20 facts fans need to know about legendary singer Kishore Kumar's life & career

Kishore Kumar was a  legendary singer who was born in 1929. Apart from being a singer, he was also an actor, music director, lyricist, writer, director, producer and screenwriter. Kishore Kumar not only sang songs in Hindi but also recorded many songs in Bengali and Tamil. Take a look at some interesting facts about the life of the legendary singer and artist. 

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Kishore Kumar's facts

1. Kishore Kumar's real name was Abhas Kumar Ganguly and he was born in Khandwa, Central Provinces (now in Madhya Pradesh). 

2. Like his brother Ashok Kumar, Kishore Kumar also kickstarted his film career while working in Bombay Talkies. 

3. Kishore Kumar's first film appearance was in Shikari (1946) in which Ashok Kumar played the lead role. 

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4. The Better India reported that Kishore Kumar was an admirer of Hollywood actor-singer Danny Kaye and also hung many posters of her in his house.

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5. Many media outlets reported that Ashok Kumar wanted Kishore to become an actor like him but Kishore never took acting very seriously. 

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6. Kishore Kumar was married four times. His wives were - Ruma Guha, Madhubala, Yogeeta Bali and Leena Chandavarkar. 

7. Kishore Kumar converted to Islam when he married Madhubala. He also changed his name to Karim Abdul. 

8. Kishore Kumar's song Paanch Rupaiyya Barah Anna was inspired by the ₹5.75 debt he owed. 

9. A sign which read 'Beware of Kishore' hung outside Kishore Kumar's house. 

10. Kishore Kumar could sing in a female voice. In the film Ake Seedhi Lagi Dil Pe, he was heard singing female vocals as well. 

11. Kishore Kumar had two sons - Amit Kumar and Sumit Kumar. They are both playback singers and music composers.

12. Many media outlets reported that Kishore Kumar was an introvert and often showcased erratic behaviour. This has also been corroborated by Amit Kumar in an earlier appearance on a reality show on Zee TV.

13.  It is a well-known fact that Kishore Kumar never sang for free. It has been widely reported that he would often take advance payment and then sing. 

14. There were a few exceptions to the 'no-singing for free' rule of Kishore Kumar. These people were Rajesh Khanna and Danny Denzongpa. 

15. Kishore Kumar was once asked to sing on the radio during the National Emergency. Kishore Kumar refused to sing and thus his songs were banned from the radio for the remainder of the National Emergency.

16. Kishore Kumar also had his ups and downs with the legendary actor Amitabh Bachchan. Amitabh had once refused to appear in a film being produced by Kishore which led to a bit of an issue between the two stars. 

17. Kishore Kumar would often yodel in his songs. Many media outlets reported that he was inspired by Jimmie Rodgers and Tex Morton.

18. Kishore Kumar's first award was in 1970, which was a Filmfare Award for his song Roop Tera Mastana. 

19. In a 1985 interview with Pritish Nandy, Kishore Kumar mentioned he was very lonely and had no friends. 

20. Kishore Kumar passed away on October 13, 1987, in Mumbai. 

Promo Pic Credit: Amit Kumar's Instagram