Films in which Kishore Kumar crooned for Bengal’s Mahanayak Uttam Kumar

This 1970 directorial by Salil Sen starring Uttam Kumar, Tanuja, Pahari Sanyal, Tarun Kumar and Bhanu Banerjee is as much loved and alluded to for its Kishore Kumar songs as is for Uttam Kumar and Tanuja’s sparkling performances and the engaging plot. Manju (played by Tanuja) is a princess leading a princess’s life, except that she seeks freedom from the royal excesses and her regimented, cloistered days. On top of that she has a strict disciplinarian for a mother, to put it lightly, who is excessively particular that her daughter toes every line of royal propriety. Manju meets Nirmal (Uttam Kumar) at a social occasion and sparks fly. They decide to get married in a temple but fate strikes. Those were the times in the film industry when a lot of cross-pollination of music and songs from one industry to the other was the fad. RD Burman composed the songs for Rajkumari. Apart from Bengali music lovers, Hindi music aficionados will have a good time identifying the Hindi variants of the songs, many of which were crooned by Kishore Kumar. Ei Ki Holo (Ye Kya Hua from Amar Prem), or Bandha Dwaarer Andhkare (Aapke Kamre mein koi rehta hai from Yaadon Ki Baarat) are perhaps among the most popular tracks of Kumar’s singing career.

Madhusudan Roy Chaudhary (Uttam Kumar) is basking in happiness with wife Lekha (Sharmila Tagore). But things turn grim with the entry of a vengeful man Maheep Ghoshal (Utpal Dutt) in their life who only has ill intentions in mind. This 1975 film helmed by Shakti Samanta was simultaneously made both in Hindi and Bengali, as was the norm back then for these two film industries. However, the Bengali version of the film became popular, which is credited in a big way to quite a few memorable songs by Kishore Kumar—Bipinbabur Karansudha, Ki Asha-y-Baandhi Khelaghar, and the melodious duet with Asha Bhonsle, Jodi Hoi Chor Kata.

The Uttam Kumar, Sharmila Tagore-starrer didn’t make a mark on the box office when it released in 1977, but its songs still echo in the ears of music lovers. The Shakti Samanta directorial was elevated with Kishore’s singing. His voice perfectly evoked the gamut of emotions felt by the characters in the story, whether the upbeat and cheery Prithibi Bodle Geche, the sad song of love-lost bereavement in Asha Chilo Valobasha Chilo, or the romantic strain in Aamar Shopno Tumi Ogo, which was a duet with Asha Bhonsle.

Uttam Kumar passed on during the production of this 1981 comedy directed by Salil Dutta. Professor Gagan Sen (Uttam Kumar) is reserved and reticent, but he gets married to extroverted and sociable Chitra (Sumitra Mukherjee). And then a young woman, Sabitri (Moushumi Chatterjee) comes into their life, turning it uproariously upside down. Ogo Bodhu Sundari went on to be one of the big hits of Bengali cinema. Kishore Kumar sang many tracks in the film. Ei To Jibon, Shikhte Tomay Hobei, Ami Ekjon Shanto Shishto, Nari Charitra portrayed the many moods and moments of the film, immortalised through Kishore’s golden voice and singing skills.