Interview With KK
From boulder!parrikar Thu Apr 25 18:23:29 MDT 1991
Article: 13507 of soc.culture.indian
Newsgroups: soc.culture.indian
Path: boulder!parrikar
From: parrikar@mimicad.Colorado.EDU (Rajan Parrikar)
Subject: Tete-a-tete with Kishore Kumar!(Long)
Message-ID: <1991Apr26.001607.11033@colorado.edu>
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Organization: University of Colorado, Boulder
Date: Fri, 26 Apr 1991 00:16:07 GMT
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Here are excerpts of a tete-a tete with Kishore Kumar and the editor of the Illustrated Weekly, Pritish Nandy. This piece appeared in a cover story entitled “GENIUS” in the April 28, 1985 issue of the Illustrated Weekly. In the same story, Kishore Kumar ranked HIS favourite 10 songs. They are:
Those who aren’t interested should hit ‘n’ right now!
| Song | Music Director | Film |
| Dukhi man mere | S.D. Burman | Funtoosh |
| Jag mag jag mag karta nikla | Khemchand Prakash | Rim Jhim |
| Husn bhi hai udas udas | Anil Biswas | Fareb |
| Chingari koi Bhadke | R.D. Burman | Amar Prem |
| Mere naina saawan bhaadon | R.D. Burman | Mehbooba |
| Koi hum dum na raha | Kishore Kumar | Jhumroo |
| Mere mehboob kayamat hogi | Laxmikant-Pyarelal | Mr X in Bombay |
| Koi hota jisko apna | Salil Chowdhury | Mere Apne |
| Woh Shaam kuch ajeeb thi | Hemant Kumar | Khamoshi |
| Badi sooni sooni hai | S.D. Burman | Milee |
PN=Pritish Nandy
KK=Kishore Kumar
PN: I understand you are quitting Bombay and going away to Khandwa…
KK: Who can live in this stupid, friendless city where everyone seeks to exploit you every moment of the day? Can you trust anyone out here? Is anyone trustworthy? Is anyone a friend you can count on? I am determined to get out of this futile rat race and live as I’ve always wanted to. In my native Khandwa, the land of my forefathers. Who wants to die in this ugly city?
PN: Why did you come here in the first place?
KK: I would come to visit my brother Ashok Kumar. He was such a big star in those days. I thought he could introduce me to KL Saigal who was my greatest idol. People say he used to sing through his nose. But so what? He was a great singer. Greater than anyone else.
PN: I believe you are planning to record an album of famous Saigal songs….
KK: They asked me to. I refused. Why should I try to outsing him? Let him remain enshrined in our memory. Let his songs remain just HIS songs. Let not even one person say that Kishore Kumar sang them better.
PN: If you didn’t like Bombay, why did you stay back? For fame? For money?
KK: I was conned into it. I only wanted to sing. Never to act. But somehow, thanks to peculiar circumstances, I was persuaded to act in the movies. I hated every moment of it and tried virtually every trick to get out of it. I muffed my lines, pretended to be crazy, shaved my head off, played difficult, began yodelling in the midst of tragic scenes, told Meena Kumari what I was supposed to tell Bina Rai in some other film – but they still wouldn’t let me go. I screamed, ranted, went cuckoo. But who cared? They were just determined to make me a star.
PN: Why?
KK: Because I was Dadamoni’s brother. And he was a great hero.
PN: But you succeeded, after your fashion….
KK: Of course I did. I was the biggest draw after Dilip Kumar. There were so many films I was doing in those days that I had to run from one set to the other, changing on the way. Imagine me. My shirts flying off, my trousers falling off, my wig coming off while I’m running from one set to the other. Very often I would mix up my lines and look angry in a romantic scene or romantic in the midst of a fierce battle. It was terrible and I hated it. It evoked nightmares of school. Directors were like school teachers. Do this. Do that. Don’t do this. Don’t do that. I dreaded it. That’s why I would often escape.
PN: Well, you are notorious for the trouble you give your directors and producers. Why is that?
I’v been an ardent kishore fan since my childhood. As a young boy I would be mesmerised & attracted by his songs like a nail to a powerful magnet. I grew up to be government officer and also a professional singer who would kishore songs. Today even if I sing any original song it sounds like kishore song as his style is so deeply ingrained. During this period I’ve had the opportunity to meet & interact with people who have worked with the great Kishore and they have their stories to narrate about the way kishore would behave. He was an ecentric person no doubt with his own typical idiosyncrasies. Once during the shooting of CHALTI KA NAAM GADI – He had to jump his jeep from the cliff for which he had to come driving in speed from one side of the slope downhill. Unbelievable though it may sound he during the final shot he came speeding & jumped from the slope. The shot was okayed but he did’nt stop & kept on speeding & driving until he reached back home from Khandala where the film was being shot.
we are greatful of god because he booned us in form of “the great kishor kumar”
kishore da was a GREAT PERSONALITY an a man of cinema ha had all the featured like actor comedian scriptwritter, director e.t.c HE always sing with heart and in straight words i would like to say that HE WAS ONLY THE REAL SINGER IN WHOLE WORLD.their are not any other singer born who can be only compare himself to a singer. accept mukesh chand mathur. but kishor da is always live in our heart.
Hope my son sings like u kishoreda thats my only wish..
i always wished if kihore da ud b alived n i wud had the chance 2 atleast see him…..n if it happend so…than it ud b the best day of my life.but unfortunately i was born after his death.anyway i grew up listening his songs.the main thing i liked abt him was his nature n his songs no doubt.his nature really inspies me a lot………….because i too like to be alone
kishor da was a moody person and also a person who had the direct bless of godess saraswati
at last i would say that EAST OR WEST KISHOR DA IS THE BEST
kishr da was a good men and also a great singer but he so good an world’s no 1 expression giving actor
he still live in our heart
Very nice Interview With Kishore Kumar by Pritish Nandy
i really can take note of some to encourage myself to keep doing what works, just to be happy.
PARTY HARD where ever you are.. Kishore Da ! wish your friends are still there.
i want to say only…….jo jaisa dikhata hai waisa hota nahi aur jo jaisa hota hai wo dikhata nahi
Oh, it was a great conversation unfolding the layers of the life and thinking of a simple yet charismatic personality. We can easily figure out how straight forward KK was !! may be that is the reason why film fraternity do not like him and so many false stories have been framed to defame him…ridiculous
well kishore da was as pure as water there is no any artificial thing in him ,really enjoyed his intereview and really tells that nature have give a single gift that is kishore kumar,due to his songs my life is meaning ful and it is fact the real friends today is nature like trees and not human beings we feel proud for kishore da
I consider kishoreda as my god.and reading th sentences of god is a dream come true for me.thnku so much for this article.
the words spoken in above conversation reflects true feeling of a person about his experience with outer world.kishore da got such a power to create tone even in the written words .i think only a simple and honest person create such magic ,which affect so deeply a common person like me to write about a person whom i never meet. he is melodeious in art and every aspect of life. miss you sir.
“Jeevan se bhari, teri aankhen, majboor kare jeene ke liye..”
Kishore Kumar I love you!
Kishore kumar was and will be the greatest artist till this world ends.
http://www.youtube.com/frazalisikander
Regards,
i think kishoreda was a good person.he married madhubala knowing she was very sick and nursed her for 9 long years,then financially helping the family of one mukherjee who died of heart attack. i think he was a kind person and the greatest singer. ‘love you kishoreda’
Well this interview says all abt kishore da, the guy with limited and pure aspirations. This interview draw a true picture of Bollywood from the eyes of super star. Kishore da was true artist and he has shown to others by declining the offer to campaign for Congress led by Gandi family at that time. Nowdays, even stars like Big B are involved in stupid politics for his own benefits. It was only Kishore da, who cud spend 9 long years with a bed ridden wife and take care of her, Madhubala. He was deceived by Big B when big b refused to perform a special appearance in one of the kishor’s movie when he was at his peak. And thats why kishore refused to sing for big b which eventually led his career to worst slump in late 80s. Kishor da was true artist and many shud learn a lot of this interview, pritish nandy did and see where he is now..
I love kishore kumar his nature and his voice he went doing things from his heart he never acted in the real life whatever he felt he did it. he is great he is really great . what can we talk about this person and you people you want to see his live interviews just go to youtube.com there you will find many videos on him. he is such a great person may his soul rest in peace for ever.
Thank you
one of the rarest interviews i have come across with my favourite star. Kishoreda was really a funny and witty human being . At the same time he was also sensitive caring and emotional, perhaps depressed too. It is also heartening to note that the interviewer Pritish Nandy is now also a great filmmaker. i never had the privilege of meeting Kishoreda but he lives everyday in me through his voice. And a matter of coincidence that i would soon be working with the man who interviewed him i.e. Pritish Nandy. Destiny they say!!
Some more additions, contributions from other Music Composers
Song Music Director Film
Ek Baar Muskurado O P Nayyar Ek Baar Muskurado
Zindagi Ek Safar Shanker-Jaikishan Andaaz
Zaroorat Zaroorat Hai Madan Mohan
Ye Raten Ye Masoom Ravi Delhi Ka Thag
Zindagi Ka Safar Kalyanji Anandji Safar Dil Kya Kare Rajesh Roshan Juliee Chale Chale Bhappi Lahri
Zindagi Pyar Ka Geet Usha Khanna Souten
Going through the interview one can derive is that KK was a sensitive person by nature. Such people have very few friends, otherwise they prefer to live in their solitude most of the times.
Apart from this most good singers are also sensitive by nature, so is KK.
This is very good Article i read it many times and got some valuable information .