The legendary Kishore Kumar was not just a powerhouse of talent, but also a rather eccentric man. His antics, and even eccentric explanations for those, made him the memorable man he was. On his 32nd death anniversary, The Quint presents to you 8 lesser known anecdotes about Kishore Da, as he was fondly called.
He was born as Abhas Kumar Ganguly in Khandwa, Madhya Pradesh and surprisingly had quite a rough voice. However, an injury changed everything for him. His elder brother and actor Ashok Kumar said in an interview that Kishore had injured his toe as a child and would cry for hours, due to the absence of anaesthesia in those days. Due to continuous crying for hours, his vocal chords opened up and we got the melodious voice of the iconic star.
Also, the actor-singer was extremely particular about being paid in advance. So much so, that once when producer RC Talwar did not pay his remaining amount, Kumar started going to his residence every morning and shouted, “Hey Talwar, de de mere aath hazaar,” (Talwar, pay me my eight thousand rupees) until he finally paid up.
He wasn’t just particular about this rule for himself, but believed that every artist must get their due. Hence, when he realised that he had been paid more than Mohammad Rafi for a duet they sang together, he called up the producer and made sure that Rafi saab was paid more than him. No wonder the man is remembered for his generosity!
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Editor: Veeru Mohan
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