The Real Anand: The Pain Behind Kishore Kumar's Madness

India Today

3 days ago

On August 4, 2025, we celebrate what would have been the 96th birthday of Kishore Kumar—the legendary singer, actor, and filmmaker whose unparalleled talent and eccentric charm left an indelible imprint on Indian cinema. In this series, we explore the multifaceted life of this enigmatic genius, delving into his complex relationships with love, marriage, money, madness, and fame.This second installment traces Kishore's pranks and eccentric behaviour that masked a lonely man dealing with pain and trauma in his personal life. You can read part one here.advertisementThe only film that truly captures Kishore Kumar's inner turmoil is the one he was offered but never starred in. Due to his eccentric behaviour, he lost the opportunity to play the lead in one of India's greatest cinematic masterpieces.
The story goes that Kishore had fierce guards and dogs protecting his home, Gauri Kunj, from intruders. One day, he instructed his guards to bar 'that Bengali' from entering, a decision that proved to be a costly mistake.Legendary director Hrishikesh Mukherjee intended to cast Kishore as the lead in Anand, a poignant film about a terminally ill man who brings laughter to those around him. Acting on Kishore's orders, however, his guards turned Mukherjee away. The role ultimately went to Rajesh Khanna, who crafted an iconic performance that would define his cinematic legacy.Dil Aisa Kisi Ne Mera TodaKishore was, in many ways, the real-life Anand, a deeply melancholic man whose wild antics, both on and off set, amused people while keeping them at a distance. But his madcap persona was a facade, a shield to conceal his true emotions.Actor Tanuja once shared a revealing anecdote. During a shoot, Kishore, in a sombre mood, asked her to sit with him, saying he wasn't ready to film. 'Tanu,' he said, 'today I am sad, and you should share my sorrow.' He then sang some of his most heart-wrenching songs, leaving Tanuja overwhelmed with emotion. Such moments of vulnerability were rare for Kishore. To most, he remained an enigmatic prankster, indulging in bizarre behaviors like talking to his 'spooks,' embracing trees and conversing with them, teaching ragas to his dogs, watching horror films, or playing with battery-operated toys.A notorious loner, Kishore shunned the glitz and glamour of the film industry. In a candid interview with journalist Pritish Nandy, he confessed to not having 'a single friend.'Actor Dev Anand's life was linked inextricably with many legends: Guru Dutt, Suraiyya, his brothers, and, finally, Kishore Kumar, who was often the actor's playback voice. Dev Anand recalled their long train journeys to shoots, where they discussed personal matters, including Kishore's first marriage. Yet, as fame enveloped him, Kishore withdrew entirely, using his eccentric antics to scare people away and protect his solitude.Chala Jaata HoonadvertisementKishore had come to Mumbai without any specific goal. But, he fancied himself as a singer. Elder brother Ashok Kumar, Dadamoni, a superstar of the era, pushed Kishore towards acting, saying there was no money in singing.On Dadamoni's insistence, Kishore first faced the camera as an actor in Dev Anand's film, Ziddi. It was a small role of a gardener who had to just look at Dev Anand as he walked past the heroine, Kamini Kaushal.But, instead of sticking to the director's brief, Kishore looked at the actors and uttered a silent expletive. Scolded by Dadamoni, Kishore went into a sulk. But the film launched his career as a singer, with a ghazal, Marne Ke Duayeen. From that day, he became the voice of Dev Anand.The film also launched the legend of Kishore, the irreverent prankster, and gave rise to the persona of the actor-singer who gave a tough time to producers.Arre Diwano, Mujhe PehchanoKishore Kumar's eccentricities were not merely quirks; they were a reflection of a man wrestling with his own contradictions, craving solitude yet commanding the spotlight through his unparalleled talent.advertisementOne lesser-known story illustrates this duality vividly. During the filming of 'Half Ticket' (1962), Kishore, playing the impish Vijay, insisted on improvising a scene where he disguised himself as a woman. The crew, initially skeptical, was left in stitches as he danced and bantered with such effortless charm that the sequence became one of the film's highlights. Yet, after the cameras stopped rolling, Kishore retreated to his vanity van, refusing to speak to anyone for hours, lost in his own world.RD Burman (Pancham), who created several gems with the singer, first saw Kishore dressed as a sadhu, sitting on the boundary wall of Kardar Studio, in Bombay.Pancham recalled: 'One of his shoes had fallen off. So he asked me to pick it up. When I did, he introduced himself, 'I am Kishore Kumar Khandwa wala. Thank you, Sadhu.''During the recording of Pancham's song, Kishore arrived in a whimsical mood, dressed in mismatched clothes and carrying a toy trumpet. Instead of singing the scheduled romantic number, he insisted on experimenting with nonsensical sounds for an hour before delivering a flawless take that left everyone spellbound. 'He was a genius who worked on his own terms,' Pancham later remarked.advertisementAnother frequent collaborator, singer Asha Bhosle, noticed Kishore often came to the studio with an imaginary child, playing games and chatting with him for hours with childlike abandon.Music director Salil Chowdhury recalled how Kishore would sometimes refuse to sing until the mood struck him, once delaying a session to chase a butterfly in the studio's garden. Yet, when he finally sang, his voice carried an effortless magic that transformed even ordinary compositions into timeless classics.Babu, Ye Public HaiKishore's relationship with his audience was equally complex. While he loved their adulation, he was aware of the fleeting nature of fame. He defined this connection, once telling an interviewer, 'They love my voice, not me. I'm just the shadow behind the song.'A producer-director, who collaborated with Kishore on two films, almost died of shock once. Visiting Kishore at home, he found Kishore pretending to sleep with a placard nearby that read, 'Beware of Dog.' When he attempted to start a conversation, Kishore growled at him and then playfully bit his hand.Kishore's reclusive tendencies grew more pronounced in his later years. Neighbours recalled seeing him wandering the beach at dusk, humming to himself or talking animatedly to the waves. Some speculated he was rehearsing; others believed he was simply communing with nature, seeking solace in its vastness.advertisementHis first wife, Ruma Guha Thakurta, once described him as 'a child at heart, but impossible to live with.' Their separation left Kishore retreating further into his private world, where he found solace in music and his quirky habits. You can read part one here.Khaike Paan Khandwa WalaOne of the many happy coincidences of Indian cinema is that two of its greatest singers were born in the same district—Indore, in Madhya Pradesh. Lata Mangeshkar, the nightingale of India, spent her early years in Indore, traveling with her father's theatre group before relocating to Bombay.Kishore Kumar was born in Khandwa, a small town a few kilometres from Indore, on the road to the famous religious shrine of Omkareshwar. He inherited a flair for comedy from his father, Kunjilal Ganguly, a lawyer.Kunjilal had a knack for making everyone at the court, including the accused, smile with his pranks and jokes. In the evenings, he would carry a young Kishore Abhas Kumar Ganguly, on his shoulders. Little Kishore would tap his father's bald pate, singing KL Saigal's songs.Kishore embraced eccentricities and superstitions right from childhood. As a student in Indore's Christian College, he grew a long beard and always wore an overcoat, even during peak summer. He considered the coat lucky and was wary of taking it off, even when students and teachers laughed at him.Once, when a player got injured, Kishore participated in a football match—wearing an overcoat, sandals, gloves, and a muffler—while everyone around him sweated in the Malwa heat.His elder brothers Dadamoni, a megastar of his generation, and Anup Kumar (Alo), shared his flair for the madcap. Once, Kishore put on a scary mask and pounced on actor Madhubala during the shooting of a film starring Dadamoni. The angry elder brother berated Kishore and asked him to never visit the set.The next day, people heard Madhubala screaming again. Someone had scared her with the same mask. When the pandemonium subsided, Dadamoni revealed that it was he himself behind the mask, leaving everyone in splits.As his son, Amit Kumar, later said, 'My father was a puzzle no one could solve, but his music was the key to understanding him.'Next: Kishore, the voice of melody and money- EndsMust Watch