Kishore Kumar was a genius. His repertoire varied. and his legacy phenomenal. He was perfectly at ease with all kinds of music
from the fun & frolic (my name is anthony gonsalves); to the melancholy (manzilen apni jagah hai); from the soft wooing numbers (ek ajnabi hasina se) to the boisterous declaration of intent (haal kya hai dilon ka na pucho sanam). He also was great at the rebel anthem – muqaddar ka sikandar – and the whimsical folksy philo number -which Mukesh did very well – like ruk jaana nahin …

There is another area of songs that Kishoreda excelled in, and that was the inebriated lover. I am not quite sure whether he imbibed or not, but the songs that he sang for the intoxicated lover were quite outstanding. Here in, no order of preference are my favorite Kishore da ‘drunken’ numbers

A) Yeh jo Mohabat Hai – no one sang for a wounded lover, better than Kishoreda. For some reason he managed the bitterness, the hurt and the ‘why me’ feeling better than most. Rafi sahaab’s drunken songs (hum bekhudi mein tum ko pukare) were more melanchonic, Kishore da’s more punchy

Here he is, in the film Kati Patang, drinking to the vagaries of a disloyal love. ‘mar jaye mit jaaye, ho jaaye badnaam’ sound incredibly personal.

B) My Name is Anthony Gonsalves – Kishore Da sings for the Big B. I can’t think of a more endearing drunk than Anthony Gonsalves. Remember the scene in the film, where Anthony after a punch up with Amar (Vinod Khanna) begins applying band aid on the mirror !
This is the song where Anthony chances upon Jenny (Parveen Babi) and promptly gets drunk. The song is a blast and an all time favorite.

The English gibberish ‘the hemoglobin of the atmosphere’ is rapped (before the term came into existence ) by Amitabh Bachchan.

C) Yeh Kya Huva – alcohol does not just get you drunk, it also leads to philosophical clarity (atleast in Hindi films) as is the case in Amar Prem. Kishore Da sings this for Rajesh Khanna who is trying to figure the who, where, when, what, why of life 🙂

D) Salaam-e-Ishq meri jaan – alcohol doesn’t just make you melanchonic or philosophical, it also lowers your inhibitions. Here is a song from Muqadaar ka Sikandar – my favorite adaptation of Devdas. Rekha and Amitabh Bachchan setting the screen on fire with Salaam-e-Ishq

E) Jai Jai Shiv Shankar – Bhang is not alcohol – but its effects are similar. Loss of inhibition, boisterous behavior, and the belief you can ‘handle’ it. An emotion akin to that felt by idiots who get behind the wheel of a car and drive after one too many. Here is Kishore da (with Lata Mangeshkar) singing for a completely sloshed Rajesh Khanna and Mumtaz in Aap ki Kasam

and of course, there is the Big B, after consuming bhang laced paan who has a blast in the old “Don”. Legend had it that Kishoreda, sang the first part of the song with paan in his mouth – whether it was laced with Bhaang or not is anyone’s guess.

F) Thodi si jo Peeli – When you are drunk, you do strange things like dance on tables (a friend has done that) or sing antakshari with Shiv Sena workers (me 🙂 – or you do what AB does in Namak Halaal – tho’ in this song, if memory serves me right, he pretends to be drunk rather than being. But still a good inebriated song. Check for KK’s well timed hiccups

for me, this film was the best that Bappi Da has ever composed for – each song is a classic.

G) Hai Hai Hai Yeh Nighayen – In early Hindi films – 50’s and even 1960’s alcohol meant westernization – unless of course you were getting drunk on country liquor in a tawaif’s kota. It never happenend in a family, party scenario. Here is one of the early Kishore numbers picturised on Dev Anand – who actually didn’t need alcohol to be wobbly 🙂 – The film is Paying Guest

H) Khulam Khula Pyaar Karenge Hum Dono – Alcohol, in Hindi films, is also a pheromone, that brings about strange behavior in those who imbibe it. Such as the desire to make out on a public road in the hill stations. Here are Kishore Da and Asha Bhonsle singing for Rishi Kapoor & Neetu Singh – in Khel Khel Mein.

I) Badi Sooni Sooni Hai – the single drink is a dangerous thing, especially when you are depressed or alone. It accentuates the feeling and pushes you to the second, and the third and so on…. As exhibited by AB in Mili. There is no one more alone than AB in this film – his father murdered his mother when he was a kid, and the neighbours can’t stop talking about him. His salvation is Mili (Jaya B) – classic Mills & Boon plot with a great dose of sentimentality. There is one more first here – AB acted in a chick flic before the term came into existence.

J) Chingari Koi Badke – Alcohol disperses all illusions and makes the world a clearer place – atleast until you stay drunk. The film is Amar Prem, and Kishore Kumar sings for Rajesh Khanna – who is in a permanent state of alcohol induced philosopher mode. One of my favorite songs of all times.

Do add your favorites to this list.

Also check out last year’s list – Classical Kishore – Kishore da singing songs based on classical ragas.