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On the occasion of the 97th birth anniversary of Kishore Kumar here is a write-up on one aspect of the multi-faceted genius that he was… *U...
On the occasion of the 97th birth anniversary of Kishore Kumar here is a write-up on one aspect of the multi-faceted genius that he was…
*USS PATTH KA PANTHI…The “Door” trilogy of Kishore Kumar*
Wistful
Melancholic
Introspective
These usually aren’t words that are expected to appear too often when one imagines Kishore Kumar the actor. From outright slapstick comedy to situational blunders to amazing physicality in laughter Kishore’s zany side of his persona was amply exploited in most of his comedy films. More so in his self directed laugh riots Badhti Ka Naam Daadhi and Shabash Daddy. Even the more-bland-in-comparison-to-
But Kishore the filmmaker showed us a different side of himself in his Door Trilogy of films. Door Gagan Ki Chhaon Mein, Door Ka Rahi and Door Wadiyon Mein Kahin. As portraits of human journeys encompassing love, loss, heartbreak and suffering along the way, these films reveal a side of Kishore which he deliberately chose to hide from the world most of the times. His gentle, soft, compassionate, humane side. A deeply reflective and introspective one at that.
Although thematically the film was more or less a straightforward adaptation of Michael Curtiz’s Alan Ladd starrer The Proud Rebel, the story of how Kishore Kumar was greatly influenced by seeing Pather Panchali and decided to start work on Door Gagan Ki Chhaon Mein has been well documented. Traveling to the outskirts of a then less dense Bombay he would film random shots of the greenery, raindrops falling on a frog, circles forming in the lakes thanks to the rain etc. These shots would be assembled seamless in what eventually turned to be a wonderfully told saga of a father (Shankar, an army man) and his young son (Ramu), rendered mute by a traumatic fire accident he suffered at a young age. The wonderful onscreen depiction of father and son was all the more poignant as Kishore and son Amit played the roles. Door Gagan Ki Chhaon Mein came at a time in Kishore’s life when his acting career was flying and comic roles were his forte. Even his own productions (Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi 1958, Jhumroo 1961) were out and out comedies. So the fact that here was a star at the zenith of his popularity announcing and starting a film completely in contrast to his established image caught many by surprise. Door Gaga Ki Chhaon Mein was not the regular Kishore Kumar movie as people would soon find out.
The film received praise from most people who saw it. The great Satyajit Ray, for whom Kishore had arranged for a special viewing, found it had “some very interesting touches and a lot of pathos”. Kishore himself was very happy with the end result. It was a side of his he had never dared to share with the world. And the end result pleased him. The film however didn’t do very well commercially. Although it did manage to reach the silver jubilee mark in a few centres, Kishore didn’t recover his costs with the movie.
Kishore carried on with his regular choice of films after that, mainly to recover the lost money and also to go on with the flow. His days as a leading man were however numbered. Younger heroes came into the picture pushing him in the background. And then when a new star arrived on a jeep, serenading his Alistair-Maclean-reading -sweetheart on a toy train, in 1969, Kishore had found his groove. It would be playback singing from then onwards.
The filmmaker in Kishore however had been awakened. The happiness and pleasure he derived from making Door Gagan Ki Chhaon Mein was something he wanted to pursue further. And hence in 1971 came another film Door Ka Rahi. Made in black and white (like the earlier Door Gagan Ki Chhaon Mein) Rahi is a metaphorical depiction of the journey of a man in his life. A journey that has pain suffering love loss along the way. It is also a film about a man’s mission to serve and help all those he comes in contact with during his journey. Door Ka Rahi was more reflective and wistful than Door Gagan which had a more definitive story. The restlessness of the protagonist (Prashant) in his unending quest for the answers to life are perfectly captured in Kishore’s soulful rendition of Panthi Hoon Main Uss Path Ka, Anth Nahi Jiska (I am a traveller on an endless road). Door Ka Rahi was a more mature approach at sensitivity than its predecessor. A complex theme that was simply handled by Kishore Kumar, Rahi too failed at the box office. Considering the timing of its release when superstars like Rajesh Khanna were ruling the roost with his musical romantic hits (most of whose songs were ironically sung by Kishore himself), it’s failure was never a surprise. Kishore Kumar however took yet another blow to his soul and continued in his journey, singing his blues away.
It would be a decade later that Kishore Kumar would venture on his third offering in the “Door” series. Door Wadiyon Mein Kahin was released in 1981. This time the movie was in colour. And ironically, for a Kishore Kumar film, it had no songs. Not just the absence of songs, there was even an absence of background music. Only real sounds were incorporated much to everyone’s surprise. Door Wadiyon Mein Kahin was interesting tale of the kind hearted, almost-poetic by nature prisoner, Aslam. The film opens with a tight close up of his eyes, eyes which are filled with years and years of experience grief and wisdom. Aslam sees a few bird flying in the open sky and it is that bird he wishes to be. He has a kind hearted jailer who empathises with him but also warns him of the consequences of attempting to escape. Aslam however manages to escape and in the lush snowy regions of the Himalayas, he finds shelter with Memsaab and her daughter Janice. The bond he forms with both the ladies forms the crux of the story. And the eventuality of his existence which is in the hands of the jailer who hunts him down at the end. Door Wadiyon Mein Kahin was an epic film where the lush snow settings added to the wistfulness and moody atmosphere Kishore had managed to create. Commercially yet again the film failed to excite the audience, as expected. But the film is well and truly a worthy completion to the glorious series Kishore had begun nearly two decades ago with Door Gagan Ki Chhaon Mein.
Kishore Kumar was a Multi-faceted genius who seemingly could do everything. However his gigantic success as a playback singer and also his success as a comic hero have often eclipsed the filmmaker side of him. As a filmmaker Kishore tried to be different in more occasions and there seemed to be an honesty and sincerity in his expressions of emotions. His comedies too were way ahead of their time with their zaniness and craziness. Badhti Ka Naam Daadhi would be impossible to evaluate even today, given it’s Pythonesque humour and irreverence. But it is as a serious filmmaker who made the brilliantly engaging Door trilogy Kishore Kumar stands truly alone. Under appreciated and ignored. By the movie public in general. Some of us who have dwelved deeper in his work have been lucky to experience this side of the genius. The sensitive introspect wistful side of a filmmaker who was for once revealing his true inner self over his extroverted flamboyance, which was just a mask. Only those few who were willing to explore beyond the mask got to see the real Kishore Kumar through these three wonderful films.
By Pratik Majumdar (author: Love Coffee Murder and 1975 The Year That Transformed Bollywood)
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