Of all trivia out there, the ones from Bollywood perhaps top all that’s been sought in the country. And if it’s about a legend of a star like Kishore Kumar, then things magnify to a whole new level. After all, he ruled the entire film industry, not just Bollywood, for more than four decades.
People are still eager to know what kind of man he was, for he indeed was very ‘different’ and had several layers to his life which have been unraveled in due course of time since he lived and continues to live in billions of hearts.
Remembering and reminiscing the late singer and actor on the sidelines of Kolkata Literary Meet 2023, veteran journalist, parliamentarian, and a man of many talents and professions Pritish Nandy, who is a massive contributor to Kishoreda’s biography – Kishore Kumar: The Ultimate Biography, shared fascinating and striking anecdotes from his book and real-life conversations with the evergreen celebrity.
Beginning with his time spent in Khandwa, Bhagalpur, and Indore and going on to Bombay, where Kishore da moved to try his luck in cinema, the biography by Parthiv Dhar and Anirudha Bhattacharjee tells it all. A product of over thirty years of research, it goes beyond the singer’s nearly three thousand songs and his varied contributions to cinema.
The biography reveals unknown facts about his four marriages, his run-ins with the government in the 1970s, and his health issues.
Kishore da on not providing his wives
Getting candid about his old interviews with Kumar, Nandy touched on his many marriages, which to date are the talk of the town. Whatever the public may perceive about the singer, Nandy reveals how unique Kishoreda’s thoughts and practices about women in his life were.
He was, evidently, way ahead of time, for Nandy said that, “Kishoreda hated many things, and that is what made him interesting. And his companionship with his wives was equally striking. He would say,’Khawar baper badi theke ashbe’ (His wife’s food will be arranged by her parents). He wouldn’t give a penny to his wives and say, ’I am supposed to give them love and spend time with them and not provide them money’.”
His relationship with Madhubala
Amongst his wives, the veteran actress, who was even referred to as Marilyn Monroe of India for her spellbinding beauty, Madhubala, is highlighted and spoken of the most.
Madhubala had her share of heartbreaks, which culminated in a life-threatening disease – a ventricular septal defect – in her heart itself. Kishoreda came to her rescue and married her in her final days. They stayed in London for some time for her treatment and moved back to Bombay, where she spent her final days in seclusion.
“Kishoreda was aware of Madhubala’s ailment and heartbreaks. He tried his best to give her company. In fact, he did his best to be in the good books of all his wives,” told Nandy.
Kumar wanted to retire and return to his birthplace Khandua in the end, which he did. He spent his last in Khandua. It was his final journey, said the authors.