Kishore Kumar (born Abhas Kumar Ganguly; ; 4 August 1929 – 13 October 1987) was an Indian playback singer, musician and actor. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest, most influential and dynamic singers in the history of Indian music. Kumar was one of the most popular singers in the Indian subcontinent, notable for his yodelling and ability to sing songs in different voices. He used to sing in different genres but some of his rare compositions, considered classics, were lost in time. In 2013, Kumar was voted "The Most Popular Male Playback Singer" in a poll conducted by the Filmfare magazine.
Besides Hindi, he sang in many other Indian languages, including Bengali, Marathi, Assamese, Gujarati, Kannada, Bhojpuri, Malayalam, Odia and Urdu. He also released a few non-film albums in multiple languages, especially in Bengali, which are noted as all-time classics. According to his brother and legendary actor Ashok Kumar, Kishore Kumar was successful as a singer because his "voice hits the mike, straight, at its most sensitive point".
He won 8 Filmfare Award for Best Male Playback Singer out of 28 nominations and holds the record for winning and nominating the most Filmfare Awards in that category. He was awarded the Lata Mangeshkar Award by the Madhya Pradesh government in 1985. In 1997, the Madhya Pradesh Government initiated an award called the "Kishore Kumar Award" for contributions to Hindi cinema. In 2012, his unreleased last song sold for ₹15.6 lakh ($17,500 US) at the Osian's Cinefan Auction in New Delhi.
Kishore Kumar was born in a Bengali Brahmin Ganguly family in Khandwa, Central Provinces (now in Madhya Pradesh) as Abhas Kumar Ganguly. His father, Kunjalal Ganguly (Gangopadhyay), was a lawyer and his mother, Gouri Devi came from a wealthy Bengali family and was a home-maker. Kunjalal was invited by the Kamavisadar Gokhale family of Khandwa to be their personal lawyer. Kumar was the youngest of four siblings, the elder three being Ashok (the eldest), Sati Devi, and Anoop.
While Kumar was still a child, his brother Ashok became an actor in Hindi cinema. Later, Anoop also ventured into cinema with Ashok's help. Kumar graduated from Christian College, Indore.
After Ashok Kumar became a star of Hindi films, the Ganguly family visited Bombay (now Mumbai) regularly. Abhas Kumar changed his name to 'Kishore Kumar' and started his cinema career as a chorus singer at Bombay Talkies, where his brother worked. Music director Khemchand Prakash gave Kumar a chance to sing "Marne Ki Duayen Kyon Mangu" for the film Ziddi (1948). After this, Kumar was offered many other assignments, but he was not very serious about a film career. In 1949, he settled in Bombay.
During the initial stage of his career, Kumar was deeply inspired by singer K. L. Saigal and imitated his style of singing in some of his early films but later evolved his own, unique style. He had a great respect for poet and musician Rabindranath Tagore who influenced him in many ways. He was an ardent admirer of Hollywood actor-singer Danny Kaye. He hung the portraits of all these three personalities at his Gouri Kunj residence and would bow respectfully before them every day as a rule.
In his later career, Kumar was also heavily influenced by playback singer Ahmed Rushdi and his liking towards Rushdi was to the extent that former paid a tribute at Royal Albert Hall in London to the latter by singing some of his songs.
Kumar employed yodelling in many of his songs including, "Yeh Dil Na Hota Bechara", "Zindagi Ek Safar Hai Suhana", and "Chala Jata Hoon". The style eventually became an essential feature of his singing and was inspired by Jimmie Rodgers and Tex Morton.
In the movie Half Ticket, for one of the songs, "Aake Seedhi Lagi Dil Pe", the music director Salil Chowdhury had a duet in mind and wanted Kumar and Lata Mangeshkar to sing the song. However, since Lata Mangeshkar was not in town and Salil Chowdhury had to record that song before she could return, Kumar solved the problem by singing both the male and female parts of the song himself. The duet is actually for Pran and Kumar on the screen dressed as a woman. It just turned out to be fine as he did admirably well singing both in male and female voices.
Music director S. D. Burman is credited with spotting Kumar's talent for singing. During the making of Mashaal (1950), Burman visited Ashok's house, where he heard Kumar imitating K. L. Saigal. He complimented him and told him that he should develop a style of his own, instead of copying Saigal. Kumar eventually developed his own style of singing, which featured yodelling, which he had heard on the records of Tex Morton and Jimmie Rodgers.S. D. Burman kept making Kishore sing for Dev Anand from the 50s to the early 70s. S. D. Burman provided him the training and encouraged Kumar a lot, especially in the late 50s and early 60s, resulting in Kumar developing into a great singer in the future years.
S. D. Burman recorded Kumar's voice for Dev Anand's Munimji (1954), Taxi Driver (1954), House No. 44 (1955), Funtoosh (1956), Nau Do Gyarah (1957), Paying Guest (1957), Guide (1965), Jewel Thief (1967), Prem Pujari (1970), and Tere Mere Sapne (1971). He also composed music for Kumar's home production Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi (1958). Some of their songs were "Maana Janaab Ne Pukara Nahin" from Paying Guest (1957), "Hum Hain Rahi Pyar Ke" from Nau Do Gyarah (1957), "Ai Meri Topi Palat Ke Aa" from Funtoosh (1956), and "Ek Ladki Bheegi Bhaagi Si" from Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi. Asha Bhosle and Kishore performed duets composed by Burman including "Chhod Do Aanchal" from Paying Guest (1957), "Ankhon Mein Kya Ji" from Nau Do Gyarah (1957), "Haal Kaisa Hai Janaab Ka" and "Paanch Rupaiya Baara Aana" from Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi (1958) and "Arre Yaar Meri Tum Bhi Ho Gajab" from Teen Deviyan (1965).
As a singer, Kumar's work with many music directors in this period includes "Ye Raatein Ye Mausam" and "Hum Toh Mohabbat Karega" from Dilli Ka Thug, "Piya Piya Mora Jiya" from Baap Re Baap, "Hello Hello Ji" from Bombay Ka Chor, "Michael Hai To Cycle Hai" from Bewaqoof, "Ae Haseeno Nazneeno" from Chacha Zindabad, "Zaroorat Hai Zaroorat Hai" from Man-Mauji (1961), "Likha Hai Teri Ankhon Mein" from Teen Devian, "Suno Jaana Suno Jaana", "Pyaar Baatke Chalo" and "Kya Teri Zulfein Hai" from Hum Sab Ustad Hain, "Khoobsurat Haseena" from Mr. X in Bombay, "Gaata Rahe Mera Dil" from Guide (1965), "Sultana Sultana" from Shreeman Funtoosh, "Machalti Hui" from Ganga Ki Lahren, "Mera Dil Meri Jaan" and "Pyar Ka Jaahan Hotel" from Jaalsaaz and "Yeh Dil Na Hota Bechara" from Jewel Thief (1967).
Music director C. Ramchandra also recognised Kumar's talent as a singer. They collaborated on songs including "Eena Meena Deeka" from Aasha (1957). Kumar's work includes "Nakhrewaali" from New Delhi (1956) by Shankar Jaikishan, "C.A.T. Cat Maane Billi" and "Hum To Mohabbat Karega" from Dilli Ka Thug (1958) by Ravi, and "Chhedo Na Meri Zulfein" from Ganga Ki Lahren (1964) by Chitragupta.
In 1968, Rahul Dev Burman worked with Kumar on the soundtrack of the film Padosan (1968), in which Kumar sang "Mere Saamne Wali Khidki Mein" and "Kehna Hai". Padosan was a comedy featuring Kishore as a dramatist-musician, Mehmood as a Carnatic music and dance teacher, and Sunil Dutt as a simpleton named Bhola. Kishore's character was inspired by his uncle, Dhananjay Bannerjee, a classical singer. The highlight of the film was a musical, comical duel between Kumar, Sunil Dutt and Mehmood: Ek Chatur Nar Karke Singaar (duet with Manna Dey).
Hemant Kumar also recorded many hit songs with Kishore in the Hindi film industry and in the Bengali film industry. They first collaborated in the 1957 film Bandi which had songs like Ek Roz Hamari Bhi Daal Galegi, Ghar Ki Raunaq Hai Gharwali, and Chup Ho Ja. After that, Kishore Kumar produced a Bengali film called Lukochuri, and hired Hemant Kumar to be the music director of the film. The songs were superhit in Bengal and those songs were Shing Nei Tobu Naam Tar Singho, Ek Paloker Ektu Dekha, Ei To Hethay Kunjochhayay (duet with Ruma Guha Thakurta), Sudhu Ektukani Chawa (Duet with Geeta Dutt) and Mayabono Biharini Horini (Duet with Ruma Guha Thakurta) which was Kishore Kumar's first Rabindra Sangeet. Hemant Kumar recorded songs with Kishore in films like Miss Mary (1957), Girlfriend (1960), Do Dooni Chaar (1968), and Rahgir (1969). Kishore Kumar's most hit song which was composed by Hemant Kumar was Woh Shaam Kuchh Ajeeb Thi from Khamoshi. In Bengali films, Kishore Kumar sang songs which were composed by Hemant Kumar in films like Madhya Rater Tara (1961), Ektuku Chhoan Lage (1965) which has songs like Ektuku Chhoan Lage, Saraswatir Seba Kori and Dustoro Parabar Periye (duet with Hemant Kumar), and Dustu Prajapati (1967). Kishore Kumar got his first BFJA Award for Best Male Playback singer for Ektuku Chhoan Lage in the year 1966.