RMIM Archive Article "338".
From the RMIM Article Archive maintained by Satish Subramanian
#
# RMIM Archives..
# Subject: Kishore lives on
#
# Posted by: verma@cs.cornell.edu (Arun Verma)
# Source: Asian Age
# Author: Biswhwanath Ghose
#
"Chhukar mere man ko ...": He lives on
By Biswhwanath Ghose - The Asian Age - 17th October 1996
It was the evening of September 16, 1981. Kishore Kumar picked up his
fourth Filmfare award as the best playback signer, this time for Hazar
Rahen Mudke Dekhin from the Rajesh Khanna - starrer Thodisi Bewafai.
For the next one hour, the top singer took the audience down memory
lane, joined by son Amit Kumar. But Kishoreda's main offering of the
evening was - no, not any of his own old hits - but a popular number
of late colleague Mohammed Rafi, whom he held in high esteem. A
gesture one rarely saw in the egotistical film industry!
People called him eccentric. He called himself mad. But such was the
greatness of Kishore Kumar. In Amit Kumar's words: "His life was an
open book yet he was a misunderstood man. Ask Sunil Dutt, Dev Anand,
Ashok Kumar, they will all tell you that his madness was cultivated,
his eccentricities were a facade, perhaps it was the only way he could
play - have fun with life." Kishore Kumar went on to bag three more
Filmfare awards in a row and could have own more, had he not died on
October 13, 1987. He was still singing when he died at the age of 58.
Nine years later the country is yet to see, and perhaps will never
see, a musical genius that Kishore Kumar was. A musical genius not
because he happened to sing for almost all stars and almost all music
directors (Naushad being a notable exception). Not because he
happened to be the singer of some of the best sad solos and fun
numbers, be it Zindagi ka Safar or Eena Meena Deeka.
But because of the way he used the resonance in his voice to
effortlessly put life into hundreds of compositions - not all
memorable though - which made him the undisputed king of playback
singing for ten long years from 1975 to 1985. Who else could have
done it: The mellifluous rendering of Gulzar - R D Burman's Aane Wala
Pal (Gol Mal) and Phir Wohi Raat Hai (Ghar). The devil - may - care
tone in Kalyanji Anandji's Rote hue Aaten Hain Sab (Muqaddar Ka
Sikander) and Apni to Jaise Taise (Laawaris). The comical note in
Bappi Lahiri's Pag Ghungroo Baandh (Namak Halal) or the serenity in
Manzilen Apni Jagah Hain (Sharaabi) or R D Burman's Saagar Kinare
(Sagar). Each of the last three songs fetched Kishore Kumar at
Filmfare award.
As Bappi Lahiri once said: "When he sang, he pronounced each and every
word clearly." And nobody knows better then Bappi, who owes all the
hits under his belt till date - whether from Chalte Chalte to the more
recent Namak Halal and Jeetendra - starrers like Himmatwala - to the
great singer. And it is not just Bappi Lahiri. The careers of several
other top music directors peaked when Kishore Kumar was singing for
them. Like Kalyanji Anandji. During the recording of Mera Jeevan
Kora Kagaz, Kalyanji was so moved by the song that he was in tears.
Then there is Raajesh Roshan, whose Chhukar Mere Man Ko (Yaarana) is
still remembered as Kishoreda's one of the best songs, and to some
extent Laxmikant Pyarelal (remember My Name is Anthony Gonsalves and
Om Shanti Om?!). R D Burman and father S D Burman, of course, rarely
worked without Kishore Kumar. Even maestros - turned - music
directors Shiv - Hari are best known for their Dekha Ek Khwab from
Silsila. And what about the hundreds of not - so - memorable
melodious numbers contained in LP records or cassettes gathering dust
in music shops. Even a critic of Kishore Kumar has to appreciate songs
like Mere Liye Soona Soona (Anand Aur Anand), Jeene Ko To Jeeten Hain
Sabhi, Aisa Kabhi Hua Nahin (Yeh Vaada Raha) and Dilbar Mere (Satte Pe
Satta). Then there was a mesmerising number Main Dil Tu Dhadkan from
the film Adhikar. The film, with Rajesh Khanna in the cast, failed to
take off and so did the song. But the singer had given it his best
shot. Kishore Kumar, as a singer, is still alive. One just has to
switch on the FM radio set to find that he is there, everywhere. He
can never die. But with his death, the country definitely lost an
entertainer. Gone are the days of the nites, when the versatile
singer enthralled the audience for hours, often along with his son and
somethings with his favourite music director R D. And what an
entertainer he was. In 1978, Kishoreda was in Delhi to sing for the
West Bengal flood relief fund. The venue was Rabindra Rangshala and
he had just finished with his first song Mana Janab Ne Pukara Nahin
when it started raining heavily. The audience panicked and so did the
musicians, but not Kishore Kumar. "You have paid to hear me sing and
so I will," the singer announced before going on to belt out another
15 numbers, standing drenched in between the crowd.
Even the Filmfare award functions are no more the same without Kishore
Kumar. No more is the award - winning music director's orchestra seen
on the stage and no more does the award - winning singer perform.
Many may still remember in 1984 Filmfare awards presentation ceremony
at Shanmukhananda Hall in Bombay. Bappi Lahiri, who had won the best
music director award for Sharabi, was present with full orchestra in
attendance. He began the evening with Aana Jaana Laga Rahega from
Geraftaar. The music director then called Anil Kapoor and both sang
Yaar Bina Chain Kahaan Re (Saaheb). Finally, to a thunderous
applause, Kishore Kumar walked on to the stage and started with then -
popular De De Pyar De. The singing and the dancing over, the singer
said: "Ab main woh gaana gaane ja raha hoon jiske liye aapne mujhe
award diya hai. Thoda serious ho lein." And adjusting his fur cap
and spectacles, he gave what was perhaps his most heart - rending
performance ever, singing an equally heart - rending song, Manzilen
Apni Jagah Hain, Raaste Apni Jagah Hain. The mellow mood that had
overcome the audience then climaxed with the rendering of the
evergreen Chalte Chalte Mere Yeh Geet Yaad Rakhna ...That was Kishore
Kumar's style. But it was playback singing that really suffered with
his death. No singer other than him has ever been able to match his
voice with that of the "singer" on the screen. When he sang for
Amitabh Bachchan, the audience was "convinced" that it was Amitabh who
was singing. Imagine anyone else singing Pag Ghungroo Baandh or My
Name Is Anthony Gonsalves for Amitabh! Same was the case with all
actors he sang for, from Dev Anand to Dharmendra and of course, Rajesh
Khanna. All of them owe much of their success to him.
------------------------------
From the RMIM Article Archive maintained by Satish Subramanian