05 July,2011 09:06 AM IST | | Avantika Patil
Success doesn't come easily. Singer Amit Kumar should know. The title of a superstar's son hasn't been too easy to carry. Amit who celebrated his 60th birthday and has just launched a music compilation, gets chatty with CS about dad Kishore Kumar's struggle and his own difficult journey.
Who: Amit Kumar
What: Shares his father Kishore Kumar's memories and his own
struggle
Legend in making
Though it's been 24 years since my father passed away, he's still alive through his music. Recently, I was listening to his song Husn Bhi Hai Udaas from Fareb. Anil Biswas was the music director and although he usually used only Manna Dey, he approached my father to sing a ghazal. My dad decided to give it a try and went for a rehearsal. However he wasn't able to get a certain harkat that Anilji wanted in the song. It just wasn't happening. Finally, Anilji ordered him to go home. Though Anilji didn't mean to insult dad in front of Manna Dey and Lataji (Mangeshkar), it was still an incident dad couldn't forget. Finally though, my dad sang the song. So you see, though Kishore Kumar was a brilliant singer, he too had to struggle his way up. It took him 30 years to reach and stay where he is today.
Striving to strike
Similarly, though I am Kishore Kumar's son, success hasn't come to me easily. When I was a child, I wasn't allowed to sing. My mother wanted me to pursue academics. But the singer in me couldn't rest. My first stage show was with Uttam Singh during Bijoya Sammilani (cultural programme), after Durga Puja. As soon as my mother found out, she called my dad in Mumbai and complained about me. But nothing could stop me. I sang my father's songs at various programmes in Kolkata. Dad finally came to Kolkata to hear me sing and decided to take me to Mumbai. I was just 19 when I came to this city.
My first stage show in Mumbai was Papa Kishore & Sonny Amit. I got the chance to sing before industry stalwarts like SD Burman, Kalyanji Anandji and others. While I performed Pancham Da's composition from the film Caravan, SD threw a garland on me from his seat. But Lady Luck wasn't so kind to me and many of the songs I sang for films didn't gain too much popularity. Frustrated with my bad luck, I was packing to return to Kolkata when RD called my dad. That's when I got Bade Acche Lagte Hain from Balika Badhu.u00a0
In the backseat
But in the 90s, things started to change drastically. Not just the films, but the music too was changing. Earlier, it was the music director who'd choose the singers, but now it was the music company and the producers taking a call. It was like running in a rat race and I didn't wanted to be a part of it. That is when I acted upon what my father taught me. He said that if you want to survive in the industry, wear a mask and act like everyone expects you to. If you don't enjoy it, remove the mask and take a back seat. And that is what I did, I took a back seat. But my fans make sure I am around (laughs).
