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Kishore Kumar

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Kishore Kumar was one of the most famous and energetic singers in Indian history.

Kishore Kumar 2016 stamp of India
Kishore Kumar 2016 stamp of India

He was a playback singer, which means he sang songs for actors in movies. People loved him because he had a very unique way of singing. He was famous for yodelling, a style of singing that uses quick changes in pitch. He could also change his voice to sound different for different songs. In one movie, he even sang both the male and female parts of a song by himself! This showed how much skill he had with his voice.

His singing style was very special and full of life. He sang in many different Indian languages. These included Hindi, Bengali, Marathi, Assamese, and many others. He used yodelling in famous songs like "Zindagi Ek Safar Hai Suhana." He learned this style from singers like Tex Morton and Jimmie Rodgers. He also had a lot of respect for great artists. He kept portraits of Rabindranath Tagore and Danny Kaye in his home. He would bow to these portraits every single day.

Gauri Kunj - Kishoreda's house in Khandwa - panoramio
Gauri Kunj - Kishoreda's house in Khandwa - panoramio

Kumar was born Abhas Kumar Ganguly on August 4, 1929. He grew up in a Bengali family in a place called Khandwa. His father, Kunjalal Ganguly, worked as a lawyer. His mother was Gouri Devi. He was the youngest of four children. His older brother, Ashok Kumar, was already a famous actor. Because of his brother, the family visited Bombay often. This is where Abhas changed his name to Kishore Kumar. He started his career singing in a group called a chorus.

He worked with many great music directors during his career. S. D. Burman was a very important person in his life. Burman helped train him and encouraged him to find his own style. They worked together on many films like "Guide" and "Jewel Thief." Kumar also worked with directors like C. Ramchandra and Rahul Dev Burman. He was a very successful singer for the actor Rajesh Khanna. He sang 245 songs for Rajesh Khanna across 92 different films. This is a record that has not been beaten.

Kishore Kumar memorial in Khandwa
Kishore Kumar memorial in Khandwa

Kishore Kumar was also a very talented actor and filmmaker. He acted in many movies between 1954 and 1966. Some of his most successful films were "Naukari" and "Padosan." He even directed and produced his own movies. One movie he made was about a father and his son. He won eight Filmfare Awards for being the best male singer. In 2013, a poll named him the most popular male singer. Even after he passed away in 1987, people still honor him. India even released a special stamp to remember his life.

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🖼️ Images & Media (6)
File:Gauri Kunj - Kishoreda's house in Khandwa - panoramio.jpg
Gauri Kunj - Kishoreda's house in Khandwa...
File:Kishore Kumar's house Gauri Kunj in Khandwa - panoramio - Camaal (4).jpg
Kishore Kumar's house Gauri Kunj in...
File:Kishore Kumar 2016 stamp of India.jpg
Kishore Kumar 2016 stamp of India.jpg
File:Kishore Kumar and Shiela Ramani in Naukari film.jpg
Kishore Kumar and Shiela Ramani in...
File:Morgan House Kalimpong Testimonial of Kishore Kumar and Amit Kumar.jpg
Morgan House Kalimpong Testimonial of...
File:Kishore Kumar memorial in Khandwa.jpg
Kishore Kumar memorial in Khandwa.jpg
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