Kishore Kumar

Kishore Kumar (August 4, 1929 – October 13, 1987) was an Indian film playback singer and comic actor. He also achieved notable successes as a lyricist, composer, producer, director, screenwriter and scriptwriter.

Kishore Kumar has sung in many Indian languages including Hindi, Bengali (his mother tongue), Marathi, Assamese, Gujarati, Kannada, Bhojpuri, Malayalam and Oriya. Along with Mohammed Rafi , and Mukesh, he was one of the three leading male Bollywood playback singers from the 1950s to the mid-1980s. He holds the record for most number of Filmfare Awards won for Best Male Playback Singer.

He was on the top of his singing career when tragedy struck the music world in October 1987. He passed away due to massive heart attack. By this time he and his talented son Amit Kumar were ruling the playback singing in Bollywood and Bengali films. His other son, Sumit Kumar from Leena Chandavarkar was only a child.

Last years

Kishore Kumar produced and directed some movies in the late 1970s and early 1980s, such as Badhti Ka Naam Daadhi (1978), Zindagi (1981) and Door Wadiyon Mein Kahin (1982). But none of these films did well at the box-office. His last appearance as an actor was in Door Wadiyon Mein Kahin.

With patronage from R. D. Burman and Rajesh Roshan Kishore Kumar's son Amit Kumar also became a leading Bollywood singer in the 1980s. Kishore Kumar also continuted singing for several actors. He also did some stage shows, apparently to earn money to pay his income tax arrears.

Kishore Kumar stopped singing for Amitabh Bachchan in the mid-1980s, after Amitabh didn't do a guest appearance in a film produced by him. He also stopped singing for the actor Mithun Chakraborty, after Yogeeta Bali divorced him and married Mithun.

In mid-1980s, Kishore Kumar sang for Anil Kapoor in his Kapoor's debut film, Woh Saat Din and also recorded for his first superhit Mr. India. He also recorded some popular songs for the film Saagar with R. D. Burman. By this time, he had decided to retire and was planning to go back to his birthplace, Khandwa. However, on October 13 1987, he died of a heart attack in Mumbai. His body was taken to Khandwa for cremation. He recorded his last song a day before he died. The song was Guru O Guru, a duet with Asha Bhosle, for the film Waqt ki Aawaz (1988) composed by Bappi Lahiri for Mithun Chakraborty.

Kishore Kumar's voice inspired many upcoming Bollywood singers, including Kumar Sanu, Abhijeet, Vinod Rathod and Babul Supriyo. After his death, many of his songs have been remixed and re-sung by several artists.

Kishore Kumar's song Pal Bhar Ke Liye from the film Johny Mera Naam (1970) was used in an episode of The Simpsons titled Kiss Kiss Bang Bangalore. His songs have also been featured in several films, including Such a Long Journey (1998) and Side Streets (1998).

Awards Filmfare Awards

Winner
Year↓ Song↓ Film↓ Music director↓ Lyricist↓
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1969 Roop tera mastaana Aradhana Sachin Dev Burman |Anand Bakshi
1975 Dil aisa kisi ne Amanush Shyamal Mitra | Indeevar
1978 Khaike paan Banaraswaala Don Kalyanji-Anandji | Anjaan
1980 Hazaar raahen mudke dekheen| Thodisi Bewafaai | Khayyam | Gulzar
1982 Pag ghunghroo baandh | Namak Halaal | Bappi Lahiri | Anjaan
1983 Hamen aur jeene ki| Agar Tum Na Hote |Rahul Dev Burman | Gulshan Bawra
1984 Manzilen apni jagah Sharaabi Bappi Lahiri Anjaan
1985 Saagar Kinaare Saagar Rahul Dev Burman Javed Akhtar