"Need Amit Kumar sir in playback singing again"
Amit Kumar is one of the most prolific names in Bollywood music.
The son of the legendary Kishore Kumar, people often mention his name vis-a-vis his iconic father.
The truth is that Amit has had a tremendous journey as an individual.
Amit’s vocal range, confident pitches, and versatile numbers have set benchmarks for newer playback singers.
He always performs in his concerts with energy and gusto, much to the delight of packed auditoriums.
His work deserves to be celebrated just as much as anyone else.
Paying tribute to his legacy, DESIblitz presents 10 of his best songs that everyone must hear.
Bade Achche Lagte Hain – Balika Badhu (1976)
This romantic song is the track that kicked everything off for Amit Kumar.
The song, which was composed by RD Burman, marked Amit’s entry into Bollywood playback singing.
At the time, RD Burman and Amit’s father Kishore Kumar were ruling the roost.
‘Bade Achche Lagte Hain’ follows Amal (Sachin Pilgaonkar) as he serenades Rajni (Rajni Sharma) by a river. He compares her to the beauty of the earth, river, and evening.
Despite having vocal similarities to his father, Amit admirably distinguishes himself in this song.
He comments on how he developed this distinction under the guidance of RD Burman:
“[RD Burman] said, ‘Don’t copy your father. You don’t have to clone him.’
“If you listen to ‘Bade Achche Lagte Hain’, I don’t sound like Kishore Kumar. I sound like Amit Kumar.”
‘Bade Achche Lagte Hain’ is indeed a classic that is loved by all.
Jaate Ho Jaane Jaana – Parvarish (1977)
‘Jaate Ho Jaane Jaana’ is a breezy number from Parvarish. It takes place in multiple locations, from a railway track to a building site.
The song sees Amit join forces with Asha Bhosle, Aarti Mukherjee, and Shailendra Singh.
It presents Amit Singh (Amitabh Bachchan) and Kishan Singh (Vinod Khanna). They romance their leading ladies, Neetu Singh (Neetu Singh) and Shabbo Singh (Shabana Azmi).
‘Jaate Ho Jaane Jaana’ requires professional harmony and a high vocal pitch. Amit ticks these boxes effortlessly in the song.
An IMDB review praises the melodious track and its picturisation:
“‘Jaate Ho Jaane Jaana’ is a treat to watch!”
Music composers Laxmikant-Pyarelal outdo themselves with the number. Parvarish was just the beginning of a successful collaboration they shared with Amit.
Nazar Lage Na Saathiyo – Des Pardes (1978)
‘Nazar Lage Na Saathiyo’ is notable for being one of the first songs to feature Amit’s vocals along with Kishore Kumar’s.
Along with these two, Manhar Udhas and Vijay Benedict also powerfully render the number.
The catchy song from Des Pardes features Veer Sahni (Dev Anand) and Gauri (Tina Munim).
Boota Singh/Avtar Singh (Amjad Khan) and Anwar (Mehboob) also perform with gusto.
Rajesh Roshan’s fantastic music, along with meaningful lyrics by Amit Khanna, make this song a standout from the film.
It is a treat for the ears to hear Amit’s virile voice go head-to-head with Kishore Da’s inimitable vocal range.
The website, Music From The Third Floor, praises the pleasant feel of the music of Des Pardes:
“All tracks have an upbeat, pleasant pop feel to them.”
‘Nazar Lage Na Saathiyo’ definitely implants the desire to get up and groove.
Aap Ke Deewane Title Song (1980)
In this song, Amit holds his own against two titans of Bollywood music – Mohammad Rafi and Kishore Kumar.
‘Aap Ke Deewane’ showcases Ram (Rishi Kapoor), Rahim (Rakesh Roshan) and Rocky (Jeetendra).
They perform on stage in an attempt to impress Sameera (Tina Munim) who smiles in the audience.
In 2015, Sujata Dev published Mohammad Rafi: Golden Voice of the Silver Screen. It is the official biography of Rafi Sahab.
In the book, Amit pays tribute to the legend. He speaks about ‘Aap Ke Deewane’ and the privilege he felt singing it:
“I am amongst the fortunate few who had the opportunity to sing a total of 10 songs with Rafi Sahab.
“The song ‘Aap Ke Deewane’ gave me the rare opportunity to sing with two legends – Rafi Sahab and my father.”
While Rafi Sahab and Kishore Da dazzle like usual, Amit stands his ground and confidently belts out his portions.
Teri Yaad Aa Rahi Hai – Love Story (1981)
Love Story is the film debut of actor Kumar Gaurav. This romantic blockbuster capitalises on a remarkable combination of Kumar’s intense acting and Amit’s outstanding voice.
The songs of the film were chartbusters, especially ‘Teri Yaad Aa Rahi Hai.’
The solo version, sung by Amit, picturises a despondent Bunty Mehra (Kumar Gaurav) missing Vijayta Pandit (Pinky Dogra).
Amit encapsulates the themes of love and loss beautifully in the song. In 1982, he won Filmfare’s ‘Best Male Playback Singer’ award for this song.
The trophy was presented to him by none other than his father Kishore Kumar, making the accolade all the more special.
Love Story put Amit Kumar up there in the league of renowned playback singers. Amit talks about his rewarding association with Kumar Gaurav:
“I became his voice. For five years, we batted out very well.”
The recollections of Amit prove that this was a successful actor-singer combination, which can be observed in ‘Teri Yaad Aa Rahi Hai.’
Sod Majha Haath – Fiffty Fiffty (1981)
This peppy pop song is a wonderful duet of Asha Bhosle and Amit Kumar.
Comedically filmed, ‘Sod Majha Haath’ is also a romantic number. It presents the mischievous Mary/Rajkumari Ratna (Tina Munim) teasing Kishan Singh (Rajesh Khanna).
This song is notable for having Amit sing for Rajesh.
It was known in the industry at the time that Kishore Kumar was the playback voice for the Aradhana (1969) star.
Given Amit’s voice similarity with his father, this move works out well.
Asha Ji and Amit bounce off each other splendidly. A YouTube comment praises their voices as well as highlighting the need for Amit in Bollywood:
“Amit Kumar and Asha Bhosle have rendered numerous songs in Hindi films and all are chartbusters.
“Need Amit Kumar sir in playback singing again.”
These thoughts signify the impact Amit has made in Bollywood.
Dushman Na Kare Dost – Aakhir Kyon (1985)
This song is a classic from Aakhir Kyon. It is a scintillating duet of the incomparable Lata Mangeshkar and Amit.
‘Dushman Na Kare Dost’ showcases Aloknath (Rajesh Khanna) romancing an emotional Nisha Suri (Smita Patil).
In reflective moods, Kabir Suri (Rakesh Roshan) and Indu Sharma (Tina Munim) watch on.
Amit only has one verse in the song which resounds when Rajesh joins Smita onstage.
However, that verse is something that stays in the minds of listeners. Amit’s harmonies echo against Rajesh Roshan’s melodious composition.
Amit has previously shared how he will make it a point to sing the song onstage.
It is indeed a classic and viewers will love listening to it in a live setting.
Ek Do Teen (Male) – Tezaab (1988)
The male version of ‘Ek Do Teen’ presents Amit Kumar at his very best.
A female rendition by Alka Yagnik also exists in Tezaab. However, that doesn’t dim the shine of Amit’s powerful take on the composition.
In the song, an exuberant Mahesh ‘Munna’ Deshmukh (Anil Kapoor) dances with flare and energy. He tries to woo Mohini Dhanyekar (Madhuri Dixit).
‘Ek Do Teen’ was the greatest anthem of its time. The song presents terrific irony in that the simple lyrics enable an energetic number.
A review of Tezaab on the rating platform, MouthShut, underlines the popularity of ‘Ek Do Teen’:
“‘Ek Do Teen’ became a national anthem for school going kids.”
“Its popularity was unmatched by any other song during that period.”
Anupama Chopra from Film Companion also revealed that she and her friends would only ride in taxis if the drivers had the cassettes of the song.
For that, Amit deserves to be applauded for his stunning rendition.
Soone Shaam Savere – Khel (1992)
Continuing on with the magical onscreen duo of Anil and Madhuri, Khel is another movie that presents their inimitable chemistry.
Khel is famous for ‘Soone Shaam Savere’, a magnificent track inspired by heartache and sadness.
The brilliant song shows Arun/Devdas (Anil Kapoor) in a wheelchair, singing painfully. Tara Singh (Sonu Walia) watches him thoughtfully.
Amit brings his melancholic style to the fore in this song. He is tender, compassionate, and sensitive.
Flashes of the greatest ghazal singers can be interpreted in Amit’s rendition. Though Amit makes it his own.
Amit discloses his relationship with composer Rajesh Roshan, who gave him some brilliant work:
“Rajesh Roshan gave me some wonderful songs. He always was after me.
“He always said, ‘Amit should sing.'”
This underscores the importance of the rapport needed to create great songs. ‘Soone Shaam Savere’ is one of them.
Bole Chudiyan – Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham… (2001)
Karan Johar’s Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham… (K3G) is an epic family saga. It has a place firmly ingrained in the history of Indian cinema.
The music plays a key role in the longevity of K3G. The number that brings the star-studded cast together in one frame is ‘Bole Chudiyan’.
Yashvardhan Raichand (Amitabh Bachchan) and Nandini Raichand (Jaya Bachchan) enter a wedding venue as part of Rohan Raichand’s (Hrithik Roshan) imagination.
They join Rohan in a festive dance, along with Rahul Raichand (Shah Rukh Khan), Anjali Raichand (Kajol) and Pooja ‘Poo’ Raichand (Kareena Kapoor).
Amit lends his vocals to Amitabh in the song, deepening his voice to match the superstar’s famous baritone. This was also a trait for which Amit’s father Kishore was famous.
‘Bole Chudiyan’ combines Amit along with Kavita Krishnamurthy, Alka Yagnik, Udit Narayan, and Sonu Nigam.
So many great voices singing for such a wide array of stars can only lead to impeccable products.
Sukanya Varma from Rediff compliments the bouncy blend of the song:
“‘Bole Chudiyan’ clicks at once.
“This bouncy, Punjabi track has some peppy lyrics which blend well with the music.”
“Alka Yagnik, Sonu Nigam, Kavita Krishnamurthy, Udit Narayan, and Amit Kumar have a ball with this number.”
The song is certainly a highlight from the film’s impressive soundtrack. Amit undeniably contributes to that.
Amit Kumar is a golden name when it comes to Indian playback singing.
He is often unfairly compared to Kishore Kumar. However, Amit too can be proud of a staggering body of work.
His songs stand the test of time and his powerful voice knows no bounds.
These numbers are just some of his tracks that are embedded in the minds of Indian music aficionados.
Amit Kumar has created an everlasting legacy that should be admired and respected.
Loading ...