Kishore Kumar's 96th birth anniversary: 5 facts about the actor-musician you probably didn't know
5 Photos . Updated: 04 Aug 2025, 12:44 PM IST
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From yodelling and multi-voice singing to mischief and mystery, Kishore Kumar's life was a blend of boundless talent and unforgettable quirks. With zero formal training in classical or professional singing, Kishore became one of Bollywood's most versatile singers under the mentorship of SD Burman.
1/5The humorous song 'Paanch Rupaiyya Barah Aana' from Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi was inspired by a real–life episode: Kishore da once owed exactly
₹ 5.75 to his college canteen in Indore. He immortalised that debt in the song's title
2/5In 'Aake Seedhi Lagi Dil Pe' from Half Ticket (1962), when Lata Mangeshkar was unavailable, Kishore da mimicked both the male and female vocals. Lata reportedly quipped that the industry could manage without her if he was capable of that feat. (X)
3/5He famously changed his religion to marry the legendary actress Madhubala.
4/5At his Warden Road apartment in Mumbai, he placed a sign that read 'Beware of Kishore.' Once, producer HS Rawail, who owed him money, tried to shake his hand only for Kishore to bite it, pointing at the sign. Rawail later laughed it off
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Hindustan Times
2 days ago
- Hindustan Times
From brotherhood to romance: 'Sholay' songs mirror its many moods
New Delhi, The soundtrack of "Sholay" is memorable and hum worthy just like its dialogues and characters even after 50 years. The R D Burman album encapsulates the range of emotions the revenge drama showcases eloquently. From brotherhood to romance: 'Sholay' songs mirror its many moods Kishore Kumar, Lata Mangeshkar and Manna Dey performed vocals for Dharmendra, Malini and Bachchan, respectively. Here is a list of its songs: "Yeh Dosti": The brotherhood anthem, depicting Jai and Veeru's strong friendship, is a track referenced even today. The beautiful upbeat song is sung by Kishore Kumar and Manna Dey. In a scooter, with a sidecar, Amitabh Bachchan and Dharmendra have light hearted fun while professing their undying friendship to each other. The track was remixed by Shankar Mahadevan and Udit Narayan for the 2010 Malayalam film "Four Friends" and was also used to symbolise India-US friendship in the same year during Barack Obama's visit. "Mehbooba Mehbooba": The item song, sung by Burman, remains memorable due to the breathtaking performance by Helen. In the scene, Amjad Khan contrasts Helen's sensuality with a menacing presence as he and his gang enjoy a night out. The song keeps appearing in pop culture. It was recreated in a 2005 version by the Kronos Quartet for their Grammy-nominated album "You've Stolen My Heart", featuring Asha Bhosle. It was also remixed and sung by Himesh Reshammiya, along with Bhosle, in his debut film "Aap Kaa Surroor". "Jab Tak Hai Jaan": Sung by Lata Mangeshkar, the song showcases Hema Malini's Basanti dancing to save Veeru's life from Gabbar. Malini painfully dances on glass shards as an angry Veeru, tied up as he is, watches helplessly. "Holi Ke Din Dil Khil Jate Hai": Sung by Kishore Kumar and Lata Mangeshkar, this song captures a moment of unfiltered joy among the villagers on the festival of Holi. The song also captures the budding romance between Veeru and Basanti and Jai and Jaya Bahaduri's Radha. The song is flooded with imagery of pink gulaal with the unity between the villagers. But their happiness does not last long as Gabbar strikes during the festival. "Koi Haseena Jab Rooth Jaati": The song features Veeru trying to win over Basanti while they ride her horse-cart. The playful banter of the fan-favourite couple provides a much needed dose of joy with the melodious voice of Kishore Kumar. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
News18
2 days ago
- News18
From brotherhood to romance: Sholay songs mirror its many moods
New Delhi, Aug 15 (PTI) The soundtrack of 'Sholay" is memorable and hum worthy just like its dialogues and characters even after 50 years. The R D Burman album encapsulates the range of emotions the revenge drama showcases eloquently. Kishore Kumar, Lata Mangeshkar and Manna Dey performed vocals for Dharmendra, Malini and Bachchan, respectively. Here is a list of its songs: 'Yeh Dosti": The brotherhood anthem, depicting Jai and Veeru's strong friendship, is a track referenced even today. The beautiful upbeat song is sung by Kishore Kumar and Manna Dey. In a scooter, with a sidecar, Amitabh Bachchan and Dharmendra have light hearted fun while professing their undying friendship to each other. The track was remixed by Shankar Mahadevan and Udit Narayan for the 2010 Malayalam film 'Four Friends" and was also used to symbolise India-US friendship in the same year during Barack Obama's visit. 'Mehbooba Mehbooba": The item song, sung by Burman, remains memorable due to the breathtaking performance by Helen. In the scene, Amjad Khan contrasts Helen's sensuality with a menacing presence as he and his gang enjoy a night out. The song keeps appearing in pop culture. It was recreated in a 2005 version by the Kronos Quartet for their Grammy-nominated album 'You've Stolen My Heart", featuring Asha Bhosle. It was also remixed and sung by Himesh Reshammiya, along with Bhosle, in his debut film 'Aap Kaa Surroor". 'Jab Tak Hai Jaan": Sung by Lata Mangeshkar, the song showcases Hema Malini's Basanti dancing to save Veeru's life from Gabbar. Malini painfully dances on glass shards as an angry Veeru, tied up as he is, watches helplessly. 'Holi Ke Din Dil Khil Jate Hai": Sung by Kishore Kumar and Lata Mangeshkar, this song captures a moment of unfiltered joy among the villagers on the festival of Holi. The song also captures the budding romance between Veeru and Basanti and Jai and Jaya Bahaduri's Radha. The song is flooded with imagery of pink gulaal with the unity between the villagers. But their happiness does not last long as Gabbar strikes during the festival. 'Koi Haseena Jab Rooth Jaati": The song features Veeru trying to win over Basanti while they ride her horse-cart. The playful banter of the fan-favourite couple provides a much needed dose of joy with the melodious voice of Kishore Kumar. PTI SMR BK BK BK view comments First Published: August 15, 2025, 11:45 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Time of India
Sholay@50: Why ‘Yeh Dosti' is Sholay's most popular song today
Most films, even the biggest blockbusters, are forgotten with the passage of time. What often remains embossed in public memory are the songs. Sholay, which was released today 50 years ago, is an exception. The film is primarily remembered for its dialogues and characters. Audience repeatedly thronged to the theatres to hear Gabbar, Basanti and others. They wanted to hear one-liners such as, 'Tera kya hoga Kaalia' and 'Arre o Samba' over and over again. The dialogues of Sholay were sold in a separate album and were played on loudspeakers in cities, small towns and kasbahs for months. A generation of filmgoers can still recite them like childhood poems which you never forget. But it would be erroneous to say that the songs, written by Anand Bakshi and composed by RD Burman, were not popular. The best available barometer to gauge the popularity of a song from a 1970s Hindi film is to see its rank in the annual programme of Binaca Geet Mala. The wildly popular weekly countdown show was presented by Ameen Sayani and was broadcast every Wednesday on Radio Ceylon from 1952-1994. The annual Binaca programme of 1976 featured three Sholay songs. 'Mehbooba mehbooba' (singer: RD Burman), which was inspired by a Greek track, came sixth. 'Yeh dosti hum nahi todenge' (singers: Manna Dey and Kishore Kumar) ended up on the ninth slot and the frisky 'Koi haseena jab rooth jaati hai to' (singers: Kishore and Lata) finished 20 th . However, in an online poll carried out by TOI last week, 52% said that 'Yeh dosti' is their favourite Sholay track while only 32% opted for 'Mehbooba mehbooba'. It's true that 'Mehbooba mehbooba' continues to be a great party track. Even the Holi song is played at the festival gatherings every year. But there's something deeper about 'Yeh dosti,' the reason why it has become the ultimate ode to friendship across generations. It's simple and sincere, hummable and touching. The words ring true. Both Manna and Kishore seem to relish what they are singing. 'Yeh dosti' is a song for every reason and all seasons. Interestingly, back in August 1975, film critic Raju Bharatan, while reviewing 'Sholay' for 'The Illustrated Weekly of India', a notable magazine of its time, panned both the movie and its music. He wrote, 'There is not one song that can be singled out as a noteworthy composition. Either RD Burman has run out of ideas or he has lost the urge to create. The pivotal song, 'O jab tak hai jaan', is not only ordinarily composed but also badly rendered. ' Sholay will not figure among RD Burman's top 20 films. The very nature of the movie, an elaborately mounted action epic, did not provide an opportunity to create the score that RD was capable of. But good music always survives the ravages of time. And in the case of director Ramesh Sippy's magnum opus, songs like 'Yeh dosti' and 'Mehbooba mehbooba' bear eloquent testimonies to that. No one changes the FM channel when these songs are played. By the way, Sholay had a sixth song which was never filmed. 'Chand sa koi chehra', a qawwali, was recorded in the voices of Kishore Kumar, Manna Dey, Bhupinder and Anand can hear the song on YouTube.
