I have so many memories with the genius of a man, Kishore Kumar. It could fill up a book. The first song we sang was for composer Pannalal Ghosh, it was a duet. I think Kishore da was also acting in that film. Then another one of our earliest duets was Aati hai humko yaad.. January February from the film Muqaddar. This must have been around 1949-50. He really treated me like a younger sister. I’ve known him since my oldest child Hemant was a baby.
We have sung so many duets, I’ve really lost count. We must have sang maximum number of duets together.
Once we were recording for Dada Burman (SD Burman) for Paying Guest (1957) and my work was over. I was leaving the recording studio and Kishore saw me. He said wait a minute I need you on this recording. It was a male solo song. But Kishore insisted that I sing an alaap for him while he sung for Dev Anand. And he sung Oh Nigaahen mastaana. Dada readily agreed to his suggestion. You can hear my humming after each line. There are so many recording room stories and memories.
We used to sing many songs together for Pancham (RD Burman). Pancham and Kishore da had a superb tuning. I remember we did so many stage shows together. Once we were in Kolkata doing a stage show and I was singing Ek main aur ek tu and he felt I was doing very well. So immediately the next song he sang was Eena Meena Deeka and he lay on the floor and started flailing his legs and arms. Keeping the mike away from his face he asked me, “Ab kya karegi tu,” I started laughing so much I just couldn’t finish the singing that song.
Once I think we were recording for Laxmikant Pyarelal and the final take was okayed. After the take I quietly told him, that one particular portion he could have done better. He took offence at that and suddenly announced to every one that he would no longer sing with me.
Later Pancham reprimanded me and said why was it necessary for me to voice my opinion about everything. I told Pancham that music was my soul and religion and I couldn’t be untruthful. Kishore da sulked with me for a while.
Then later we met for a Bappi Lahiri recording. I greeted him and turned my face away. And began to draw circles on the recording wall next to me. Kishore da started singing and suddenly called cut and angrily asked me, “Why are you not looking in my direction and paying attention or correcting me?” So I said, Dada you get angry when I correct you. He said, “Asha you know I’m crazy. Yeh sab chalta hai, now face me when I sing.” And we both burst out laughing. It was tough keeping a straight face while recording a duet with him.
Another mark of his genius came through during a song I was recording for Kalyanji Anandji. I rehearsed the song but there no sign of Kishore da. He had not turned up. I was quite annoyed. And just when we were going for the take, he sheepishly came in. He didn’t even want a rehearsal. He just picked on my cues and sang his portions. I can’t wrap my head around how he did it without a rehearsal. If this isn’t genius, what is. When I asked him how he did it, he just laughed it away and made light of the moment and said, “I know the Kalyanji Anandji’s style.” I feel like touching Kishore da’s feet every time I think of that incident.
I can’t remember the name of the film, we were recording a duet for Bappi Lahiri and our names were in the song. Our names were also mentioned in the lyrics of that song like a tribute. After the recording, like a doctor, he used to check the pulse of his hand and say, “The pulse is coming and going Asha… ab main zyaada nahi rahoonga.” I would tell him don’t say such things and that he will be around for a long time.
Even as a music composer Kishore da always made me sing all his best songs. He used to really appreciate my singing and felt I was best suited to his compositions. One can verify most of the films in which he has composed, he has used my voice.
His life’s last song also was a duet with me for Bappi Lahiri. I think it was Guru guru ho jao shuru. He told me, “Kal milte hai Asha.” He was leaving for some show in America. But we had to record yet another song the next day, before he left for America. But that was not to be.
Be it Ankhon mein kyaa ji or Haal kaisa hai janaab ka or all the duets we did for everyone from Dada Burman to Pancham to LP to Bappi Lahiri, all the memories come rushing to me. Some are crystal clear, some not so. Some of my best music memories are with Kishore da. When he went away, something in me went away, too.
