Biography Wikipedia
Wikipedia:
Amit Kumar (born 3 July 1952) is an Indian film playback singer, actor, director, and music director. He is the son of the famous singer and actor Kishore Kumar and the Bengali singer and actress Ruma Guha Thakurta. Like his father, Amit loved singing and from childhood used to sing during Durga Pooja functions in Kolkata. Once when he was performing on stage in a Durga Pooja function arranged by Bengali actor Uttam Kumar, people kept requesting more songs and this information reached his mother. She complained to Kishore Kumar that his son was singing "filmy" songs. Hearing this Kishore Kumar decided to bring him to Bombay.
Before this, Kishore Kumar had cast Amit as his son in two critically acclaimed films that he produced himself, Door Gagan Ki Chhaon Mein (the well known song "Aa chalke tujhe, mein leke chaloon" was filmed with Kishore Kumar singing to his eleven-year-old son) and Door Ka Raahi (with Amit as a teenager).
He has sung many popular Bollywood and regional film songs since the 1970s. Apart from Hindi songs, he sang several songs in Bangla, Bhojpuri, Oriya, Assamese, Marathi, Konkani. It proves his capability as a versatile singer.
1970s
Amit Kumar made his debut as a child singing and acting in his father's movie Door Ka Raahi. He recorded the song "Main ik panchi matwaala re", which was later removed from the film.
In the 1976 film Balika Badhu he sang "Bade achchhe lagte hain", by the legendary composer R. D. Burman, with whom he subsequently recorded many other songs.
In the late '70s "Aati rahengi baharein", from Kasme Vaade, was a huge hit, which he sang for Randhir Kapoor, while Kishore Kumar sang for Amitabh Bachchan.
Amit Kumar sang many hit songs in various films, including Aandhi, Aap Ke Deewane, Khatta Meetha, Gol Maal, Des Pardes, Ganga Ki Saugandh, Deewanagi, Duniya Meri Jeb Mein, Parvarish, Baton Baton Mein, and others. The duet sung with Lata Mangeshkar from the film Baton Baton Mein - "Uthe sabke kadam" - became popular.
As a leading playback singer in Bollywood, he sang many songs for Kumar Gaurav, who was a new star in the 1980s. But most of his songs are recorded and released for Anil Kapoor.
1980s
Amit sang all the songs for the 1981 hit film Love Story, and won a Filmfare Award for the duet "Yaad aa rahi hai" with Lata Mangeshkar. Composer R. D. Burman jokingly told Amit before its release that this song sounds like a "Bhajan".
In 1980 the actor Feroz Khan produced the film Qurbani (1980 film), from which the song "Laila o Laila" became a big hit, with Amit Kumar rendering his voice for Amjad Khan.
His duet "Tu rootha toh main ro doongi sanam" with Asha Bhonsle from the film Jawani (1984), composed by R. D. Burman was a mega hit. Another chart-buster from 1983 from the film Haadsaa was "Yeh Bombay shehar haadsoon ka sheher hai".
In this decade, Amit Kumar sang for almost all music directors, actors, producing hit after hit. He became the voice of Anil Kapoor in the 1980s, but before this many hit songs were also released for Kumar Gaurav in films such as Romance (1983), Teri Kasam, Lovers (1983), All rounder, and Telefilm-Janam. In this decade Kumar sang hits for Anil Kapoor in films including Tezaab, Yudh.
The song from Tridev filmed with Naseeruddin Shah, "Oye oye- Tirchi topi waaley", was a nationwide hit. Amit also sang for Naseeruddin Shah in the film Hero Hiralal.
Soon after Kishore Kumar's death, he and his half-brother Sumit Kumar released an album called Dui Kishore as a tribute to their father.
Early 1990s to mid-1990s
In 1990 the film Hum and the song "Sanam mere sanam" brought another big hit for Amit. Baaghi: A Rebel for Love had a smash hit in the song "Kaisa lagta hai". From the film Ghayal the song "Pyaar tum mujhase" was popular.
Amit delivered more hits for the film Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa. The songs "Deewana dil deewana" and "Sachhi yeh kahani hai" were hits, especially the former.
In this decade, he sang for other hit films including Awwal Number, ChaalBaaz, Khel (1992 film)|Khek]], Vishwatma, Bade Miyan Chote Miyan, Judaai), Indrajeet.
Amit Kumar enjoyed a special work relationship with the music duo Anand-Milind, who heavily promoted Kumar in the early 1990s. Among their best works are: Baaghi: A Rebel for Love, Mera Pati Sirf Mera Hain, Maha-Sangram, Swarg, Suryavanshi, Anjaane Rishtey, Talaashi, Jawani Zindabad, Sangdil Sanam, Deewana Mujh Sa Nahin and Rakhwala. Anand-Milind were one of the few new-age music composers of that period who regularly recorded with Amit Kumar, making him the voice for Salman Khan and Aamir Khan.
Amit Kumar also enjoyed success with another fresh talent from the 1990s, Jatin-Lalit, who had Amit Kumar croon hit numbers in several films such as Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa, Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar and Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham....
Later in the decade his career declined with the invasion of many other Kishore Kumar clones and the death of R. D. Burman, with whom Amit had a special bonding. Kumar started withdrawing and undertaking more live stage performances in various parts of the world.
He lost out on singing for Burman's last mega hit 1942: A Love Story, and he has stated in an interview that Burman was under pressure to use another singer for the songs because it was the "trend" in those days.
During these years, he composed and released music albums which were not much successful. Some of these are:
MADPyaar toh bas pyaar haiDam dama damSome music directors tried to recreate the old magic by composing songs similar to the ones in the 1970s sung by his legendary father. However, success on this front was elusive.
Television
In the late 1980s, Kumar rendered his voice to TV serials on Doordarshan such as Chuanuti and Campus.He also did songs for the Telefilm Janam.He sang the title tracks for the Hindi-dubbed version of Disney's animated series Duck Tales and Bob the Builder.He was one of the main judges in the May 2008 singing competition reality TV show K for Kishore, where singers tried to recreate the magic of Kishore Kumar's songs on Sony Entertainment Television Asia.2000-2010
He will be the main judge in the singing competition on Zee Bangla TV for the show: Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Mr/Miss Universe 2010.He also sang two songs in Raju Chacha, starring Ajay Devgan, Kajol and Rishi Kapoor - "Dil dil ka yeh kaam hai" and "Kahin se ayi Rani".He sang "Tigde Tigde" with Neetha Subhir for Kandahar, starring Mohanlal and Amitabh Bachchan.Bangla-Hindi connection
Not many people know that one of the most popular duet songs of Kishore Kumar and Lata Mangeshkar, "Kya yehi pyaar hai" from Rocky (1981 film)Rocky]], the debut film of Sanjay Dutt, composed by R. D. Burman, was initially sung by Amit Kumar in Bangla film.
There are seven songs sung by Amit and his father separately. All Bangla songs were sung by Amit and their Hindi versions were sung by Kishore. Songs are:
Acting Stint
Amit Kumar also acted in films that were directed by and starred his father, notably Door Gagan Ki Chhaon Mein (1964), Door Ka Raahi (1971), Badhti Ka Naam Dadhi (1974) and Shabhash Daddy (1979).
Amit Kumar Filmography
See Amit Kumar Filmography