"AMIT KUMAR THE UNEXPLORED LEGEND"

"Amit Kumar The Unexplored Legend"

Music has no boundaries. No matter what language, genre, rhythm, it can always find a way to everyone's heart. I am from Kasur, Pakistan it's a small city near Lahore and called Mini Gwalior is due to its contribution to sub-continent music. Kasur is famous due to its rich history and Sufi saint Bulleh Shah. Patiala Gharana of Kasur has produced some legends like "Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan", "Noor Jehan", Ustad Barkat, Ustad Mubarak, Ustad Kaly Khan, and many more. I was born in 1986 so my affiliation with music is natural because  "Melody is in the air of Kasur". Listening to classical and old music in this era is adopted from my late father. I still used to listen to music from Pakistan and India starting from K.L Sehgal to Arjit Singh & Bade Ghulam Ali Khan to Atif Aslam. My father had nearly 500 of VCR & Audio Cassettes at home, he used to tell me stories regarding music directors like Rashid Attary, Khawaja Khurshid from Pakistan,  Naushad & especially SD & RD Burman from India. If you talk about SD & RD Burman then you will find their best combination with Muhammad Rafi and Kishore Kumar.

The era of '70s and '80s was dominated by legendary Kishore Kumar and my personal favorite as well. We have the same star of LEO hence my affiliation is more and I am reading him these days along with RD Burman. The combination of Burman's and Kishore Kumar is everlasting. After the sad demise of Kishore Kumar, the taste of singing has gone from Sub-Continent similarly, the sudden demise of RD Burman has taken away from the true sense of music. RD Burman suffered the monopoly and politics of Bollywood in the last phase of his career which ended by his death no music company wanted to work with him but his last movie's music was a Super Hit. 

The true legacy of Kishore Kumar is lead by his son Amit Kumar who has been singing since 1973 and got his first major hit song "Bade Achy Lagty Hain" from film Balika Badhu in 1976 the music of the film was given by RD Burman. Since then Amit Kumar has sung in nearly 300 Hindi and Bengali films. Amit was born on 3rd July 1952 and is the son of Actor Kishore Kumar and Bengali famous singer-actress Ruma Guha Thakurta. His career span mainly is from 1970 to 1994. His association with RD Burman was famous, he has sung nearly 150 films where RD has composed the music. 

Being a son of a legend Amit has never used his father's name to get work in Bollywood. He is a very straight forward, honest, and self-made person. He left singing due to the same favoritism & politics in Bollywood citing the reason the lack of quality music especially after the death of RD Burman. RD Burman always treated him like his younger brother/son after Kishore Kumar's death they both give some quality hits. But this industry is cruel to legends. Both father and son remained competitors in the '80s. Amit gave many hits in the '80s and become the voice of actor Kumar Gaurav. Amit won his 1st and only Filmfare award for the song "Yad a rahi hai tere yad a Rahi hai" from film Love Story in 1981 in the presence of his father in other nominations for the same award. Kishore Kumar himself presented him with the award. 

After the death of Kishore Kumar, Amit was on the top of his career and resumed his singing and Gave hits like Tridave, Teezab but later on, music directors and music companies started the same dirty politics with him as well. They call him to rehearse the song and later change the singer in the original version. This made Amit disheartens even legendary Asha Bhosle told him that he has to face these politics in order to remain alive in the industry but he refused to handle the pressure. The media blame him as an arrogant and proud person but he decided to stay back from the dirty politics of Bollywood, which resulted in an ultimate loss for music lovers. He started concerts and music directions, along with his younger brother Sumeet Kumar they have started the Kumar Brothers Music Company and started private albums.

 

Amit has worked with all famous music directors including O.P Nayyar, RD Burman, Laxmikant Pyarelal, Bappi Lehri, Viju Shah, Nadeem Sharvan, and Jatin Lalit. He gave so many hit song to this industry which can listen with the same spirit even now some of them are :

1. ‘Bade Achche Lagte Hain’ – Balika Badhu (1976)

2. ‘Aati Rahengi Baharen’ – Kasme Vaade (1978)

3. ‘Na Bole Tum Na Maine Kuch Kaha’ – Baton Baton Mein (1979)

4. ‘Teri Yaad Aa Rahi Hai’ – Love Story (1981)

5. ‘Yeh Zameen Gaa Rahi Hai’ – Teri Kasam (1982) My own all-time fav

6.  Dushman Na Kare" from Akhir Kyun (1985)

7.  Roz Roz Ankho Tale From Jeeva (1986)

8. 'Keh Do Ke Tum Ho Meri Warna' – Tezaab (1988)

9. ‘Tirchi Topiwale’ – Tridev (1989)

10. ‘Kaisa Lagta Hai’ – Baaghi (1990)      

11. ‘Sanam Mere Sanam’ – Hum (1991) 

12. ‘Deewana Dil Deewana’ – Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa (1994) 

13.  Bade Miyan Chote Miyan (1998)  

He has a great association with his father which can be felt in his interviews that how he misses his father till now. I can feel his pain because I have an almost similar association with my father. His voice is much better than other famous singers of industry who came as similar voices of Kishore Kumar. As being the son of Kishore Kumar people have many exceptions from Amit Kumar, his misfortune was he was Kishore Da’s son and once you are born to a legend, most people always start comparing, most would have said, he is good but not like his Dad, Amit had a great voice though but he made his own way in Bollywood and later on his sole music composition on the platform of  KBM. I have listened to his latest entry in the Music Mirchi Award 2020. He looks so amazing at the age of 67 that no one can match his class. I feel Amit has been the most underrated singer. He should have been at the top of the greatest singer. I feel sorry for Bollywood that they have wasted a rare talent. What a talent and what a great guy he is, clear pronunciation, tremendous throw, versatility are the trademarks of Amit Da. 

One of the most talented singers we have, his timing, voice modulation, at this age, he still sings on the recorded scales, true live performer, reminds of Kishore Kumar live performances, there is so much this generation music directors, singers, artists need to learn from him!!!!

In the end, I would request Amit Kumar Ji If he is reading this blog that to write his biopic and share among his fans and make some melody which we are missing from the '80s and '90s. You have YouTube channels and social media which can boost your brilliant work. We want to listen to good music again, it is very hard to listen to crap music nowadays. 

Amjad Zafar Ali (Amjad Chudhary), Kasur, Pakistan.  

2nd June 2020