Monday, August 4, 2014

A Special On The Birth Anniversary Of India’s Heart-throb Kishore Kumar



Kishore Kumar is the name of that voice which has cast a spell not only in India but in many countries across the globe as well. Today, I am not going to narrate some anecdote from his life but am going to introduce you to a pain from his life which few may have noticed.
Born and brought up in Khandwa and educated in Indore, Kishore Kumar was very fond of singing and mimicry right from his childhood. By the time he grew up, his brother Ashok Kumar was already a big name in the Indian Film Industry. Kishore Kumar was anyway fond of singing, so he reached Bombay to try his hand at it. But even after repeated attempts, he did not get an opportunity to sing. So much so that even Ashok Kumar disliked his voice. However,  Kishore Kumar was well aware of the kind of voice he possessed. But what was the use of this awareness, he could not get a chance to do playback singing…and that was it. Those days there was only one popular voice, and that was Rafi Sahab’s.
Now he had to do something, so at the insistence of his brother, Ashok Kumar, he became an actor. The direct benefit of becoming an actor was that it gave him the chance to sing for himself in the films he acted in. But many a times, here too there was a reversal of fortune. Even the songs filmed on him were assigned by the film makers to Rafi Sahab to sing in those days. Now, this was no small pain which he had to bear. However later, Dev Anand did get Kishore Kumar to sing a few songs for him. This way, through Dev Anand he could pursue his interest in playback singing. Still, the rest weren’t providing him the opportunity to sing even a single song. Meaning, he was still not being considered a playback singer. And this phase lasted for more than 20 years... This means that he lived with this deep anguish in his heart for 20 years, where the talent was there, but no acknowledgement of it. Anyway, later in 1969, Aradhana released and he was accepted as a playback singer. And once accepted, the magic of his voice captivated the entire nation.
The point is that he possessed this voice ever since he came to Bombay to become a singer. But still he bore the pain of being rejected for 20 years. Can you even imagine the pain? If you can’t, then do so and listen to me – If you have to nurture a pain, then nurture a pain such as this and live. It has its own pleasure. But stop feeling dejected ten times a day. Because, remember that Nature does not bestow the opportunity to bear such immense pain upon those who become sad over every little thing. Because Nature too gives pain according to one's capacity. Nature knows that a human being that nurtures small pains cannot bear the burden of the greater pain…he will die. But keep in mind that nobody becomes great without having the capacity to endure the greater pain. Therefore give up the habit of becoming sad unnecessarily. Whenever you feel sorrow, see how it compares with Kishore Kumar’s pain. Well…miniscule! Then why are you crying? In spite of his deep hurt, if Kishore Kumar could go on to become a great comedian, then you too can stop nurturing these meaningless sorrows and lead a happy life. Take a leaf out of Kishore Kumar’s life and you will learn everything.

     Deep Trivedi

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