kishore kumar interview 1985

8/11/2019 Kishore Kumar Interview 1985

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THUS SPAKE KISHORE KUMAR

Here is a priceless interview with Kishore Kumar!Pritish Nandi intreviewed Kishore Kumar for The IllustratedWeekly of India sometime in 1985.

Pritish Nandi [PN] understand "ou are #uittin$ %om&a" and$oin$ awa" to Khandwa...Kishore Kumar [KK] 'ho can live in this stupid( friendless cit"

where ever"one see)s to e*ploit "ou ever" moment of the da"+ ,an"ou trust an"one out here+ s an"one trustworth"+ s an"one afriend "ou can count on+ am determined to $et out of this futilerat race and live as -ve alwa"s wanted to. n m" nativeKhandwa(the land of m" forefathers. 'ho wants to die in this u$l"cit"+PN 'h" did "ou come here in the rst place+KK would come to visit m" &rother /sho) Kumar. He was such a&i$ star in those da"s. thou$ht he could introduce me to K0

ai$al who was m" $reatest idol. People sa" he used to sin$throu$h his nose. %ut so what+ He was a $reat sin$er. 2reaterthan an"one else.PN &elieve "ou are plannin$ to record an al&um of famous ai$alson$s....KK 3he" as)ed me to. refused. 'h" should tr" to outsin$ him+0et him remain enshrined in our memor". 0et his son$s remain 4ustH son$s. 0et not even one person sa" that Kishore Kumar san$them &etter.PN f "ou didn-t li)e %om&a"( wh" did "ou sta" &ac)+ orfame+ ormone"+KK was conned into it. onl" wanted to sin$. Never to act. %utsomehow( than)s to peculiar circumstances( was persuaded to actin the movies. hated ever" moment of it and tried virtuall" ever"tric) to $et out of it. mu6ed m" lines( pretended to &e cra7"(shaved m" head o6( pla"ed di6icult( &e$an "odellin$ in the midst

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of tra$ic scenes( told eena Kumari what was supposed to tell%ina ai in some other lm : &ut the" still wouldn-t let me $o. screamed( ranted( went cuc)oo. %ut who cared+ 3he" were 4ustdetermined to ma)e me a star.

PN 'h"+KK %ecause was ;adamoni-s &rother. /nd he was a $reat hero.PN %ut "ou succeeded( after "our fashion....KK


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disapprovin$l"( while m" men would di$ and di$. %ut it didn-twor).


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loo) in his e"es. 3he last saw of him was him runnin$ out of thefront $ate( at a pace that would have put an electric train toshame.'hat-s cra7" a&out havin$ a livin$ room li)e that( "ou tellme+ f he can wear a woollen( three:piece suit in the hei$ht of

summer( wh" can-t han$ live crows on m" walls+PN ?our ideas are #uite ori$inal( &ut wh" do "our lms fare so&adl"+KK %ecause tell m" distri&utors to avoid them. warn them atthe ver" outset that the lm mi$ht run for a wee) at the most.Naturall"(the" $o awa" and never come &ac). 'here will "ou nd aproducer:director who warns "ou not to touch his lm &ecauseeven he can-t understand what he has made+PN 3hen wh" do "ou ma)e lms+KK %ecause the spirit moves me. feel have somethin$ to sa"

and the lms eventuall" do well at times. remem&er this lm ofmine :Door Gagan ki Chhaon mein: which started to an audienceof 1B people in C/lan)ar-. )now &ecause was in the hall m"self.3here were onl" ten people who had come to watch the rst show!Dven its release was peculiar. u&hodh u)her4ee( the &rother ofm" &rother:in:law( had &oo)ed C/lan)ar- Ethe hallF for 8 wee)s forhis lmApril FoolG which ever"one )new was $oin$ to &e a &loc):&uster. " lm( ever"one was sure( was $oin$ to &e a thunderin$=op. o he o6ered to $ive me a wee) of his &oo)in$. 3a)e the rst

wee)( he said =am&o"antl"( and -ll mana$e within seven. /fter all(the movie can-t run &e"ond a wee). t can-t run &e"ond two da"s( reassured him. 'hen 1B people came for the rst show( he tried toconsole me. ;on-t worr"( he said( it happens at times. %ut who wasworried+ 3hen( the word spread. 0i)e wildre. /nd within a fewda"s the hall &e$an to ll. t ran for all 8 wee)s at C/lan)ar-( housefull! u&odh u)her4ee )ept screamin$ at me &ut how could let$o the hall+ /fter 8 wee)s when the &oo)in$ ran out( the movieshifted to Cuper-( where it ran for another 1 wee)s! 3hat-s theanatom" of a hit of mine. How does one e*plain it+ ,an an"onee*plain it+ ,an u&odh u)her4ee( whoseApril Foolwent on to&ecome a thunderin$ =op+PN %ut "ou( as the director should have )nown+KK ;irectors )now nothin$. never had the privile$e of wor)in$with an" $ood director. D*cept at"en %ose and %imal o"( no oneeven )new the /%, of lmma)in$. How can "ou e*pect me to $ive

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$ood performances under such directors+ ;irectors li)e .;.Naran$ didn-t even )now where to place the camera. He wouldta)e lon$( pensive dra$s from his ci$arette( mum&le CIuiet( #uiet(#uiet- to ever"one( wal) a couple of furlon$s a&sentmindedl"(

mutter to himself and then tell the camera:man to place thecamera wherever he wanted. His standard line to me was C;osomethin$-. 'hat somethin$+ ,ome on( some thin$! o would $oo6 on m" antics. s this the wa" to act+ s this the wa" to direct amovie+ /nd "et Naran$saa& made so man" hits!PN 'h" didn-t "ou ever o6er to wor) with a $ood director+KK


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PN 'h" didn-t "ou+KK 'ell( -ve re$retted it ever since. %oom %oom. %oompitt" &oom&oom. ,hi)achi)achi) chi) chi). ?adlehe eeee "adlehe ooooo J[2oes on "odellin$ till the tea comes. omeone emer$es from &ehindthe upturned sofa in the livin$ room( loo)in$ rather mournful with a

&unch of rat:eaten les and holds them up for KK to see]PN 'hat are those les+KK " income ta* records.PN at:eaten+KK 'e use them as pesticides. 3he" are ver" e6ective. 3he ratsdie #uite easil" after &itin$ into them.PN 'hat do "ou show the ta* people when the" as) for thepapers+KK 3he dead rats.

PN see.KK ?ou li)e dead rats+PN Not particularl".KK 0ots of people eat them in other parts of the world.PN $uess so.KK Haute cuisine. D*pensive too. ,osts a lot of mone".PN ?es+KK 2ood &usiness( rats.


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$one cuc)oo. didn-t )now. returned and found ever"one wishin$me from lon$ distance and )eepin$ a safe distance of 1B feet whiletal)in$. Dven those chaps who would come and em&race me wavedout from a distance and said Hi. 3hen( someone as)ed me a little

hesitantl" how was feelin$. said ine. spo)e a little a&ruptl"perhaps. uddenl" found him turnin$ around and runnin$. ar(far awa" from me.PN %ut are "ou actuall" so stin$" a&out mone"+KK have to pa" m" ta*es.PN ?ou have income ta* pro&lems am told....KK 'ho doesn-t + " actual dues are not much &ut the interesthas piled up. -m plannin$ to sell o6 a lot of thin$s &efore $o toKhandwa and settle this entire &usiness once and for all.PN ?ou refused to sin$ for an4a" 2andhi durin$ the emer$enc"

and( it is said( that-s wh" the ta* hounds were set on "ou. s thistrue+KK 'ho )nows wh" the" come. %ut no one can ma)e me do what don-t want to do. don-t sin$ at an"one-s will or command. %ut sin$ for charities( causes all the time.[Note Sanay Gandhi !anted "" to sing at some Congress rally in

#om$ay% "" refused% Sanay Gandhi ordered All India &adio to stopplaying "ishore songs% This !ent on for 'uite a !hile% "" refused toapologi(e% Finally) it took scores of prominent producers and directors

to con*ince those in po!er to rescind the $an%]PN 'hat a&out "our home life+ 'h" has that &een so tur&ulent+KK %ecause li)e &ein$ left alone.PN 'hat went wron$ with uma ;evi( "our rst wife+KK he was a ver" talented person &ut we could not $et alon$&ecause we loo)ed at life di6erentl". he wanted to &uild a choirand a career. wanted someone to &uild me a home. How can thetwo reconcile+ ?ou see( -m a simple minded villa$er t"pe. don-tunderstand this &usiness a&out women ma)in$ careers. 'ivesshould rst learn how to ma)e a home. /nd how can "ou t the

two to$ether+ / career and a home are #uite separate thin$s.3hat-s wh" we went our separate wa"s.PN adhu&ala( "our second wife+KK he was #uite another matter. )new she was ver" sic) even&efore married her. %ut a promise is a promise. o )ept m"word and &rou$ht her home as m" wife( even thou$h )new she

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was d"in$ from a con$enital heart pro&lem. or 9 lon$ "ears nursed her. watched her die &efore m" own e"es. ?ou can neverunderstand what this means until "ou live throu$h this "ourself.he was such a &eautiful woman and she died so painfull". he

would rave and rant and scream in frustration.How can such anactive person spend 9 lon$ "ears &ed:ridden+ /nd had to humourher all the time. 3hat-s what the doctor as)ed me to. 3hat-s what did till her ver" last &reath. would lau$h with her. would cr"with her.PN 'hat a&out "our third marria$e+ 3o ?o$eeta %ali+KK 3hat was a 4o)e. don-t thin) she was serious a&out marria$e.he was onl" o&sessed with her mother. he never wanted to livehere.PN %ut that-s &ecause she sa"s "ou would sta" up all ni$ht and

count mone".KK ;o "ou thin) can do that+ ;o "ou thin) -m mad+ 'ell( it-s$ood we separated #uic)l".PN 'hat a&out "our present marria$e+KK 0eena is a ver" di6erent )ind of person. he too is an actressli)e all of them &ut she-s ver" di6erent. he has seen tra$ed". hehas faced $rief. 'hen "our hus&and is shot dead( "ou chan$e. ?ouunderstand life. ?ou realise the ephemeral #ualit" of all thin$s. am happ" now.

PN 'hat a&out "our new lm+ /re "ou $oin$ to pla" hero in thisone too+KK No no no. -m 4ust the producer:director. -m $oin$ to &e&ehind the camera. emem&er told "ou how much hate actin$+

/ll mi$ht do is ma)e a split second appearance on screen as anold man or somethin$.PN 0i)e Hitchcoc)+KK ?es( m" favourite director. -m mad( true. %ut onl" a&out onethin$. Horror movies. love spoo)s. 3he" are a friendl" fearsomelot. >er" nice people( actuall"( if "ou $et to )now them. Not li)ethese industr" chaps out here. ;o "ou )now an" spoo)s+PN Not ver" friendl" ones.KK %ut nice( fri$htenin$ ones+PN Not reall".KK %ut that-s precisel" what we are all $oin$ to &ecome one da".0i)e this chap out here [points to a s)ull( which he uses as part of

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his decor( with red li$ht emer$in$ from its e"es] "ou don-t even)now whether it-s a man or a woman. Dh+ %ut it-s a nice sort.riendl" too. 0oo)( doesn-t it loo) nice with m" specs on its non:e*istent nose+

PN >er" nice indeed.KK ?ou are a $ood man. ?ou understand the real thin$s of life. ?ouare $oin$ to loo) li)e this one da".

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kishore kumar interview 1985

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