Kishore Kumar’s legacy as one of India’s most iconic and versatile playback singers is undisputed. But what continues to baffle fans and music lovers is the fact that the legendary artist never received a National Film Award. In a recent interview, his son and fellow singer Amit Kumar shed light on a shocking reason behind this: Kishore was once asked to pay a bribe in exchange for an award nomination.During a conversation with Vickey Lalwani, Amit Kumar confirmed that his father came close to winning a National Award for his directorial venture Door Gagan Ki Chhaon Mein in 1964. The film, a commercial and critical success, marked a turning point in Kishore Kumar’s career after his acting projects began faltering.Revealing the behind-the-scenes politics, Amit said, “Yes, that happened. He got a call from Delhi from someone in the Ministry. At that time, Haqeeqat, Dosti, and Door Gagan Ki Chhaon Mein were being considered (for the National Award). They told my father, ‘If you do something, give something, then we can get you nominated.’ My father was like, ‘Why are you after my life? My film is a hit.’”Door Gagan Ki Chhaon Mein, which featured both Kishore and a young Amit Kumar in key roles, was an Indian adaptation of the 1958 Hollywood film The Proud Rebel. The Hindi version struck gold at the box office, especially in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh, where it enjoyed a silver jubilee run. Ironically, while the Hindi version didn’t win the National Award, its Tamil remake Ramu, made by a filmmaker to whom Kishore sold the rights, went on to win the prestigious honour.
“The film ran for 23 weeks at Super Cinema. In Delhi-UP, the film was a silver jubilee. Then he sold the rights to a Tamil filmmaker. The remake was called Ramu. That won the National Award,” Amit added, highlighting the bitter irony.Though best known for his soulful voice and unique singing style, Kishore Kumar was also a passionate filmmaker. He directed 12 films in his career, out of which eight were released and four remained incomplete. His final directorial, Mamta Ki Chhaon Mein, considered a spiritual sequel to Door Gagan Ki Chhaon Mein, was released posthumously in 1990 and featured Amit Kumar, Ashok Kumar, Rajesh Khanna, and Leena Chandavarkar.
