Amitabh Bachchan has often shared fascinating anecdotes from his long career and his interactions with some of the biggest names in Indian cinema. In the latest episode of Kaun Banega Crorepati 18, the veteran actor revisited a memory involving legendary singer Kishore Kumar.
Big B recalled an amusing moment when Kishore Kumar mistook him for his son, Amit Kumar. He also described him as a warm and generous person. “Bahut hi bahut dildaar insaan the. Kayi baar mulakat hoti thi, bahut prem se milte the humein. Unke saath recording studio mein baithne ka mauka milta tha.” [He was an incredibly generous-hearted person. We met often, and he would always greet me with great affection. I used to get the opportunity to sit with him in the recording studio,] the actor said.
Amitabh Bachchan then spoke about a memorable occasion when Kishore Kumar invited him over to his home. He said, “Ek baar unhone humein unke ghar pe bulaya tha aur uss zamaane mein jo video cassette the na jismein tasveer bante the, toh woh collect karne ka bada shauk tha. Toh unhone humein dikhaya ki jitna bhi world bhar mein cassette hain, sab unhone rakha tha.” [Once, he invited us to his home; back then, he had a great passion for collecting those video cassettes that played movies. He showed us that he had collected cassettes from all over the world.]
The megastar shared a humorous anecdote about a phone call with Kishore Kumar. When the actor introduced himself by saying, “Main Amit bol raha hoon,” the legendary singer reportedly assumed he was speaking to his son, singer Amit Kumar.
Contestant Virendra Jaiswal, who hails from Khandwa, Kishore Kumar’s hometown, also spoke about the legendary singer’s enduring connection with the city. He said, “Humare Khandwa mein unka janam diwas hain, 4th August, woh iss tarah se manaya jaata hai ki har nukkad mein karaoke aaj kal bahut famous hai, toh kisi ko bhi aana hai woh aake unke gaane gaa sakte hain. Matlab uss din humare Khandwa mein sab kuch Kishoremayi ho jaata hai.” [In our Khandwa, his birthday—August 4th—is celebrated in a unique way; karaoke has become very popular at every street corner these days, so anyone can come and sing his songs. Essentially, on that day, our Khandwa becomes completely immersed in the spirit of Kishore.]
Kishore Kumar died in 1987 at the age of 58 in Mumbai after suffering a sudden heart attack.
