THUS SPAKE KISHORE KUMAR

Here is a priceless interview with Kishore Kumar!

Pritish Nandi intreviewed Kishore Kumar for The Illustrated
Weekly 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 a
friend "ou can count on+ ! am determined to $et out of this futile
rat race and live as !-ve alwa"s wanted to. !n m" native
Khandwa(the land of m" forefathers. 'ho wants to die in this u$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$ht he could introduce me to K0
1ai$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. 2reater
than an"one else.
PN ! &elieve "ou are plannin$ to record an al&um of famous 1ai$al
son$s....
KK 3he" as)ed me to. ! refused. 'h" should ! tr" to outsin$ him+
0et him remain enshrined in our memor". 0et his son$s remain 4ust
H!1 son$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)+ 5orfame+ 5or
mone"+
KK ! was conned into it. ! onl" wanted to sin$. Never to act. %ut
somehow( than)s to peculiar circumstances( ! was persuaded to act
in 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 8eena Kumari what ! was supposed to tell
%ina 9ai in some other .lm : &ut the" still wouldn-t let me $o. !
screamed( ranted( went cuc)oo. %ut who cared+ 3he" were 4ust
determined 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 <f course ! did. ! was the &i$$est draw after ;ilip Kumar.
3here were so man" .lms ! was doin$ in those da"s that ! had to
run from one set to the other( chan$in$ on the wa". !ma$ine me.
8" shirts ="in$ o6( m" trousers fallin$ o6( m" wi$ comin$ o6
while !-m runnin$ from one set to the other. >er" often ! would mi*
up m" lines and loo) an$r" in a romantic scene or romantic in the
midst of a .erce &attle. !t was terri&le and ! hated it. !t evo)ed
ni$htmares of school. ;irectors were li)e schoolteachers. ;o this.
;o that. ;on-t do this. ;on-t do that. ! dreaded it. 3hat-s wh" !
would often escape.
PN 'ell( "ou are notorious for the trou&le "ou $ive "our directors
and producers. 'h" is that+
KK Nonsense. 3he" $ive me trou&le. ?ou thin) the" $ive a damn
for me+ ! matter to them onl" &ecause ! sell. 'ho cared for me
durin$ m" &ad da"s+ 'ho cares for an"one in this profession+
PN !s that wh" "ou prefer to &e a loner+
KK 0oo)( ! don-t smo)e( drin) or socialise. ! never $o to parties. !f
that ma)es me a loner( .ne. ! am happ" this wa". ! $o to wor) and !
come &ac) strai$ht home. 3o watch m" horror movies( pla" with
m" spoo)s( tal) to m" trees( sin$. !n this avaricious world( ever"
creative person is &ound to &e lonel". How can "ou den" me that
ri$ht+
PN ?ou don-t "ou have man" friends+
KK None.
PN 3hat-s rather sweepin$.
KK People &ore me. 5ilm people particularl" &ore me. ! prefer
tal)in$ to m" trees.
PN 1o "ou li)e nature+
KK 3hat-s wh" ! want to $et awa" to Khandwa. ! have lost all
touch with nature out here. ! tried to di$ a canal all around m"
&un$alow out here( so that we could sail $ondolas there. 3he
municipalit" chap would sit and watch and nod his head
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disapprovin$l"( while m" men would di$ and di$. %ut it didn-t
wor). <ne da" someone found a hand : a s)eletal hand: and some
toes /fter that no one wanted to di$ an"more. /noop( m" second
&rother( came char$in$ with 2an$a water and started chantin$
mantras. He thou$ht this house was &uilt on a $rave"ard. Perhaps
it is. %ut ! lost the chance of ma)in$ m" home li)e >enice.
PN People would have thou$ht "ou cra7". !n fact the" alread" do.
KK 'ho said !-m cra7". 3he world is cra7"@ not me.
PN 'h" do "ou have this reputation for doin$ stran$e thin$s+
KK !t all &e$an with this $irl who came to interview me. !n those
da"s ! used to live alone. 1o she said ?ou must &e ver" lonel". !
said No( let me introduce "ou to some of m" friends. 1o ! too) her
to the $arden and introduced her to some of the friendlier
trees.Aanardhan@ 9a$hunandan@ 2an$adhar@ Aa$annath@
%uddhuram@ Ahatpata4hatpatpat. ! said the" were m" closest
friends in this cruel world. 1he went and wrote this &i7arre piece(
sa"in$ that ! spent lon$ evenin$s with m" arms entwined around
them. 'hat-s wron$ with that( "ou tell me+ 'hat-s wron$ ma)in$
friends with trees+
PN Nothin$.
KK 3hen( there was this interior decorator:a suited( &ooted fellow
who came to see me in a three:piece woollen( 1aville 9ow suit in
the thic) of summer: and &e$an to lecture me a&out aesthetics(
desi$n(visual sense and all that. /fter listenin$ to him for a&out
half an hour and tr"in$ to .$ure out what he was sa"in$ throu$h
his peculiar /merican accent( ! told him that ! wanted somethin$
ver" simple for m" livin$ room. Aust water:several feet deep: and
little &oats =oatin$ around( instead of lar$e sofas. ! told him that
the centrepiece should &e anchored down so that the tea service
could &e placed on it and all of us could row up to it in our &oats
and ta)e sips from our cups. %ut the &oats should &e properl"
&alanced( ! said( otherwise we mi$ht whi77 past each other and
conversation would &e di6icult. He loo)ed a &it alarmed &ut that
alarm $ave wa" to sheer horror when ! &e$an to descri&e the wall
decor. ! told him that ! wanted live crows han$in$ from the walls
instead of paintin$s:since ! li)ed nature so much. /nd( instead of
fans( we could have mon)e"s fartin$ from the ceilin$. 3hat-s when
he slowl" &ac)ed out from the room with a stran$e
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loo) in his e"es. 3he last ! saw of him was him runnin$ out of the
front $ate( at a pace that would have put an electric train to
shame.'hat-s cra7" a&out havin$ a livin$ room li)e that( "ou tell
me+ !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$inal( &ut wh" do "our .lms fare so
&adl"+
KK %ecause ! tell m" distri&utors to avoid them. ! warn them at
the ver" outset that the .lm mi$ht run for a wee) at the most.
Naturall"(the" $o awa" and never come &ac). 'here will "ou .nd a
producer:director who warns "ou not to touch his .lm &ecause
even he can-t understand what he has made+
PN 3hen wh" do "ou ma)e .lms+
KK %ecause the spirit moves me. ! feel ! have somethin$ to sa"
and the .lms eventuall" do well at times. ! remem&er this .lm of
mine : Door Gagan ki Chhaon mein : which started to an audience
of 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. 1u&hodh 8u)her4ee( the &rother of
m" &rother:in:law( had &oo)ed C/lan)ar- Ethe hallF for 8 wee)s for
his .lm April Fool G which ever"one )new was $oin$ to &e a &loc):
&uster. 8" .lm( ever"one was sure( was $oin$ to &e a thunderin$
=op. 1o he o6ered to $ive me a wee) of his &oo)in$. 3a)e the .rst
wee)( he said =am&o"antl"( and !-ll mana$e within seven. /fter all(
the movie can-t run &e"ond a wee). !t can-t run &e"ond two da"s( !
reassured him. 'hen 1B people came for the .rst show( he tried to
console me. ;on-t worr"( he said( it happens at times. %ut who was
worried+ 3hen( the word spread. 0i)e wild.re. /nd within a few
da"s the hall &e$an to .ll. !t ran for all 8 wee)s at C/lan)ar-( house
full! 1u&odh 8u)her4ee )ept screamin$ at me &ut how could ! let
$o the hall+ /fter 8 wee)s when the &oo)in$ ran out( the movie
shifted to C1uper-( where it ran for another H1 wee)s! 3hat-s the
anatom" of a hit of mine. How does one e*plain it+ ,an an"one
e*plain it+ ,an 1u&odh 8u)her4ee( whose April Fool went 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" $ood director. D*cept 1at"en %ose and %imal 9o"( no one
even )new the /%, of .lmma)in$. How can "ou e*pect me to $ive
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$ood performances under such directors+ ;irectors li)e 1.;.
Naran$ didn-t even )now where to place the camera. He would
ta)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 the
camera wherever he wanted. His standard line to me was C;o
somethin$-. 'hat somethin$+ ,ome on( some thin$! 1o ! would $o
o6 on m" antics. !s this the wa" to act+ !s this the wa" to direct a
movie+ /nd "et Naran$saa& made so man" hits!
PN 'h" didn-t "ou ever o6er to wor) with a $ood director+
KK <6er! ! was far too scared. 1at"a4it 9a" came to me and
wanted me to act in Parash Pathar : his famous comed" : and ! was
so scared that ! ran awa". 0ater( 3ulsi ,ha)ravarti did the role. !t
was a $reat role and ! ran awa" from it( so scared ! was of these
$reat directors.
PN %ut "ou )new 9a".
KK <f course ! did. ! loaned him .ve thousand rupees at the time
of Pather Panchali when he was in $reat .nancial di6icult" G and
even thou$h he paid &ac) the entire loan( ! never $ave him an
opportunit" to for$et the fact that ! had contri&uted to the ma)in$
of the classic. ! still ri& him a&out it. ! never for$et the mone" !
loan out!
PN 'ell( some people thin) "ou are cra7" a&out mone". <thers
descri&e "ou as a clown( pretendin$ to &e )in)" &ut sane as hell.
1till others .nd "ou cunnin$ and manipulative. 'hich is the real
"ou+
KK ! pla" di6erent roles at di6erent times. 5or di6erent people. !n
this cra7" world( onl" the trul" sane man appears to &e mad. 0oo)
at me. ;o "ou thin) !-m mad+ ;o "ou thin) ! can &e manipulative+
PN How would ! )now+
KK <f course "ou would )now. !t-s so eas" to 4ud$e a man &" 4ust
loo)in$ at him. ?ou loo) at these .lm people and "ou instantl"
)now the"-re ro$ues.
PN ! &elieve so.
KK ! don-t &elieve so. ! )now so. ?ou can-t trust them an inch. !
have &een in this rat race for so lon$ that ! can smell trou&le from
miles afar. ! smelt trou&le the da" ! came to %om&a" in the hope of
&ecomin$ a pla"&ac) sin$er and $ot conned into actin$. ! should
have 4ust turned m" &ac) and run.
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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. 1omeone emer$es from &ehind
the upturned sofa in the livin$ 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 8" income ta* records.
PN 9at:eaten+
KK 'e use them as pesticides. 3he" are ver" e6ective. 3he rats
die #uite easil" after &itin$ into them.
PN 'hat do "ou show the ta* people when the" as) for the
papers+
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 ! $uess so.
KK Haute cuisine. D*pensive too. ,osts a lot of mone".
PN ?es+
KK 2ood &usiness( rats. <ne can ma)e mone" from them if one is
enterprisin$.
PN ! &elieve "ou are ver" fuss" a&out mone". <nce( !-m told( a
producer paid "ou onl" half "our dues and "ou came to the sets
with half "our head and half "our moustache shaved o6. /nd "ou
told him that when he paid the rest( "ou would shoot with "our
face intact...
KK 'h" should the" ta)e me for $ranted+ 3hese people never pa"
unless "ou teach them a lesson. ! was shootin$ in the 1outh once. !
thin) the .lm was Miss Mary and these chaps )ept me waitin$ in
the hotel room for .ve da"s without shootin$. 1o ! $ot fed up and
started cuttin$ m" hair. 5irst ! chopped o6 some hair from the
ri$ht side of m" head and then( to &alance it( ! chopped o6 some
from the left. %" mista)e ! overdid it. 1o ! cut o6 some more from
the ri$ht. /$ain ! overdid it. 1o ! had to cut from the left a$ain.
3his went on till ! had virtuall" no hair left: and that-s when the
call came from the sets. 'hen ! turned up the wa" ! was( the" all
collapsed. 3hat-s how rumours reached %om&a". 3he" said ! had
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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 while
tal)in$. Dven those chaps who would come and em&race me waved
out from a distance and said Hi. 3hen( someone as)ed me a little
hesitantl" how ! was feelin$. ! said 5ine. ! spo)e a little a&ruptl"
perhaps. 1uddenl" ! found him turnin$ around and runnin$. 5ar(
far awa" from me.
PN %ut are "ou actuall" so stin$" a&out mone"+
KK ! have to pa" m" ta*es.
PN ?ou have income ta* pro&lems ! am told....
KK 'ho doesn-t + 8" actual dues are not much &ut the interest
has piled up. !-m plannin$ to sell o6 a lot of thin$s &efore ! $o to
Khandwa and settle this entire &usiness once and for all.
PN ?ou refused to sin$ for 1an4a" 2andhi durin$ the emer$enc"
and( it is said( that-s wh" the ta* hounds were set on "ou. !s this
true+
KK 'ho )nows wh" the" come. %ut no one can ma)e me do what !
don-t want to do. ! don-t sin$ 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 stop
playing "ishore songs% This !ent on for 'uite a !hile% "" refused to
apologi(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 9uma ;evi( "our .rst wife+
KK 1he was a ver" talented person &ut we could not $et alon$
&ecause we loo)ed at life di6erentl". 1he wanted to &uild a choir
and a career. ! wanted someone to &uild me a home. How can the
two reconcile+ ?ou see( !-m a simple minded villa$er t"pe. ! don-t
understand this &usiness a&out women ma)in$ careers. 'ives
should .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 8adhu&ala( "our second wife+
KK 1he was #uite another matter. ! )new she was ver" sic) even
&efore ! married her. %ut a promise is a promise. 1o ! )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$enital heart pro&lem. 5or 9 lon$ "ears !
nursed her. ! watched her die &efore m" own e"es. ?ou can never
understand what this means until "ou live throu$h this "ourself.
1he was such a &eautiful woman and she died so painfull". 1he
would rave and rant and scream in frustration.How can such an
active person spend 9 lon$ "ears &ed:ridden+ /nd ! had to humour
her 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.
1he was onl" o&sessed with her mother. 1he never wanted to live
here.
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. 1he too is an actress
li)e all of them &ut she-s ver" di6erent. 1he has seen tra$ed". 1he
has faced $rief. 'hen "our hus&and is shot dead( "ou chan$e. ?ou
understand 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 this
one too+
KK No no no. !-m 4ust the producer:director. !-m $oin$ to &e
&ehind the camera. 9emem&er ! told "ou how much ! hate actin$+
/ll ! mi$ht do is ma)e a split second appearance on screen as an
old man or somethin$.
PN 0i)e Hitchcoc)+
KK ?es( m" favourite director. !-m mad( true. %ut onl" a&out one
thin$. Horror movies. ! love spoo)s. 3he" are a friendl" fearsome
lot. >er" nice people( actuall"( if "ou $et to )now them. Not li)e
these industr" chaps out here. ;o "ou )now an" spoo)s+
PN Not ver" friendl" ones.
KK %ut nice( fri$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 K [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] K "ou don-t even
)now whether it-s a man or a woman. Dh+ %ut it-s a nice sort.
5riendl" 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. ?ou
are $oin$ to loo) li)e this one da".
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