Kishore Kumar's wild journey: From flop auditions to Bollywood's singing God

India Today

04-08-2025

On August 4, 2025, we celebrate what would have been the 96th birthday of Kishore Kumar. In the concluding part of our series on the legendary singer-actor, we trace Kishore's rise to India's greatest rock star from a nervous beginning, marked by rejections and failures.Tumne kabhi kisi se pyaar kiya? Kya tumne Kishore Kumar ka ye gaana suna? Maine bhi suna.advertisementIn 1980-81, the soundtrack of Karz hit the Indian consciousness like a rock concert. At the heart of it were two unforgettable songs: Meri Umar Ke Naujawano, a call against love, and Ek Haseena Thi, a dynamite-like memoir of betrayal.
Both tracks were a masterclass in controlled escalation, starting with spoken dialogue over drums and a guitar riff before exploding like volcanoes.Meri Umar Ke NaujawanoLet's start with Meri Umar Ke Naujawano, which plays like a slow-burning fuse before ending in pure musical detonation.At the beginning, Kishore Kumar's voice is low, almost conversational, as he addresses the naujawano (youth). Starting with a 'La-La-La-La,' his deliberate pacing creates a sense of urgency - like a rebel leader rallying a crowd.As the first antara builds, Kishore's voice grows more dynamic. His signature improvisations - rollercoaster-like inflections and quick vocal dips (iss rog ka nahi hai ilaaz duniya main aur koi) - inject rock-star swagger, before culminating in the explosive cry: Om Shanti Om.In the song's final stretch, Kishore's voice climbs into stratospheric notes, laced with a gritty, almost primal energy. When he roars - Oooom, Shaaanti, Oooooooom, Haa - the climax hits like a spontaneous outburst. It's pure rock concert catharsis.Kishore, a rock star? Damn right - he owned the stage. Who would have thought?Ek Deewana ThaIndore, 1948–49: Kishore Kumar's first public singing performance was nearly a disaster - or so he feared. Coaxed by friends at Indore's Christian College, Kishore only agreed to sing if the stage curtain stayed down.Nervous and restless, sweltering in an overcoat, he began on a note higher than intended, which forced him to keep raising the pitch. Midway, someone unexpectedly lifted the curtain, exposing a shy Kishore to the full audience. He sweated through the song. Yet when he finished, the crowd gave him a standing ovation.The applause at Christian College boosted his confidence, but academics never held his heart. By his second year, restless and disillusioned, he set his sights on Bombay, chasing a dream of singing in the shadow of his brother, matinee idol Ashok Kumar (Dadamoni).Ye hai Bambai Nagariya Tu Dekh BabuaHis early auditions in Bombay, though, were disastrous. Kishore turned up in mismatched clothes, breaking into yodels and chanting 'bum-chick-bum' in a style no one had ever heard. Producers didn't just reject him - they thought he was a misfit, a freak.advertisementKishore found a mentor in Khemchand Prakash, the very man who'd transformed fellow Indore native Lata Mangeshkar into a sensation.Prakash, born in Rajasthan's Sujangarh, had just given Lata her first major hit - Aayega Aane Wala - from the haunting classic Mahal, starring Madhubala, Kishore's future wife. The song set Lata on a path to legendary status.Kishore's own first big break also came from Prakash: 'Marne Ki Duayen Kyun Mangu', a nasal ghazal for Dev Anand's 'Ziddi'. But sung in the KL Saigal style (then the norm), it passed unnoticed, and Kishore drifted into minor acting roles.Fate had other plans. Months later, in Kaneez, he unleashed his signature yodel and bum-chick-bum, a bold move that finally caught the industry's ear.For nearly twenty years, Kishore sang mainly for himself and Dev Anand, whom he fondly called 'Mahaprabhu.'His decision to avoid being the voice for other stars like Dilip Kumar and Raj Kapoor cost him famous opportunities. For example, when asked to sing Kasme Vaade Pyar Wafa from Upkaar, he didn't respond, and Manna Dey's rendition became iconic.advertisementHis reluctance to sing for other actors was surprising. Kishore's only interest was singing - he took up acting reluctantly - and there were plenty of opportunities to work with legendary composers, and make pots of money, which he craved. His decision can only be explained by his whimsical nature and eccentricities.Ye Shaam MastaniBy the end of the 1960s, Kishore's acting career was over. His personal life was also in turmoil because of financial difficulties, and the death of his second wife, Madhubala, after a long illness.During this turbulence, Kishore found solace in music through RD Burman's encouragement. A pivotal evening with Rajesh Khanna, where he studied the star's mannerisms for hours, set the stage for Aradhana's iconic Mere Sapnon Ki Rani, a song that would redefine his legacy.Khanna was mesmerised by Kishore. 'He made it seem Rajesh Khanna is singing the song,' the actor recalled. The songs of Aradhana became a cultural sensation, anointing Kishore as the voice of Rajesh Khanna, and the God of playback singing.Unlike other singers of his generation, Kishore wasn't formally trained. His voice was raw, unfiltered - a rare gift of nature. Lacking classical instruction, Kishore relied heavily on rehearsals, often refusing to record until he had perfected the delivery. And yet, his instinct was so precise, his voice so unique, that even when others sang the same song, Kishore's version stood above the rest.advertisementWhen he sang in low notes (Dil Aisa Kisi Ne Mera Toda), his soft baritone melted hearts. When he yodelled - rapid switch from deep voice to falsetto - he flowed like a carefree river (Zindagi Ek Safar Hai Suhana). And when he turned up the energy, his voice became a roar that could slice through the sky (Ek Hasina Thi).Yet, as a child, Kishore had a weak, almost fragile voice - as Dadamoni later recalled. Fate, like always, intervened.Rote Hue Aate Hain Sab...One day, Kishore accidentally cut his big toe with a knife. The wound was deep, painful, and slow to heal. For weeks, Kishore cried in agony - wailing all day, every day. But that relentless crying had a strange side effect: his vocal cords opened up, and his voice grew clearer. 'Gala khul gaya uska,' Dadamoni said.This accidental transformation followed him into college, at Indore's Christian College, where his passion for singing blossomed. Evenings disappeared in song - he'd organise mehfils with friends, singing everything from Saigal's ghazals to spirited Western numbers, especially those by American country singer Jimmie Rodgers, the original yodeller who inspired him.advertisementThe uproar caused by Kishore's boisterous practice sessions brought complaints from students - and reports in the local newspapers. But nothing could stop him. Kishore would keep singing till his very last breath....Hansta Hua Jo JayegaOn October 12, Kishore recorded the duet Guru Guru with Asha Bhosle for the film Waqt Ki Awaaz, starring Mithun Chakraborty - the same actor who had reportedly had an affair with Kishore's third wife, Yogeeta Bali. A day later, on Dadamoni's birthday, Kishore died of a heart attack at home in Bombay.His son, Amit Kumar, later recalled that Kishore was at home with his fourth wife, Leena Chandavarkar, and when he collapsed, she first thought he was playing one of his usual pranks. Tragically, this time he wasn't. Ironically, Kishore had almost foretold his passing.A few months earlier in Calcutta, at one of his last live concerts, Kishore had been in a reflective, celebratory mood. 'I have primarily sung for four actors - Dev Anand 'Mahaprabhu', Shikore Shumar Khandwe Wala (myself), Rajesh Khannam, and Amitabh Bachchaaaan,' he quipped in his signature comic style. 'I don't know if I'll return again, so I want to revisit my life from the very beginning.'That evening, he sang for more than an hour - cracking jokes about the Income Tax Department, mocking himself for only singing for money, and even pulling audience members up on stage.Kishore's playfulness couldn't hide a deeper awareness of time running out. 'I want to sing this song before my time is over - I may not get another chance,' he confessed.The song he chose: Main hoon ek paagal premi, Mera dard na koyi jaanaa from Shreeman Funtoosh. It was a fitting finale to the night - and the defining anthem of his life.Happy Birthday, Kishore da. May you rock God's own stage.(The series is concluded. The previous parts are interlinked as follows)Part 4: Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi: Madhubala and Kishore's defiant dance of joy amidst shadowsPart 3: Kishore Kumar: The Voice of Melody and MoneyPart 2: The Real Anand: The Pain Behind Kishore Kumar's MadnessPart 1: Love, Money, Madness and Fame: The Enduring Philosophy of Kishore Kumar- EndsMust Watch