Kishore Kumar

Born Abhas Kumar Ganguly in Khandwa, Central Provinces, British India on August 4, 1929, the Bollywood (Hindi cinema) playback singer and actor was better known by his stage name Kishore Kumar. One of the most dynamic vocalists in Indian music, he was known for yodeling and singing in different voices. Known primarily for singing in the Hindi language, he also sang songs in Bengali, Marathi, Malayalam, Urdu, Kannada, Odia, and several other languages. His brother, Ashok Kumar, became a successful Bollywood actor and Kishore Kumar relocated to Bombay, where he became a chorus singer. He made his debut as a playback singer in 1948, performing “Marne Ki Duayen Kyon Mangu” for the film Ziddi. He then became one of the most in-demand vocalists in Bollywood. Over the course of the next 39 years, he recorded well over 1600 songs, nearly all of them as a playback singer. His recordings include "Maana Janaab Ne Pukara Nahin" (from 1957’s Paying Guest), "Hum Hain Rahi Pyar Ke" (from 1957’s Nau Do Gyarah), "Ai Meri Topi Palat Ke Aa" (from 1956’s Funtoosh), “Aake Seedhi Lagi Dil Pe” (from 1962’s Half Ticket), "Shokhiyon Mein Ghola Jaaye" (from 1969’s Prem Pujari), "O Meri Sharmilee" (from 1971’s Sharmilee), "Jeevan Ki Bagiya Mehkegi" (from 1971’s Tere Mere Sapne), “Dekha Ek Khwab To” (from 1981’s Silsila), and many others. Kishore Kumar continued to be a popular vocalist in the 1970s and 1980s, working with many of the most well-respected music directors and songwriters including Rajesh Khanna, Jeetendra, Dev Anand, Amitabh Bachchan, S.D. Burman, R.D. Burman, and others. During his career, Kishore Kumar won many awards including eight Best Male Playback Singer honors from Filmfare Awards, the most won by a single artist in that category. In September 1987, he became frustrated with the material he was asked to sing and announced his retirement. A month later, on October 13, 1987, Kishore Kumar died of a heart attack at the age of 58.