Kishore once called Mumbai a 'friendless city'

Kishore Kumar was more than just a voice, he was a whirlwind of talent, mischief and magic. From singing timeless hits like ‘Roop Tera Mastana’ and ‘Mere Sapno Ki Rani’ to playing unforgettable roles in ‘Padosan’ and ‘Half Ticket’, he ruled hearts across generations.

But behind the laughter and melodies was a man deeply troubled by fame and the city that came with it. Kishore once revealed how Mumbai never felt like home, only a trap.In a throwback with The Illustrated Weekly of India, Kishore opened up about how much he disliked the city and the film industry.The 'Zindagi Ek Safar Hai Suhana' singer didn’t hold back as he said, “Who can live in this stupid, friendless city where everyone seeks to exploit you every moment of the day? Can you trust anyone out here? Is anyone trustworthy? Is anyone a friend you can count on? I am determined to get out of this futile rat race and live as I’ve always wanted to. In my native Khandwa, the land of my forefathers. Who wants to die in this ugly city?”A career he never wantedMany people don’t know that Kishore Kumar never wanted to be an actor. His real dream was to sing. But because of his brother Ashok Kumar’s fame, the film world pulled him into acting.

He further said, “I was conned into doing this. All I wanted was to sing, and yet due to peculiar circumstances, I was persuaded to act in the movies. The directors don’t give a dan about me, they just need me because I sell.”*Doing everything to avoid actingKishore Kumar went to great lengths to avoid acting in films. He used all sorts of tricks to get out of it, even behaving in ways people thought were strange. He admitted, “I have tried every trick in the book to get out of acting. I muffed my lines, pretended to be crazy, shaved my head off, played difficult, began yodelling in the midst of tragic scenes, told Meena Kumari what I was supposed to tell Bina Rai in some other film.

They still wouldn’t let me go, and I hated every second of it.” Despite all this, the film industry wouldn’t let him go, because he was a star, and they knew he sold tickets.The real reason he came to MumbaiThe 'Pal Pal Dil Ke Paas' singer never moved to Mumbai to become a star. He only came because he hoped to meet his singing idol, KL Saigal, through his brother Ashok. He revealed, “The industry was determined to make a star out of me because I was dadamoni’s (Ashok) brother.”A dream that remained unfulfilledKishore had made up his mind to leave Mumbai and go back to Khandwa, his hometown. He wanted to leave the city and the stress behind, and return to a peaceful life.But life had other plans. Though he needed two more years to wrap up his work, he sadly passed away before he could move. Kishore Kumar passed away due to a heart attack on 13 October 1987 in Mumbai.