aradhana. He went on to become one of the greatest playback
singers ranking alongside the likes of Mohammed Rafi and Mukesh.
Kishore Kumar was no less as an actor. A bunch of hilarious comedies
such as Chalti ka Naam Gaadi, Half Ticket, Padosan, and Hungama lend
credence to his acting prowess. Today Kishoreda is no more, but he
remains etched in our minds courtesy his scores of priceless songs.
As an Actor
Kishore Kumar always aspired to be a singer while the acting career was
largely thrust upon him. A young Kishore was expected to emulate the
success of elder brother Ashok Kumar and his lack of training in
classical music was seen as a hindrance to a possible career in playback
singing.
Awards
At his prime Kishore Kumar's dominance in Hindi film music was so
absolute that virtually all other singers were reduced to mere
also-rans. Kishoreda's unrivaled stature was borne out by the plethora
of awards and laurels that come his way with amazing regularity.
Life of Kishore Kumar
Kishore Kumar was born Abhas Kumar Ganguly on August 4, 1929 in the town
of Khandwa in Madhya Pradesh. The youngest of the four siblings, Kishore
was in his teens when elder brothers Ashok and Anoop Kumar made forays
into the Bollywood filmdom.
Kishore Kumar Songs
The songs of Kishore Kumar are a true reflection of his awesome singing
talents. For a singer bereft of formal training in music, Kishore Kumar
churned out some of the evergreen classics in Hindi film music. After
imitating K. L. Saigal during the initial period, Kishore developed his
own style of singing characterized by yodeling.