Kishore Kumar Songs: Timeless Melodies That Stay Fresh Across Generations

By Shanti Swaroop Tripathi

Legendary singer Kishore Kumar was a carefree, fun-loving personality. Even while joking around, he could render serious songs with such emotion that they turned timeless. Usually, every singer records songs in the studio standing up. But Kishore Kumar? The songs he sang sitting down — or even lying on a table — also became immortal. Surprised? But that’s the truth.

Kishore Kumar, SPB Duet in the 1985 Film Sagar Song

In the 1985 film Sagar, there was a duet sung by S.P. Balasubrahmanyam and Kishore Kumar. The song was “He Muskuraate Raho...” In the film, Kishore lent his voice for Rishi Kapoor while S.P. Balasubrahmanyam sang for Kamal Haasan. Kishore had already suffered his first heart attack before this recording. On the day of the recording, he arrived at the studio in his trademark lungi and kurta, cheerful as ever — with no sign of fear or worry despite recovering from illness. The lyrics were penned by Javed Akhtar, and the music was composed by R.D. Burman, fondly known as Pancham Da.

Kishore Kumar Recorded the Sagar Song While Unwell

As soon as Kishore walked into the studio, he casually asked Pancham Da, “So, Pancham, what do you want me to do?” After a brief discussion, Kishore put down a condition — “I will sing this sitting down.” There was no other choice but to agree. A chair was quickly brought in. Kishore sat down, put on his headphones, and began singing: “He muskuraate raho...” Listening to him, no one could have guessed he had been ill just days earlier. In this song, he even overshadowed S.P. Balasubrahmanyam. The track went on to become a classic.

Kishore Kumar Sung Sharaabi Hit While Lying Down

Now, let’s talk about another immortal song Kishore Kumar sang — this time lying down on a table! Yes, it’s true. The song was from Prakash Mehra’s 1984 release Sharaabi. Written by Anjaan, it was the evergreen duet “Inteha Ho Gayi Intezar Ki...” composed by Bappi Lahiri and sung by Kishore Kumar with Asha Bhosle. The song was picturized on Amitabh Bachchan and Jaya Prada, with Kishore singing for Amitabh and Asha for Jaya.

On the day of the recording, Kishore arrived at the studio in his usual lungi-kurta style, cracking jokes here and there. Composer Bappi Lahiri grew a bit anxious, feeling that Kishore Da didn’t seem to be in the mood to record. And if the song wasn’t recorded that day, things could get delayed. When Bappi Da gently hinted at starting the recording, Kishore suddenly set a condition — “I will sing this song lying on a table.”

Everyone present, including the musicians, was stunned into silence. Not agreeing meant no recording would happen at all. Finally, Bappi Da thought it best to accept Kishore’s demand. A table was brought into the recording room, and Kishore comfortably lay down on it. With headphones on, he began singing “Inteha Ho Gayi Intezar Ki...” — and unbelievably, the song was recorded in a single take! Everyone who heard it at that moment was thrilled, and the song went on to become a timeless hit.

Such was the magic of Kishore Da’s singing that even Rahat Fateh Ali Khan once called him his guru.

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