Amit Kumar has been the voice of almost all big stars in Bollywood including Dilip Kumar, Sanjay Dutt, Govinda, Anil Kapoor, Rishi Kapoor, Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan. In a candid conversation with us at his Juhu home, he admits he is nothing like his genius father Kishore Kumar, talks about the maestro, the ups and downs in his musical career and being in a phase where he is enjoying live performances. Excerpts:

Oh! We can’t be compared at all!

You could say that. My father was temperamental, and I used to be like that, too. I guess all artistes have that to some extent. But my father was also a very down-to-earth person and a very simple man at heart. Earlier, I had a restless mind like him, but over the years, I have calmed down a lot. I regularly meditate now.

My first recording was in 1973, but the song came out five years later. Then sang a duet with Asha Bhosle, and one for Madan Mohan and Salil Choudhary, but none of them released on time. Bade Achhe Lagte Hai (Balika Badhu, 1976) became a popular song even though the film didn’t do so well, and it is my bread-and-butter song even today. My songs in the 1979 film Baton Baton Mein were all hits. With Bappi Lahiri, I did Govinda’s first film, and the song I Am A Street Dancer was a super hit. After that, I sang for films like Afsana Pyar Ka, Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa and Baaghi. I sang many songs for Anil Kapoor in Tezaab, Judaai, Rakhwala, Khel, Jamai Raja, Kala Baazar, Kishen Kanhaiya and others. I became his voice with hits. There were also many other good songs, but those films didn’t run at the box office, so they weren’t heard by most, just my luck!

I do stage shows frequently. I have performed in Amsterdam and the US recently. In November, again, I will be out of the country. I am also constantly creating and composing music for the digital platform. The fact that people still want to listen to me on stage and buy tickets for my shows is overwhelming. I am 71 and still going strong and loving it. I have been performing on stage for the last 50 years! Whether good or bad, I have played my innings, and now I am relaxed and enjoying this stage of my life.

I have never spoken about this, but when I was in the Calcutta Youth Choir, I travelled all over India. We would travel in a third-class compartment in trains, carrying heavy bags. It was tough, but fun. People say Amit Kumar was born with a silver spoon, but I have also seen the hard life. My father used to say you must see all this to grow. When he introduced me at Shanmukhananda Hall (Mumbai) with the show ‘Daddy Kishore and sunny Amit’, it went on for three years, and every single weekend was houseful. It was because of my father, of course, but that made a difference in my life and gave me immense confidence.

R D Burman had told me in the early days, ‘Don’t try to sing like your father. Don’t clone him. Sing what you are. Just do your own style.’ He egged me on. The composers I worked with helped and I developed my own style.

My father used to do stage shows for the army, but he never publicized that kabhi bhi apna dhol nahi pita. Sab bolte the ki Kishore Kumar kanjoos hai, but no one knew how much he did for others. He did the maximum free shows for the jawans of our country. Not many people know this. I have been doing shows to support cancer patients for the last six to seven years and consider myself extremely fortunate to be able to give back to society. And I too have been doing shows to support cancer patients for the last six to seven years and consider myself extremely lucky to be able to give back to society like this. I am blessed with everything and to be able to do such charity shows, it feels great. This year it is special because my 18-year-old daughter Muktika debuted on stage with me. She isn’t a professional singer, but I feel she has it in her.

Yes my stardom in playback singing was with Love Story and I became the voice of Kumar Gaurav. We went on to do many films together for five years after which Kumar Gaurav’s films began flopping and slowly, I was out too. Over the years my career has been like the waves in the ocean, full of ups and downs. I did so many songs for Anil Kapoor and became his voice with all the super hit songs! The fact that you journalists are still coming to me for interviews shows I must have done something right.

I landed in Bombay when I was 19. My father introduced me for the first time on stage 50 years ago in 1973, at Shanmukhananda Hall. Then we went on to Europe, America, all over the world for shows. People talk of my father, but no one speaks about my mother, Ruma Guha Thakurta. She was instrumental in my life, encouraged me a lot. I used to sing in her group, Calcutta Youth Choir that she set up along with Salil Chowdhury and Satyajit Ray. I grew up in Uttam Babu’s (film star Uttam Kumar) neighbourhood. My first stage program was during Durga Puja, and Uttam Kumar had called my mother saying, ‘Ruma your son is a good singer, will he sing on stage?’. My mother refused saying he has studies. But he coaxed me to sing anyway. I rehearsed four songs but sang 10 and got Rs 800 for that show and we friends went over to Park Street the same night and spent all the money eating there. 

My ma wanted me to have a stable career like a doctor as she knew music was not a steady profession. She complained to my father, ‘Your son is singing here and there, not studying. Gali gali mein gaana ga raha hai awaara jaisa. Fail ho gaya hai (at the famous institution Patha Bhavan). But my Baba hearing all this said, ‘Very good, very good! Time for him to come to me in Bombay’. That was typical of my father (laughs) He then came to Kolkata and saw me perform live at Rabindra Sadan. He said never keep a seat for me because the audience will get distracted and won’t hear you. So, he watched me from backstage. That’s when he was convinced. I learnt classical music for a bit but bouncer gaya. I learnt tabla and then it all began. Music directors like R D Burman, who was like family, Kalyanji Anandji, Laxmikant Pyarelal, Rajesh Roshan, they stood by me. They knew how to extract the best from me and I learnt a lot through experience.

For Sanjay Kapoor, the digital entertainment boom has brought with it many firsts. If it introduced the actor to long-format storytelling, it also made him embrace remote shooting for The Gone Game. His upcoming outing, The Last Hour, too has been a novel experience. “The director [Amit Kumar] told me that he has watched my films and loved my work. He then went on to say that he wanted me to audition so that he could [judge] if I looked convincing as Arup [his character]. I have worked for the past 25 years, and have never auditioned for any role. So, it was a challenge that I eagerly took on, and I am glad that I proved myself [in the screen test],” says Kapoor.

The Amazon Prime Video offering, which also features Shahana Goswami, Raima Sen and Karma Takapa, sees the senior actor as a tough cop who is investigating the murder of a small-time actor. The series, created by Kumar and Anupama Minz, marries elements of a crime thriller with the supernatural. “There is no ghost or elements of horror in this show. I have been reading stories where people [have communicated with] spirits. I may not believe in ghosts, but I do believe in energies, and this show offers a believable [resolution].” 

The unusual storyline aside, Kapoor says it was his character’s vulnerability that drew him to the project, which is executive-produced by Asif Kapadia. “I am playing a cop for the first time, but he is not the larger-than-life Bollywood cop. He has anxieties and worries, like any of us,” adds the actor.

The legendary singer’s wife, Leena Chandavarkar, speaks up while attending his 90th birth anniversary celebration
Debolina Sen (BOMBAY TIMES; August 7, 2019)

The pretty face of the Hindi film industry of the ’70s still glows warmly. The soft countenance and the innocent smile are still in place. Leena Chandavarkar, who also made headlines for her marriage to Kishore Kumar — a man 21 years older than her — amazes you with her childlike simplicity. We caught up with the former actress when she was in Kolkata recently, to attend Tomay Poreche Mone — Kishore Kumar’s 90th birth anniversary celebration. She spoke about her life, films, Kishore Kumar and more. Excerpts:

How did Kishore Kumar influence your personal and professional lives?
I have innumerable memories of him. He was like a pillar of strength who taught me to accept the good and bad in life. He looked at life as a whole and understood that you win some and lose some. He would show his funny side to the world, but never his sad face. He also taught me to do that. I went through a lot in life and it was only because of him that I could come out of depression. So, I have written this song for him now — Kaun tha woh kya tha, Jadugar ya farishta tha, Athwa woh ajooba tha. Even he always wanted me to write songs. After he passed away, Amit (Kumar) asked me to fill in some dummy words, to which he gave the tunes and it got approved. So, I think it’s Kishore da who has again guided me from heaven. His song, Hamein Aur Jeene Ki Chaahat Na Hoti, is one of my favourites because it resembles my relationship with him. He would also mention that he always came across talented people as life partners. True, you see Ruma didi was there. Amit received a letter from the President of India after Ruma didi passed away. That’s a great honour. Both of Amit’s parents were extremely talented people. He has also carved a niche for himself. It’s extremely difficult to match up to a father like Kishore Kumar, but he has done well for himself.

You live with your son Sumit Ganguly and stepson Amit Kumar Ganguly. It is a rare sight in Indian households today where sons take care of their ageing parents.
I wouldn’t know what triggered this bond, but it feels like the expression, Sago se zyada apna. Amit respects his father a lot. He would always ask for his advice when taking an important decision. Sumit was only five years old when Kishore da passed away, but he scolds me and tries to guide me now (laughs). Amit and Sumit have a beautiful bond between them. In fact, Amit brought up Sumit. If I would ever forget to pick up Sumit from school on time, Amit would leave his recordings and rush to his school. Then he would scold me. Amit was also responsible for getting Sumit married. Now, the family is complete.

You have dealt with deep personal losses. What would you have to say to people who are unable to deal with the ups and downs of life?
Kishore da was the reason why I could successfully deal with all the pain in life. He could give strength to anyone. He would also say, ‘Hum log travellers hain duniya mein. Kisiko first class milti hain, kisiko third class. Par free mein duniya dekhne ko saab ko milti hain na?’ (laughs). I went through a lot in life. My brother committed suicide and my mother passed away just after Sumit was born. After Kishore da passed away, I would depend a lot on tablets and injections to deal with depression. Then one day, Amit said he would be busy with shows abroad and that so, I’d have get out of my depression and take care of Sumit. So, a supportive family is extremely important. But to stay out of depression, you have to accept life the way it is.

Tell us about your marriage with Kishore Kumar.
Kishore da and I had many funny memories together. I had told him that he marries whoever he works with, so I wouldn’t do a film with him. He then cancelled the proposal because according to him, two August-born people shouldn’t marry each other. He was born on August 4 and I, on August 29. Then, when my father hurt me by saying ‘Yeh phirse mere ghar wapas aa gayi’, I called Kishore da to get married then and there because I wanted to leave my father’s house. I even called him up to say that I would ask the drivers of every car that passes me that night if they would marry me. He said, had he thought that only he was eccentric, but I had joined that list. My parents were apprehensive about me marrying him. My mother said he had married thrice, but wanted to know his ancestral origin. I told her he must be Christian since I had seen many statues of Christ and other biblical things at his house. Until our wedding, I never knew he was a Bengali Brahmin (laughs).

He told me that he couldn’t marry me unless he got divorced from Yogeeta Bali, his third wife. He had stopped doing playback for Mithun (Chakraborty) at that time. Mithun did gauge the situation, but still came home to ask him why he wasn’t singing for him. After all, every hero wanted his voice in their songs. He told him about the divorce clause. Mithun saw to it that the divorce was through in no time. Then, I said, ‘Let’s get married now’, but he said he wanted to get my parents’ approval. He came home and sang till every member of the family agreed to our union, even my father. He sang Nafrat karne walo ke seene mein pyar bhar du, Arey mein woh parwana hu, Pathar ko moum kar du (laughs)!

You belong to an era that saw some of the biggest superstars in Hindi cinema. How difficult or easy was it making your presence felt when working with them?
For some people like me, dreams do come true. If you want to pursue something with all your heart, you don’t find the effort too difficult. I had learnt a lot from the superstars who were my costars. They were like family. Dilip Kumar would be so natural while acting that his voice would sound muffled at times like it does when we speak in our normal tone. I would often miss his dialogue cues (laughs). Shammi Kapoor would make me laugh a lot.

Actor lets go of Ekta’s web show to feature in Asif Kapadia’s drama, set in the hilly terrains of the North-East
Upala KBR (MID-DAY; June 8, 2019)

Six months after reports of Sanjay Kapoor signing up for ALT Balaji’s web show, Soggy Hoga Tera Baap hit headlines, mid-day has it that the actor has opted out of Ekta Kapoor’s offering to green-light an Amazon Prime show instead.

Kapoor, along with co-star Shahana Goswami, has been quietly shooting for the Asif Kapadia production that sees Monsoon Shootout director Amit Kumar taking charge of the project. Says a source close to the project, “Every detail, including the title, is currently under wraps as Amazon wants to make the announcement, and those associated with the project have signed a [non- disclosure] contract. It is a dark and edgy thriller set in the hilly terrains of the North-East. Sanjay, as the protagonist, plays a character with shades of grey.”

Barring the lead protagonists, also including Goswami, the cast includes actors from Sikkim, Nepal and Darjeeling, where the show has been filmed. “Only the last schedule was shot in Mumbai last Friday.”

Shooting for the offering, we hear, kicked-off in January, two months after news of Kapoor’s association with the ALT Balaji show, hit headlines. It is suggested that Kapoor’s dates were blocked for this offering in advance. “Sanjay and Ekta tried to work out the dates, but it didn’t materialise. They are now in talks for a couple of other projects.”

Sanjay and Ekta are now in talks for a couple of other project’

Avinash Lohana (MUMBAI MIRROR; November 8, 2017)

Anurag Kashyap and Guneet Monga’s Monsoon Shootout, directed by Amit Kumar and featuring Nawazuddin Siddiqui, will finally see the day of light. The noir thriller premiered four years ago in the Midnight Screenings section at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival.

“It revolves around a cop, Vijay Varma, who has to decide whether he should or should not shoot a suspect played by Nawaz. The same story is told three times in different ways which is what makes the film unique. The distributors then were unsure about whether the audience would understand a film like this,” admits Guneet who excited by the idea sold her apartment to fund the film.

She goes on to add that the narrative demanded some amount of violence and the way it’s shown in the film could be another reason for distributors to shy away. “We patiently waited for the right time to release it. Over the last few years I have seen a collective consciousness towards good content with films like Newton, Hindi Medium and Haraamkhor making waves. The market has opened up with big digital players and new buyers coming in and I am hopeful that after Haraamkhor and Monsoon Shootout, I’ll be able to bring out Peddlers, Vasan Bala’s crime thriller featuring Gulshan Devaiah, Nishikant Kamat and Nimrat Kaur,” exults Guneet who had been really depressed these two years but now it’s all well that ends well.

With the fervour for Kishore Kumar songs still going strong on the legend's 88th birth anniversary, singer Amit Kumar Ganguly gets candid about life with his iconic father
Debarati Sen (BOMBAY TIMES; August 5, 2017)

Natasha Coutinho (MUMBAI MIRROR; October 7, 2016)

Antakshari entered the Limca Book of Records with an initiative flagged off by the film content house Shemaroo Entertainment. Their Filmi Gaane Antakshari ran for a week on Twitter, from September 26 to October 3, totalling 168 hours, making it the first and longest antakshari to be played on a digital platform.

Says a source associated with the initiative, “During the course of its run, on an average one winner was selected every five minutes with a total of 2016 winners in 168 hours. A prize of Rs. 10,000 will be announced soon for the one who showed the maximum participation. It broke the last record of 2,858 tweets with 34,949 tweets in a day and will now be a weekly event which retro music lovers can play every Tuesday. The game will also be available for Facebook and Instagram users.

Amit Kumar who had just returned from Chicago when contacted by Mirror revealed that he had started the record run with the opening lines, “Baithe baithe kya karen, karna hai kuchh kaam, shuru kare antakshri, leke mere baba ka naam.” Baba referred to his father, legendary singer-composer-actor-filmmaker Kishore Kumar.

“I did it even though we never play Antakshari at home on a regular basis. The tribute to baba and the fact that it could get me into Limca Book excited me and today I am thrilled to be amongst the records,” Amit Kumar exults.

Music veterans overwhelmingly feel old wine in a new bottle isn’t a trend that bodes well for Bollywood
Subhash K Jha (DNA; August 6, 2016)


‘To eliminate the original is a very different task’ - Lata Mangeshkar
“I think it is principally incorrect for singers to give voice to others’ songs. Let me recall an incident. There was a time when I’d sing a lot on stage. I was once asked to sing a song by Suraiya. I refused. The organisers argued that I’d do full justice to the song. But according to me, a Suraiya song was a Suraiya song in the public’s mind. To eliminate the original is a very difficult task. Once someone asked my opinion on a song of mine that another singer had sung. I said, “Dekho main unees hoon aur woh bees hai. Lekin mein apni jagah pe unees hi rahungi, woh nahin ho sakti. One of my tracks Thoda Resham Lagta hai composed by Bappi Lahiri for the film Jyoti and made into a track by the American rap band Truth Hurts. Quite frankly, I didn’t remember this number at all. When I heard it in the number by Truth Hurts, I asked my family where it was from. It was they who told me that I had sung it in a film called Jyoti. I had no idea who Truth Hurts was. I didn’t pay much attention to the song Thoda Resham Lagta Hai. I didn’t mind it being used in the American song because they haven’t tampered with my voice or the composition in any way. It’s far more preferable to the remixes in our country.”

‘No point clinging to the past’ - Asha Bhosle
The world has moved on. Earlier, the female singer sang at a high pitch and the male singer at a low pitch. Now that has been reversed. There’s no time for slow soft sentimental songs. No point in clinging to the past and pining for nostalgia. If you remember, happy occasions whether it is the mehndi ceremony or a wedding, have always been celebrated with songs. Every individual wants to dance and sing. Rhythm ka zamana hai. No one listens to the words. You can’t stop the world from moving on. If you try you’ll get left behind. It’s not as if we don’t have talented singers. Sukhwinder Singh is inviolable. I am open to singing any kind of songs as long as the words are not cheap. People at my age are confined to retirement. I am still singing. The language isn’t of primary importance as long as I sing something that I and my fans are satisfied with. I’ve done two albums of his remixes.

When I did Rahul & I, I wanted to be faithful to the original. But my son Anand, who’s a big fan of Burman Saab and who looks after all my interests, told me to just leave it to him. I surrendered to him. He designed it according to today’s tastes. And he was right. The album was a resounding success. No one can stop others from doing re-mixes. People are forever cashing in musical names. You’ll see big posters of Lata Didi and mine at concerts. They turn out to be shows of our songs sung by other singers. CDs have our big pictures and a small ones of the actual singers. Music and musicians have suffered heavy losses because of these deceptive imitations. But what to do? Duniya aisi hi hai. You can’t fight it. But please, if you doing remixes, do be thoughtful towards the original. I didn’t tamper with one note, one lyric...no changes at all. Only the instruments have been modernised. As for the cynics, they’re bound to have their say. When some years earlier, I did my songs of RD Burman in the album, Rahul & I was criticised even by those who were my admirers. But I remember a four-year-old boy at a restaurant coming up to me to sing, Piya Tu Ab To Aaja. I was so happy that a new generation would be familiar with RD’s tunes.

‘Hindi music is finished’ - Amit Kumar
From the day remix songs and even cover versions of popular songs started, I immediately said to myself, ‘The downfall of Hindi film music has begun.’ Whether it is a renewal of the original’s shelf-life or a sign of desecration, I don’t know. All I know is, Hindi film music is finished. I’ve heard some re-mixes of my father (Kishore Kumar)’s songs which made me shiver.”

‘Nothing beats the high of composing an original’ - Shankar Mahadevan
It all depends how one does it without destroying the aesthetics of the original composition. On the plus side, these classics are made accessible to younger generations who have probably never heard these songs. But due credit must be given the original composer. Sometimes these remixes are embarrassing to listen to. But all said and done, there is nothing to beat the high of composing an original song.”

‘Directors get desperate’ - Lalit Pandit
An alarming number of songs are being re-recorded and reshaped with modern programming and also a lot of modulation in style of singing is also being done. I wonder why! Firstly,the older song is already popular and heard by generations of people and since there is familiarity with the tune, what is the point of re-mixing the song? Why would we want to hear Lataji’s Lag Ja Gale or Ashaji’s Dum Maro Dum in any other voice? Producers and directors are desperate looking to have a hit in their films. This is an easier way to achieve success. Secondly, it’s easier for composing for a composer because then there is nothing to compose,except rehash the already composed song. It saves a lot of trouble and hard work for both teams, composer and producer/director. I wouldn’t say that composers today are not capable. It’s just that directors get desperate and sometimes don’t even know what they want. It’s at this stage that an old song rehash option is worked on.”

‘They’re just attempts to cash in on original songs’ - Adnan Sami
Remixes are nice when done with a ear on nostalgia. But sometimes, they are just attempts to cash in on iconic songs. I wouldn’t want to do a re-mix of a Bahon Mein Chale Aao or Lag Ja Gale because Lataji has taken the songs to the pinnacle of perfection. You can’t take them any further.

MUMBAI MIRROR (September 25, 2015)

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has served notices to three Bollywood actors, Anil Kapoor, Juhi Chawla and Jeetendra, and singer Amit Kumar after their residences in suburban Juhu and Malabar Hill were found to be breeding grounds for mosquitoes.

From January 1 to August 31, 13,587 breeding grounds for mosquitoes were identified and 866 people served notices for not complying with the guidelines and overlooking preventive measures issued by the BMC. The civic body takes action and levies fine under Section 381 of the Bombay Municipal Act which varies from Rs 2000 to 10,000 depending upon the gravity of the case. A fine of Rs 23.38 lakh has been recovered from erring persons.

"The notices were issued after an inspecting team conducted a check at their residences and found out that the bungalows of these celebrities were the breeding grounds for this deadly disease," informed Rajan Naringrekar, insecticide officer of the BMC.

The insecticide teams also inspected Amitabh Bachchan four bungalows, along with the homes of actors Shabana Azmi, Shilpa Shetty and Ranjeet, filmmakers Mahesh Bhatt and Sanjay Khan, and cleared them after they were found to have taken preventive measures.

Roshmila Bhattacharya (MUMBAI MIRROR; August 25, 2015)

Bade Achche Lagte Hain...Kya?... Yeh dharti, yeh nadiya, yeh raina... Aur? Aur tum...

Four decades have passed since Amit Kumar recorded the song in early '75 for Balika Badhu and the singer admits that it's become his bread-and-butter song.

"But when the film opened in '76, it wasn't an instant hit. Its popularity has grown over the years, peaking after Ekta Kapoor used it as the title track of her tele soap. Today, no matter which part of the world I go to, I have to open a show with R D Burman's signature melody," smiles Amit.

He's quick to point out that it's not his first Bollywood track. That was Hosh mein hum kahan for a forgettable Ramsay horror film, Darwaza, which only opened in '78. Two other films, one featuring Rajesh Khanna, also remained in the cans, though both the Salil Chowdhury composition, Humko kisne jana hai, and a duet with Asha Bhosle, Hai shaam badi matwali, tuned by Madan Mohan, are playing on YouTube today.

During one of his trips to Mumbai, he accompanied his father, Kishore Kumar, to R D Burman's music room. He was sitting quietly, while his baba and Manna Dey rehearsed a comedy track, when RD came up to him. "Panchamda had been hearing a lot of good things about me and enquired if I'd like to sing for them," he reminisces. Urged on by the musicians, Manna Dey and his baba looking on, a nervous Amit sang a song from Jhumroo.

"On our way home, baba admonished me for being so shy and singing badly. I told him I was happy doing shows in Kolkata and that got me another rap for my lack of ambition," he smiles.

The following evening Kishore was surprised by a call from RD who wanted Amit to record a song for him. "We rehearsed the song at Panchamda's place before he drove me in his blue Fiat to Film Centre where Shakti Samanta (the film's producer), Tarun Majumdar (director) and the other musicians were waiting. Panchamda gently urged me on, telling me he didn't want me to copy my father. He wanted Amit Kumar, not Kishore Kumar. He even sang the O majhi re portion himself and in a couple of hours, Bade achhe lagte hain was recorded," says Amit.

Soon after, Kishore started his home production, Shabash Daddy, and Amit would play the song which RD had recorded for him on a cassette, on the sets. After the film's release, he accompanied Kishore to South Africa for a 50-show tour. "Baba was the first Indian artiste to enter the country still torn by apartheid. I always sang this song on stage with baba ribbing me from the wings," he says. "It was my first hit and every top music director wanted Kishore Kumar ka beta. Being baba's son was a bonus."

Balika Badhu was the coming-of-age story of a teenage bride and her school-going husband in pre-Independence earlier. In '67, Majumdar had made it in Bengali with a schoolgirl, Moushumi Chatterjee. For the Hindi version, he opted for another new face, Rajni Sharma.

Shakti Samanta's son, Ashim, was still in college when the film was being shot but got his first lessons in editing during the post production, recalls Anil Kapoor turning up in a dhoti-kurta one day to audition for the role of the husband, Amal.

"Dad was keen on Anil, but Tarunda eventually settled for Sachin," he says. "Both Sachin and Rajni made a cute pair but Balika Badhu is remembered today for Bade Achche Lagte Hain."

The song will be launched under the new music label of his sons, Amit Kumar and Sumeet Kumar
Roshmila Bhattacharya (MUMBAI MIRROR; July 27, 2015)

Roshmila Bhattacharya (MUMBAI MIRROR; June 23, 2015)

Buzz is, Kishore Kumar's Door Gagan Ki Chhaon Mein was inspired by his mama, Satyajit Ray's debut film, Pather Panchali. But his son, Amit Kumar, insists that though his baba had lent Ray Rs 5,000 to complete his Song of the Road and had seen the film 13 times, he was actually influenced by Michael Curtiz's The Proud Rebel which he adapted in Hindi.

"Some of the shot takings were similar to Pather Panchali, like the croaking of the frogs in the rain, but the content was borrowed from the 1958 Western. Based on a story by James Edward Grant, it revolved around a former confederate soldier, John Chandler, and his 10-year-old son David who had not spoken a word since he had witnessed his mother's death in a fire," points out Amit.

Kishore himself stepped into Alan Ladd's shoes as the impoverished war hero and started auditioning for the role of his mute son. He was looking for a boy who could speak through his eyes and even placed an ad in the Times of India. None of them impressed him and finally, urged on by his cinematographer, Aloke Dasgupta, and his actor friend Ifftekar, decided to screen test Amit who was down from Kolkata on vacation.

"One day, baba called me and told me to hide behind the curtain. When he called out, I was to step out and say, 'Bapu, tum kab aaoge?' reminisces Amit who did what was asked and was rewarded with a "Bahut achche."

He was eight when the film flagged off in '60, and unfazed by the challenge, because he had no dialogue sheets to learn by rote. He spoke just one line of dialogue at the end which saves his bapu's life.

Kishore was going through a lean phase as an actor and everyone discouraged him from making a film without comedy or commercial elements. Only his mother, Gauri Devi, supported him, even pawning her jewellery. The first day's scenes in Juhu were shot in the light of the car's headlights. It took him three years to complete the film.

Door Gagan Ki Chhaon Mein opened in 1964. The press show at Blaze in Liberty cinema drew all the top critics, including Baburao Patel, the editor of Filmindia. A line in his review, 'Door Gagan Ki Chhaon Mein just misses out on being a classic' made Kishore happy and proud since he rarely praised a film.

The premiere, at Metro cinema, was attended by George Fernandes, the leader of the Opposition, along with half the film industry, including Raj Kapoor and Ashok Kumar. "Baba was very quiet during the screening. And after it was over, too overwhelmed to speak, so Iftekhar uncle gave the speech," recalls Amit.

The next day, they watched the film with six others at Lotus cinema. There were only half-a-dozen others in the stalls below and distributor Hiranandani was beating his head, moaning, "Kya hoga iss film ka?" Kishore laughed away his concerns, chiding him for buying a film without any naach gaana.

Collections were poor in the first week but following the reviews and good word-of-mouth publicity, started picking up and by the third week it was drawing full houses. "Baba and I would go and sit outside Alankar theatre. He would chew paan and wait for the 'Housefull' board to go up, then tell the driver to take us back home," laughs Amit.

After seven weeks at Alankar, Door Gagan Ki Chhaon Mein moved to Super Cinema where it ran for 23 weeks. Collections only started slipping in the 22nd week. Kishore was asked to put in some money so the film could complete a silver jubilee run. "But baba had got more than what he had expected and pulled it out after 23 weeks," says Amit.

However, the film celebrated a silver run in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh. In Kolkata, to everyone's surprise, it ran for just eight weeks but Amit remembers that the premiere was a star-studded affair. Everyone from Uttam Kumar and Chabi Biswas to Pankaj Mullick and Satyajit Ray was there. Ray liked the 'sensible' film and admitted it wasn't what he had been expecting from Kishore.

"Door Gagan Ki Chhaon Mein proved that baba was as good with serious films as he was with comedies. Today, half a century later the strains of Koi lauta de mere beete hue din and Aa chalke tujhe mein leke chaloon still echo through the vales, dales and our memory lanes. It makes me speechless today, literally," admits Amit.