Kishore Kumar: 10 lesser known facts about the legend
Kishore Kumar, an unschooled singer who despite of having no classical training ruled millions of hearts with his soulful melodies.
A "phenomenal genius" who is equally popular today even after so many years of his death, Kishore Kumar is undoubtedly one of the most celebrated singers of all time in India. Apart from being an exceptional playback singer, he was also a music composer, lyricist, screenwriter, director and producer. Just listen to any of his songs and his melodious voice, perfect tone and energetic presentation will leave you mesmerized. Here, let's take a look at some of the most interesting yet lesser known facts about the legendary singer, Kishore Kumar.
Kishore Kumar was born as Abhas Kumar Ganguly in Khandwa, Madhya Pradesh.
Kumar had a shrill in his voice in childhood and whenever he tried singing, everyone would start to laugh at his singing. Later, he voice transformed and became so beautiful that it mesmerizes us even now.
When he was in his 5th standard, he didn't know anything about mathematics. So in his math exam, he filled the whole answer script with little poems, doodles, jokes and smily faces.
As a singer, Kishore Kumar made his formal debut with the song "Marne Ki Duayen Kaun Kare" in the 1949 film 'Ziddi'. After singing several songs, he got noticed by the renowned music composer Salil Chowdhury and got the opportunity to sing the song "Chhota Sa Ghar Hoga" in the film 'Naukari' (1954). This song became a superhit and brought Kumar into limelight.
As an actor, Kishore Kumar made his first appearance in the 1946 film 'Shikari', in which his brother Ashok Kumar played the protagonist.
K. L. Saigal, Rabindranath Tagore and the Hollywood singer-actor Danny Kaye, these are the three people Kumar respected the most. He even hang their portraits in his house and used to bow them every morning.
Kishore Kumar married 4 times during his lifetime and his wives were: Ruma Guha Thakurta, Madhubala, Yogeeta Bali and Leena Chandravarkar. His two sons Amit Kumar and Sumit Kumar are playback singers and music composers.
'Abhimaan', a film by Hrishikesh Mukherjee, was inspired by the life of Kishore Kumar and his first wife Ruma Guha Thakurta.
Kumar was a real crazy man in his personal life. He often used to talk with trees and crack jokes with them. Once, he put up a signboard that read "Beware of Kishore" outside of his house.
During the National Emergency, the then government of India requested Kishore Kumar to sing on the radio. He denied this and therefore, he was banned from the radio for 2 years.
Kishore Kumar was a genius in true sense. He won several prestigious awards including 8 Filmfare Award for Best Male Playback Singer.
