A Master of all Arts

 (A tribute to the genius of Kishore Kumar)

 In Malayalam there's a terminology called “Sakala Kalaa Vallabhan” - it loosely translates to “the gallant overseer of all arts”. If ever, any persona fits that bill, it has to be Abhas Kumar Ganguly, more famously known by his popular name Kishore Kumar. Actor, producer, director, music composer, singer - he donned several hats, and all with the practiced ease of a perfect professional. 

 He was arguably, the most dynamic singers in Bollywood, nay, in Indian cinema. With a rich repository of songs, he had a range so versatile, in moods so diverse, that it was virtually impossible to slot him into any niche. Sad songs, cheerful ones, romantic calls, naughty numbers, yodeling doodles - he had all of them in his repertoire. His best though, were reserved for the company of Sachin Burman and Rajesh Khanna. The trio came together to dish out hit after hit in the late 1960s and 1970s, becoming a rage for a generation of music and cinema lovers.

 Among his all-time romantic greats is “Mere Sapnon ki Raani kab Aayegi tu”, from the movie “Araadhna”. Kishoreda's melodious voice is the tool unleashed by a handsome Kaka in an open Jeep, to woo a doe-eyed, pretty as peach, ravishingly radiant Sharmila T in a train. An apocryphal account has it, that the hero and the heroine were never together during the shoot of the song and were captured on camera, on entirely different dates - the reason perhaps, that in the entire song, they are never in a frame together. Anand Bakshi Sahab presents the perfect pitch with his lyrics, for Pancham da to compose a tune that really melts one's heart.