Unsung hero!

I recently heard an interview of Amit Kumar Ganguly on radio. He is simply and more famously known as Amit Kumar and is the son of the even more famous Abhas Kumar Ganguly. Oh alright, I am talking about Amit Kumar - son of singer Kishore Kumar. In a 30 minute interview I think around 20 minutes were spent talking about Kishore Kumar. It’s not as if Amit Kumar has not sung super hit songs. But so huge has been his father’s shadow, that this guy was hardly visible. At the end of the interview, I couldn’t help but think of Abhishek Bachchan who would certainly relate to this guy.

Anyway, coming back to Amit Kumar – it has to be said that he has lent his superb voice to some of the most melodious songs in the history of Hindi film music. Let me list a few, which I believe will stay evergreen.

1.    Bade Achche Lagte Hai:

RD Burman’s composition takes the cake here, but given that the song uses minimal orchestra, it is Amit Kumar’s soulful voice which adds a lot of value to this song.

2.    Yeh Zameen Gaa Rahi Hai:

Again an RDB creation, penned beautifully by Anand Bakshi is one song, which I like to hear on loop.

3.    Keh Do Ki Tum:

The legendary duo of Laxmikant-Pyarelal composed this one and got the emotion just right. It aptly portrays the possessiveness of a person for the loved one. I actually didn't know till I heard in the interview that this song was sung by Amit. But I always rated this song very highly.

4.    Yeh Ladki Zara Si Deewani: 

This is such a feel good song even though the protagonists are pulling each other’s legs. The picturization of this song may be a bit outdated, but the audio is certainly worth hearing - even now.

5.    Oye Oye:

This song from the movie Tridev had taken the nation by storm. Although its tune is heavily inspired (copied) from an old English song, Amit Kumar’s rendition is delectable.

6.    Yaad Aa Rahi Hai:

Simply awesome to hear this one, but strangely the composer RD Burman himself didn't like this song. May be because he set such super high standards. Having said that, Amit Kumar does a beautiful job, especially in the antara… Bante bante dulhan preet… Wow!

7.    Deewana Dil Deewana:

This one from Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa is a gem of a song. The other half of this song is sung by Udit Narayan, but in my opinion Amit Kumar wins here.

There are plenty more, but I’ll wind up. It’s a pity this wonderful singer didn't get the acclaim that he truly deserved. But I am sure, like me there are many more Amit Kumar fans out there.